Dealer left dipstick hanging out after service - how bad?
Discussion
Just got my prestige german estate car back from an oil service at the main dealer, a week ago. I can't actually remember if it is a BMW/Audi/Merc/Skoda/VW, I forgot to check what overly stylised shape the tail lights are this week. One of them anyway... another 2 litre turbodiesel that claims 70mpg combined and returns 39, you know the sort.
However, and back to the point, my daughter is studying electricity at school and I wanted to show her the alternator (look! coils of wire and a spinny thing!), so I did a rare thing - I opened the bonnet.
And yes, I had a fat chance of finding the alternator, but I did discover that there was oil sprayed all around the RHS of the engine bay - and the dipstick was sitting out about 6 inches.
Question is perhaps less of a rant against 'stealers' (actually they have been great otherwise, as have my dealings with other main dealers in general, and we are all human, live and let live I say) - but I am wondering how much harm this could potentially cause? Would enough oil escape when hot/under pressure to cause significant loss and risk damage? Maybe on a long hot motorway trip? A fire maybe, a la 991GT3?
Just so I know how wry to be on the phone to them, to maximise the chance of free stuff, obvz.
Cheers!
(Edit for Education fans: I had a 2CV alternator kicking about in the garage, so the lesson was a success after all!)
However, and back to the point, my daughter is studying electricity at school and I wanted to show her the alternator (look! coils of wire and a spinny thing!), so I did a rare thing - I opened the bonnet.
And yes, I had a fat chance of finding the alternator, but I did discover that there was oil sprayed all around the RHS of the engine bay - and the dipstick was sitting out about 6 inches.
Question is perhaps less of a rant against 'stealers' (actually they have been great otherwise, as have my dealings with other main dealers in general, and we are all human, live and let live I say) - but I am wondering how much harm this could potentially cause? Would enough oil escape when hot/under pressure to cause significant loss and risk damage? Maybe on a long hot motorway trip? A fire maybe, a la 991GT3?
Just so I know how wry to be on the phone to them, to maximise the chance of free stuff, obvz.
Cheers!
(Edit for Education fans: I had a 2CV alternator kicking about in the garage, so the lesson was a success after all!)
Edited by Johnny G Pipe on Wednesday 29th October 10:24
It sounds to me like you have high crank case pressure due to a blocked breather and the dipstick has popped out under the pressure that built up. Especially if so much oil has sprayed out.
Before you call the dealer up and start blaming them for something that may not be their fault, clean up the mess, push the dipstick back in and go for a long run to see if it pops back out again.
Before you call the dealer up and start blaming them for something that may not be their fault, clean up the mess, push the dipstick back in and go for a long run to see if it pops back out again.
Johnny G Pipe said:
Just got my prestige german estate car back from an oil service at the main dealer, a week ago. I can't actually remember if it is a BMW/Audi/Merc/Skoda/VW
Skoda are owned by a German company but are from the Czech Republic. Volkswagen are more premium than prestige.Also, if you can't even remember what car it was, and it's now a week later; how are you sure the car with this problem is in fact the same which went in for a service?
My mistake.TBH OP, you sound like a bit of a bell end. Perhaps you're just trying to be funny.
I'd be surprised if it was more than a couple of drops that have "sprayed all around the RHS of engine bay".
Also, a fool for thinking you'd get near 70mpg combined from a 2 litre diesel German estate that's going to weight getting on for a couple of tonnes I'd imagine.
Never the less, as has already been suggested, wipe everything up, pop it back in and go for a long drive.
I'd be surprised if it was more than a couple of drops that have "sprayed all around the RHS of engine bay".
Also, a fool for thinking you'd get near 70mpg combined from a 2 litre diesel German estate that's going to weight getting on for a couple of tonnes I'd imagine.
Never the less, as has already been suggested, wipe everything up, pop it back in and go for a long drive.
Wow people, you managed insulting and patronising in just 10 minutes. Thanks!
In 25 years of messing with cars - doing most of the work myself - I have never had a dip stick pop up all by itself. I have left oil caps off, I have had a oilbath filter canister leaking, it was horrible and smokey in both these cases, and the latter caused the oil pressure light to appear, presumably with the next step being seizure of the motor. So I simply wondered if it was the same with the dipstick tube. I check the oil on my dry sump Porsches with the engine running, and so I know enough not to panic, even though some of you seemed to think I was. I am not worried it has caused damage, but if I hadnt noticed, and done 1000 miles around europe? I thought I was clear on that, never mind.
The fact that BMW changed the oil in this car literally last week and I find the stick sitting out 6 inches, yes raises the possibility of sudden, humungously coincidental, abnormal raise in crankcase pressure, pushing the 'stick out..or on the other hand, the guy changing the oil forgot to push it back in. Hmm, which is more likely, sports fans?
Anyway, thanks for everything, and, mmm, do I know how to check the oil in a car? LOL, and GFY.
In 25 years of messing with cars - doing most of the work myself - I have never had a dip stick pop up all by itself. I have left oil caps off, I have had a oilbath filter canister leaking, it was horrible and smokey in both these cases, and the latter caused the oil pressure light to appear, presumably with the next step being seizure of the motor. So I simply wondered if it was the same with the dipstick tube. I check the oil on my dry sump Porsches with the engine running, and so I know enough not to panic, even though some of you seemed to think I was. I am not worried it has caused damage, but if I hadnt noticed, and done 1000 miles around europe? I thought I was clear on that, never mind.
The fact that BMW changed the oil in this car literally last week and I find the stick sitting out 6 inches, yes raises the possibility of sudden, humungously coincidental, abnormal raise in crankcase pressure, pushing the 'stick out..or on the other hand, the guy changing the oil forgot to push it back in. Hmm, which is more likely, sports fans?
Anyway, thanks for everything, and, mmm, do I know how to check the oil in a car? LOL, and GFY.
Edited by Johnny G Pipe on Wednesday 29th October 11:05
I'll go against the grain here and say, phone the dealer (or take it in) and say you opened the bonnet a week after the service to find oil everywhere and the dipstick hanging out.
They should at the very least get the engine bay cleaned properly and check/correct the oil level etc.
Cleaning oil up from an engine bay without access to a steam cleaner or hot water pressure washer can be a bit of a pita (I should know, having left my fair share of filler caps off in the past!)
podwin said:
Johnny G Pipe said:
Wow people, you managed insulting and patronising in just 10 minutes. Thanks!
You should expect that by default on PH nowadays.
Snollygoster said:
Skoda are owned by a German company but are assembled in the Czech Republic. Volkswagen are more premium than prestige.
Also, if you can't even remember what car it was, and it's now a week later; how are you sure the car with this problem is in fact the same which went in for a service?
Edited for you Also, if you can't even remember what car it was, and it's now a week later; how are you sure the car with this problem is in fact the same which went in for a service?
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