This afternoon I returned home from having my oil (& filter) changed at my Chevy dealership. (I had the tires rotated, also.) After eating lunch, I popped the hood to check over the engine compartment (to make certain fill caps were properly replaced and such) and decided to check the level on the 'dipstick'. (Remove, clean, insert, remove, and examine the oil level on the 'stick'.)

I was surprised to find the oil level was 1/2 to 3/4 of a quart low. I happened to have an opened container of Castrol 5W-30 (to use as a top-up), and I added the 3/4 quart which brought the oil to almost the 'max' indication ('top' groove).

I was surprised the dealership (which seems to be a good one) 'overlooked' the addition of oil to bring it to the 'full' mark.

Moral of story: an occasional check of oil level is a good thing. And, incredibly easy to do.

That's kinda weird...maybe they filled it up when the ground wasn't level?

Precisely the reason I change my oil myself.

It's becuase you didn't change it yourself.

Most workers at car dealerships are dummies, even if it is their special field.

I think any job you solely do repetitively causes error. Its complacency.

My Brother-in-law helped a guy out who's car was smoking badly, almost caught on fire. Last place the car was at, was a dealer's quick lube. Guy changing the oil left TWO rags behind which smoldered after a 30 mile trip. If he didn't pull them out it the car may have when up in flames.

To error is human?

Doesn't excuse it, but I guess it is a good point to check the oil level after an oil change.

I never thought of checking the oil level after getting the oil changed from the dealership. I will do that from now on. Thanks for the info Jay Armstrong.

Do it everywhere! I know of a guy who took his new S-10 in for change. They brought it around front for him and he started down the road when he noticed oil light was on. He returned to dealer and turned out they never refilled it. Idiot mechanic parked it in lot. Idiot cranked up and brought around to him when he paid. He thought he should get new engine. Dealer had better attorneys and he got nothing.

I say any place because Jiffy Lube stuck it to my wife on more than one occasion. Once with motor oil. Another with tranny. They were pushing her for fluid change and she told them no. She drove it around town for a few days and then hit the interstate when the car started acting crazy, her words. She pulled in somewhere and they added 5 qts of fluid. After another week of driving she informed me tranny was not acting right. Sure enough, so I told her to take it to dealer. Diagnosis: needs rebuild because of slipping clutch.
Why was it 5 qts low? Pretty darned hard to tell since there was fluid everywhere. Then I learned they added FL, wrong fluid. I cleaned up mess and still could not find where she lost fluid. Dropped pan and changed fluid with flush method. Still no idea how she lost the fluid. Drove car but not in overdrive. A couple of months later she tells me about them wanting to change fluid at Jiffy before it started acting up. Those idiots dropped pan to change fluid, even though she told them "No", and did not refill it.

I have the dealer do Mobil 1 synthetic, which they only have in the bottle so the high school kid changing the oil can at least count to 5 ( I hope). Still, I always check my oil level after driving a few miles just to be sure.

I second everybody saying here: doing it yourself if you can. It is not the money. It is the risk you will have with low-paid, rookie tech. If you cannot do it yourself, do some research to find out how the work is done. So you can check when the work being done or after it's done

This thread was over a year old....

Still valid :rolleyes:

Still valid :rolleyes:

So? IMO bringing back a thread over a year old is a waste. If the topic is relavent, start a new thread. On most boards that actually have mods, this would have been locked.

So? IMO bringing back a thread over a year old is a waste. If the topic is relavent, start a new thread. On most boards that actually have mods, this would have been locked.

I think it's still valid. The point was made to always check your car over after it's been worked on even if it's just an oil change.
I'm a Mod on a motorcycle site and we intentionally bring back old threads for new members like you to see.

Back when my 99 Intrigue was new I took it to the dealer and they did the oil change. They brought it out, I read the receipt and it said they put in 5 quarts of 5w30. Trouble is that engine took 6 quarts of 10w30. The tech was clueless. They changed it out, but I watched them closely throught the window. But I had to wonder, I mean these guys are supposed to be the GM experts.

Bring back an old thread is valid if it still applies as of today. Starting a new thread on the same topic is actually a waste as the admin has to merge them later.

Well the boards I'm usually on have thousands of members, and bringing back old threads is a no-no. Guess it's different on here....still odd IMO.

I got into that habit thanks to a Dodge Dealer that is no longer in business. Every time I took the truck in, they forgot to put something back, one time it was the oil filler cap, another it was the air intake hose between the filter box and the throttle body. If I caught that one before I went back to the dealer, I'd have gotten a nice socket out of the deal because the mechanic even left that under the hood!