Change the Oil at the Dealer?!

In reply to atm92484:

German electronics replacing a dipstick doesn't sound good at all

Pat wrote: I feel like I just read the script of a BMW commercial.

Could not agree more.

Meh. My previous 335i had a display in the dash that told me the oil level. It worked well. No harm there. I didn't miss the dipstick under the hood. Especially when the same dipstick was behind the wheel.

This conversation reminds me of the same conversations I had in the late 80's and early 90's about hot rodding fuel injected cars. OH NOES! That new fangled injection is going to stop hot rodding cold! We all know how that turned out.

For 30 years, the automotive world has contended with a huge class of drivers who think the glowing red oilcan "no oil pressure" idiot light means the car is just low on oil, no biggie.

Now the difference is, they will be right, most of the time.

I don't understand why I can't have the sensor AND a dipstick. But if I want to look at the oil and see if it's foamy with coolant, I can get a REALLY good look on these BMW motors, because the oil filter is a canister unit, top-mounted by the front of the valve cover.

What if it's an auto, and I want to check the transmission fluid dipstick? There's not one. But there's not one in a Ford F150 now, either!

This is hilarious because I knew this really irritating rich kid in school whose family made a fortune in . . . manufacturing dipsticks for Ford.

The thing that really bugs me is this: whenever the automatic headlights turn on, there is a little green indicator that glows between the speedo and the tach. WTF!!!

92dxman wrote: In reply to atm92484: German electronics replacing a dipstick doesn't sound good at all

well in the case of VW/Audi there have been cases where the plastic dipstick handle broke off the dipstick...

novaderrik wrote: how do you get oil everywhere when doing an oil change?

Probably by topping yourself off with a quart of ethanol-based liquid ahead of time.

novaderrik wrote:

HiTempguy wrote:

how do you get oil everywhere when doing an oil change?

Here's the ways I've done it. You are free to invent your own:

1) Moss sent me the wrong spin on oil filter adapter and the oil pumped out when I started the car. 2) Put the o-ring in the wrong place on one of those stupid three-piece Toyota oil filter canisters. 3) Hit drain pan with my elbow while trying to tighten drain plug and it was VERY full. 4) Dumped oil out of the filter after/while removing it. It is impossible not to spill oil out of one of those topside filter canisters-- it is just a matter of how well you catch it.

Of course, each of these was a one-time learning experience and have not been repeated at every change.

I recently bought one of those vacuum driven topsiders and it has made my life much easier...

i hate the concept of not having a dipstick. not as much as i hate synthetic engine noises, but close.

As a guy who changes oil for a living I cringe every time a new bmw or Porsche shows up. Nothing like having to check the oil via the dash. On the other hand I don't trust anyone else to service my cars, even the boring dailys.

We also tend to recommend whatever the owners manual calls for and that tends to anger the customer. instead of the 0w20 or 5w40 full synthetic recommended they want to use a base 5w20 or 10w40. Why does it seem like everyone who buys a fancy new car wants the cheapest crap they can find thrown in it?

dropstep wrote: As a guy who changes oil for a living I cringe every time a new bmw or Porsche shows up. Nothing like having to check the oil via the dash. On the other hand I don't trust anyone else to service my cars, even the boring dailys. We also tend to recommend whatever the owners manual calls for and that tends to anger the customer. instead of the 0w20 or 5w40 full synthetic recommended they want to use a base 5w20 or 10w40. Why does it seem like everyone who buys a fancy new car wants the cheapest crap they can find thrown in it?

I think that some of it is that they're cheap bastards that want to show off to their friends and co-workers.

In reply to DeadSkunk: Some aftermarket companies make a dipstick and tube for the E90 and F10 3-series (I believe), but they cost big money.

I think y'all are missing the point...in 5 years we'll all be driving electrics...fluids are for Dinosnooooores...(sarcasm)

I just had a client toast his Subaru engine by running it out of oil. He said "I didn't think these modern cars needed to be checked between changes...."

When my wife bought a new Mazda 3, we ponied up the loot for a life time free oil and filter. Pay back time is about two years (they do it every 4 months) and goes on for as long as they are in business. Of course it is a come on to get you in and get other business from you - they once rotated the tires without asking and didn't get paid for it, so we are slowly training them.

Jamey_from_Legal wrote: What if it's an auto, and I want to check the transmission fluid dipstick? There's not one. But there's not one in a Ford F150 now, either!

back in early 2009? i did some work on brand new ford trucks that had the new 6 speed auto. they had the wrong fluid in them so we had to do a trans flush and put an additive in it but they had hidden dipsticks. there was a really tall bolt on the passenger side of the trans that was hollow. when you take the hollow bolt off there is a short yellow dipstick that is only about 3-4" long inside the hollow bolt

the best part is we had the get the trans hot so it would flush easier and the dipstick was right next to the cat... still have a scar from that burn

Having oil changes at the dealer at the proper interval looks good if you ever need something covered under warranty. Granted you can always do extra changes between their intervals.

In reply to wspohn:

My local independent tire shop gives free pressure check, rotation, and tire patch (if necessary) to all of their customers.

I get "free" oil changes for the first 2 yrs of ownership of my Sonic … I'll probably let them do it … after that I'll just do my own like I've always done

To clarify: you can't check the exact level via the dash, either. You can only check the status. There's a picture of the car's drivetrain on the display. If it's green, you're good to go. If it's yellow, it's a quart low. I'm scared of what red might mean.

Frankly, this terrifies me. There is no way to know if it is .9 quarts low or 1 quart overfilled.

don't see me EVER buying a car where I can't check the oil

get off my lawn dammit

You can still check the oil... you just don't need to open the hood. Do you pull over and stick a wooden dowel into the gas tank to see how much fuel you have left?

So... pro-dipstick folks... you trust an electronic oil PRESSURE gauge, electronic temperature gauge, electronic fuel injection, TPMS, anti-lock brakes, jets not to fall from the sky... but not a simple electronic oil level gauge or your own ability to add the correct amount of oil at a change?

Must we bitch about everything that isn't the way it was back in the day? I mean, I'm a berkeleying luddite about a lot of things like clutches because I enjoy using them but there has been a pretty reliable oil level sender in BMWs back to the E28 and pretty much every oil cooled Porsche made since 1968. I think they have proven the concept.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: You can still check the oil... you just don't need to open the hood. Do you pull over and stick a wooden dowel into the gas tank to see how much fuel you have left? So... pro-dipstick folks... you trust an electronic oil PRESSURE gauge, electronic temperature gauge, electronic fuel injection, TPMS, anti-lock brakes, jets not to fall from the sky... but not a simple electronic oil level gauge or your own ability to add the correct amount of oil at a change? Must we bitch about everything that isn't the way it was back in the day? I mean, I'm a berkeleying luddite about a lot of things like clutches because I enjoy using them but there has been a pretty reliable oil level sender in BMWs back to the E28 and pretty much every oil cooled Porsche made since 1968. I think they have proven the concept.

actually no … mechanical oil pressure gauge … if the fuel injection quits … all the car does is stop … if the oil pressure electronic gizmo dies, I'm out several thousand $ … no TPMS, or anti-lock brakes … and if a jet falls out of the sky, I'm betting I won't be in it's path …LOL

and regardless of whether or not there has been a reliable oil level sender in BMW's for all this time … there was still a dipstick

you can do whatever you want … ME.. I'm not planning on buying a car I can't check the oil level myself … now like I said .. get the berkeley off my lawn ..LOL

In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker:

With this, you can check what level the fluid is within the oil pan. You have no information about what that fluid is.

Oil level is only one thing a dipstick reveals.

In reply to DaveEstey:

Remove fill cap. Sniff. See any foam?

Those gauges are all fairly reliable. Even before BMW dropped the dipstick, their oil level senders were known to regularly fail around 50k.

I don't have heartburn over new gizmos - I care about "better" systems that are maintenance pigs.

How often do you need to check the oil in most cars that were made within the last 10 years? I checked it very often with my RX8, but checking the dipstick has become a formality that I do once a month on everything else. Hell, unless something is wrong, I bet most of the people bitching about it rarely check the damn dipstick.

I've also noticed that some of you guys seem to attack Tom for "not being GRM enough" when he posts things on here. It's obvious that the main reason he took it to the dealer was because the oil change was free; it only reads like a BMW advertisement if you're wanting it to sound like one. That said, I prefer to pay to get my oil changed because I don't like having to deal with the waste. It's a pain in the ass.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: In reply to DaveEstey: Remove fill cap. Sniff. See any foam?

you would need a mirror to see (even if you could then) down my Mom's Fit's oil fill hole