Oil change issue

[lmp180psu]

I got my oil changed at the dealer I bought the car from on Saturday morning, and let's just say I am not happy now. First, I went to pay for it. I got "The Works" service which included the oil change, tire rotation, and checks of fluids etc for $39.95. When the cashier told me the total was $46.XX, I was like, uh that seems high, and it should be $42 something with tax (6% in PA). I walked over to the service counter to ask about it, and they said that only includes up to 5 quarts of oil, and they had to put in and charge for an extra quart. I was a bit puzzled why a 4 cylinder engine would require 6 qts, but that is what they said. Well, they agreed to not charge for the extra qt, and I paid and left to do my days errands. It was a hectic day, so I wasn't thinking to check the oil level and owners manual to see what the capacity is.

Today I decide to check the oil and owners manual. I checked the level and my partner looked at it too. He agreed with me it was way overfilled (a good inch over the hole in the dipstick which is above the full mark. The owners manual says 4.5 qts for the Hybrid which makes sense. Even my old 6 cylinder Acura TL didn't take 6 qts (it took 4.5). So now I have to call the dealer tomorrow and demand they drain the oil and set the level to the correct level. I will also mention that I hope they aren't doing this to all cars. Since the dealer is not close to my house or work (almost an hour away), it will be an inconvenience for me, but it has to be done. Yea, and when I drove by the dealer this weekend, EV+ is showing now as one of my more frequent destinations...not a good sign.

It could be that I knew the oil level is high, but the engine sounds like it is louder. Maybe it is trying to process the extra oil and is sort of "choking' on it. The fuel mileage hasn't seemed to suffer, but that is tough to tell with the EV mode and depending on how much EV has been used.

[jeff_h]

So I guess that shop didn't read my oil change post, too bad... I noted it takes 4.5 quarts for the hybrid, though other Fusion models take different levels based on what I saw in the owner's manual. This is why I always change it myself, don't have a lot of trust in others with this.

 

http://fordfusionhybridforum.com/topic/5886-oil-change-info-for-2013-hybrid/

[acdii]

Well thankfully my dealer does RTFM, since they changed the oil in the one I had when the plugs fouled and got it right.

[lmp180psu]

Just looked the Gas Fusion owners manual on the Motorcraftservice website, and I see the 2.0 Ecoboost and 2.5L take 5.7 quarts, so maybe they mixed up the 2.0 Hybrid ICE with the 2.0 Ecoboost. Still no excuse though.

[lmp180psu]

So I guess that shop didn't read my oil change post, too bad... I noted it takes 4.5 quarts for the hybrid, though other Fusion models take different levels based on what I saw in the owner's manual. This is why I always change it myself, don't have a lot of trust in others with this.

 

http://fordfusionhybridforum.com/topic/5886-oil-change-info-for-2013-hybrid/

 

I changed the oil in my last vehicle, but I wanted the first couple oil changes to be done by the dealer, and with the under car shield/tray and all those screws, I had a feeling I would mess it up.

 

To make things even better, i had a piece of chrome trim come off the car today too....ughhh.

[hybridbear]

 

I changed the oil in my last vehicle, but I wanted the first couple oil changes to be done by the dealer, and with the under car shield/tray and all those screws, I had a feeling I would mess it up.

 

To make things even better, i had a piece of chrome trim come off the car today too....ughhh.

 

Did your dealer rectify this yet? What trim piece came off?

[neod192]

What trim piece came off?

He posted a pic of the missing piece here:

http://fordfusionhybridforum.com/topic/6434-what-is-wrong-with-this-picture/

[lmp180psu]

 

Did your dealer rectify this yet? What trim piece came off?

Update: Lets just say that I dont think i will be going back to my dealer for service again. I took the car in yesterday to have them redo the oil change or at least take some oil out, and after about 15 minutes, the service writer brought me back to talk to the mechanic. They both went on to tell me that 5.5 quarts is the correct amount and that it is ok if the oil level is at the upper open dot on the dipstick. I told them that the owners manual says 4.5 quarts for the hybrid, and is 5.7 for the 2.0 ecoboost (picture me pointing to the glove box lol grrrrr) and still they said 5.5. He even took out the dipstick to show it was around that level, which i beleive was the case since it was just driven in minutes earlier, so not all the oil drained back into the pan, so it was reading a bit lower than actual. He went on to tell me he fills it to the upper dot which I don't think is ok, but would be passable. I told them i checked it a good 18 hours after i last drove it, and it was above the open dot and close to the swirl part of the stick The service writer said they will make a note in the computer to not charge me for 6 qts next time, and i said that wasn't the point, the overfilling was. My bill was corrected on saturday so i wasnt worried about that part. I will probably call the local dealer near my work later and see if they can fit me in for an oil change in the next couple days. I'll just eat $25-30 and call it a day.

[lmp180psu]

He posted a pic of the missing piece here:

http://fordfusionhybridforum.com/topic/6434-what-is-wrong-with-this-picture/

Thanks for posting the link. Update on that will be posted there.

[jeff_h]

Update: Lets just say that I dont think i will be going back to my dealer for service again.

 

This is why it's worth it to me to do it myself, sure they are supposed to know what they are doing but with the claims they make on getting you in and out so quickly, seems the timeliness is the #1 issue rather than the thoroughness and accuracy -- yes a professional can do both, but the consequences if they overfill or underfill by a significant amount, well that's not good. So I prefer to change my own, which is about the only thing I do on cars anymore, but still like to do it and know that it was done right.

[acdii]

Update: Lets just say that I dont think i will be going back to my dealer for service again. I took the car in yesterday to have them redo the oil change or at least take some oil out, and after about 15 minutes, the service writer brought me back to talk to the mechanic. They both went on to tell me that 5.5 quarts is the correct amount and that it is ok if the oil level is at the upper open dot on the dipstick. I told them that the owners manual says 4.5 quarts for the hybrid, and is 5.7 for the 2.0 ecoboost (picture me pointing to the glove box lol grrrrr) and still they said 5.5. He even took out the dipstick to show it was around that level, which i beleive was the case since it was just driven in minutes earlier, so not all the oil drained back into the pan, so it was reading a bit lower than actual. He went on to tell me he fills it to the upper dot which I don't think is ok, but would be passable. I told them i checked it a good 18 hours after i last drove it, and it was above the open dot and close to the swirl part of the stick The service writer said they will make a note in the computer to not charge me for 6 qts next time, and i said that wasn't the point, the overfilling was. My bill was corrected on saturday so i wasnt worried about that part. I will probably call the local dealer near my work later and see if they can fit me in for an oil change in the next couple days. I'll just eat $25-30 and call it a day.

 

Do this, call the local dealer and ask how many quarts they put in the new Fusion Hybrid when doing an oil change. If they come back with the correct amount, then you know for sure the other dealer screwed up and call Ford customer service. Overfilling is not a good thing, too much and the engine will burn oil, and cause other problems. Your's is probably going to be OK, so I wouldnt worry too much, but I wouldnt waste more money on another oil change. Just get your answers now so you will be set for the next one in 10K miles.

[lmp180psu]

I called the local dealer this morning and set up an oil change for tomorrow. I will be asking how much they put in for a Hybrid and hopefully they have the right answer. I am not a very risk averse person usually, so i feel more comfortable getting the right amount in there and paying the $25-30. I will be checking the level before i leave though for sure.

[milleron]

The danger of overfilling is that if the oil gets high enough for the pistons rods to hit it on their descent, they can whip it into a froth, like whipping cream, and the oil pump can't circulate froth. Honestly, if there's been no trouble in the first few days after the overfilling, I don't think there will be any. Hope an actual mechanic might weigh in on this, though, because I'm an amateur.

[fhalasz]

I'm guilty of not RTFM, but - if the engine capacity is 4.5 quarts and the filter capacity is 1 quart, that's 5.5.

[murphy]

I'm guilty of not RTFM, but - if the engine capacity is 4.5 quarts and the filter capacity is 1 quart, that's 5.5.

The filter is part of the engine. The stated oil refill capacity for an engine includes the filter in published Ford engine oil capacity charts.

[milleron]

Right! Even if it didn't include the filter, it's capacity is nowhere near a quart. They overfilled, but probably not critically.

[smr2112]

So this begs the question, and I've wondered this on my 2010 FFH...

 

How many qts of oil is certainly an overfill and going to cause the 'frothing'?

6qts, 7qts, more?

 

Seems to be that although it's more than the manual says, 5.5qts really should

not be an issue. Sounds like an inexperienced mechanic to me.

 

[46stang]

The older engines as in 90's motors were more prone to frothing because of the way the engine blocks were designed. Newer engines, as in the last decade moved the crankshaft further up into the block for rigidity purposes among other things, so it is much more difficult to get frothing. You would likely need to overfill by 2 quarts or more to achieve this. Having said that, it is always wiser to put the correct amount in your car because it is the amount Ford recommends. The oil filter will hold roughly 0.5 quarts so I would simply take it off, drain it out, put it back on the car, fire it up for like 30 seconds, then take it off and drain it again. The dealer who screwed it up should have done this for you at a minimum. imho. You are wise not to return there.

[hybridbear]

So I think this may have happened to me...I got my oil changed Thursday and the PCM update done. Today when I filed my receipt with my other FFH paperwork I noticed that it says 6 quarts of oil. So I went back and looked at my previous two oil change receipts from this dealer, both of which say 5 quarts. They've previously spilled oil all over my engine compartment and failed to clean it up. Then they get mad at me for giving them low scores on the survey saying that spilling oil and failing to clean it up is acceptable. My engine cover (the part with the hybrid badge) is now permanently stained with oil. If they did in fact overfill the engine now I will do a lot more than just give them bad scores on their customer survey from Ford because this kind of incompetence is unacceptable!

[jeff_h]

So I think this may have happened to me...I got my oil changed Thursday and the PCM update done. Today when I filed my receipt with my other FFH paperwork I noticed that it says 6 quarts of oil. So I went back and looked at my previous two oil change receipts from this dealer, both of which say 5 quarts. They've previously spilled oil all over my engine compartment and failed to clean it up.

 

I think with 3-4 different types of engines on the Fusion (1.6, 2.0, 2.0 hybrid, also still a 2.5?) they each call for a different amount of oil, and opens to the door for the wrong amount for a tech that is not paying close attention. I wonder if this happened in your case?

[lmp180psu]

So I think this may have happened to me...I got my oil changed Thursday and the PCM update done. Today when I filed my receipt with my other FFH paperwork I noticed that it says 6 quarts of oil. So I went back and looked at my previous two oil change receipts from this dealer, both of which say 5 quarts. They've previously spilled oil all over my engine compartment and failed to clean it up. Then they get mad at me for giving them low scores on the survey saying that spilling oil and failing to clean it up is acceptable. My engine cover (the part with the hybrid badge) is now permanently stained with oil. If they did in fact overfill the engine now I will do a lot more than just give them bad scores on their customer survey from Ford because this kind of incompetence is unacceptable!

 

Sorry to hear about the previous issues with oil change cleanup, and this most recent potential issue. Even when I pointed out the differing requirements for each engine, and that I understood if there was some confusion because of it, the dealer still didn't apologize or agree to re do the oil change. They said overfilling it by a quart is not a big deal. After that, I decided to never go back there again, and my new dealer has been nothing but professional for all my service needs since.

 

Good luck getting this straightened out!

[lolder]

I would write a long letter to Alan Mulally about this Dealer's incompetance. The 2010 FFH specifically cautions about overfilling the oil above the 5 qts. that hybrid 2.5 liter calls for. The other Fusion 2.5 l. engines called for 5.3 l. They charge you for 6 l. The 2010 FFH blows smoke under hard right turn acceleration when the oil level is too high.

[hybridbear]

So I checked the oil level today. It's really hard to tell on the dipstick. If they had put 5.7 qts in (what the 2.0 EB engine needs) how much above the dot would the oil level be? I might need to wait a few hundred miles until the oil is darker to tell. Right now it's so clear that it's hard to see how high it's coming up the dipstick.

[lolder]

The oil level is hard to see on my 2010 FFH. I wait at least a half hour after shutdown on a level surface, pull the stick, thoroughly wipe it, reinsert and then remove it and look for the wetted surface that a good light will reflect from. You should be able to see it that way.

[hybridbear]

The oil level is hard to see on my 2010 FFH. I wait at least a half hour after shutdown on a level surface, pull the stick, thoroughly wipe it, reinsert and then remove it and look for the wetted surface that a good light will reflect from. You should be able to see it that way.

The challenge I've always found with checking oil is that there's oil on the sides of the neck where the dipstick goes, so when you insert the dipstick and take it out you get a little bit of oil up the sides. I'll wait until the weekend and then check it again. It's hard to do some of this stuff mid-week as my wife has the car and I walk to work.