Too much oil!

sevenhills

I had a warning light on my works Crafter today, too much oil!

When I spoke to other drivers, our garage puts too much oil in when they do a service and that is why we get these warning lights. They do it so we won't come back in a few months, saying it needs topping up.

My Crafter was last serviced over a month ago. I was surprised that our garage is brave enough to not follow the manufacturer's recommendations. I wonder how much extra they put in?

baser999

I was of the understanding that too much oil was an issue. When we had vehicles on our fleet with that they were called back into the workshop to get it rectified. Pleased to be proved wrong.

400ixl

I assume it is a diesel?

Sounds like they have over filled it which is not a good thing. It could be the put in more than they should, or they didn't get enough of the old oil out and filled it with a prescribed amount which took it over the limit.

Either way, not then checking at the end is not good or professional. Does your Crafter have a dip stick, some VW's don't any more.

The other explanation being a diesel could be that the DPF regens are not working and diesel is being dumped into the oil. This is not good and can lead to over run and ultimately detonation.

Given it is only a month from the service it is more likely the over fill, but don't hang around on getting it checked and sorted.

sevenhills

400ixl said:

I assume it is a diesel?

Sounds like they have over filled it which is not a good thing. It could be the put in more than they should, or they didn't get enough of the old oil out and filled it with a prescribed amount which took it over the limit.
Either way, not then checking at the end is not good or professional. Does your Crafter have a dip stick, some VW's don't any more.
The other explanation being a diesel could be that the DPF regens are not working and diesel is being dumped into the oil. This is not good and can lead to over run and ultimately detonation.
Given it is only a month from the service it is more likely the over fill, but don't hang around on getting it checked and sorted.

It is a diesel, an email has been sent, but the warning light went off after a few restarts.

They also do the same with tyres, which I find surprising. I believe that tyre pressures should be 58/61, some Crafter state 65 psi and some 58, not sure what the tyre pressures for the same Merc van are.

Goudy

It's a common gripe with a lot on fleet vehicles.

The service team fill the oil to the top of the dipstick mark cold, as they don't want them back for a top up.
Then when the vehicle is ran up and it gets hot, the oil expands and the over fill detection alarms out.

Engine oil will expand around 7% or more at 100c and the over fill detection is there to monitor the oil in case of dilution due to failed DPF regens.

The Crafter takes something like 7 litres, so that can expand to nearly 7.5 litres when really hot.

Then once it's cooled, it's back to normal until the oil is mad hot again and you go around and around until it's either used some oil via combustion or more likely it's thrown it out of the crankcase breather pipe and made a mess of the air intake pipe.

sevenhills

Now that the warning light has gone off, I have been asked to take it into our garage. 
That seems like a waste of time, unless it comes on again. Our transport manager has no machabical background. 

Goudy

Can you not check the oil level yourself?
Do it cold and again when the engine it hot.

If it's max cold, it'll creep up when hot because it expands.

No doubt when you take it back they'll leave it sitting there all day so the oil is stone cold and say there's no problem.

We've a fleet of Sprinters and a couple of Trannies. (only a few left, the rest went bang)
The Sprinters all come back over filled with oil and ∞psi in the tyres.

The Trannies all come back in pretty much the same state they went in.
They seem particularly adverse to checking the brakes on them as they come back and need new brakes a week or so later.

sevenhills

I have left it at our workshop now, I hope I get it back before I return to work. I assume they will take a little oil out.

No light when first started, then it comes on when the engine is hot.

Ibrahim5

It's a common problem with garages. They are always overfilling the oil. Best to do it yourself, then you know it has been done properly.

RandomTourist

sevenhills said:

400ixl said:

I assume it is a diesel?

Sounds like they have over filled it which is not a good thing. It could be the put in more than they should, or they didn't get enough of the old oil out and filled it with a prescribed amount which took it over the limit.
Either way, not then checking at the end is not good or professional. Does your Crafter have a dip stick, some VW's don't any more.
The other explanation being a diesel could be that the DPF regens are not working and diesel is being dumped into the oil. This is not good and can lead to over run and ultimately detonation.
Given it is only a month from the service it is more likely the over fill, but don't hang around on getting it checked and sorted.

It is a diesel, an email has been sent, but the warning light went off after a few restarts.

They also do the same with tyres, which I find surprising. I believe that tyre pressures should be 58/61, some Crafter state 65 psi and some 58, not sure what the tyre pressures for the same Merc van are.

Tyre pressures will be on a sticker in the opening of one or other front door, usually on the B-post (and usually in small print so you have to grovel to read it!)