I took my Windstar to a fast oil change shop and within 10 miles the van was misfiring, overheating and a lot of smoke coming out of the engine followed by a very loud rattling inside engine. I checked the oil level on dipstick and it looks like it is way over the fill line (like by an inch on the dipstick). The oil, however, still looks very clean with no sign of water or fuel contamination. I suspect major engine damage has been done, but how can I prove it was due to over-filling?
2006-08-15 12:47:29 · 8 answers · asked by londonse21 1 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
mommy2savann...is right
take it to a ford dealer! Have it towed!
do not drive it. let them look at it..if any damage was done..sue the company who did the oil change
2006-08-15 12:54:54 · answer #1 · answered by justnotright 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Any Ford dealer can give you the proof you need.
And the answer is yes, overfilling can destroy an engine, often faster than under filling it.
When an engine is overserviced with oil, the crankshaft hits the oil in the pan and causes it to foam, mixing it with air. The air-entrained oil cannot properly lubricate the engine and this can lead to rapid engine failure.
That said, there is a fairly good chance that the noise you heard was the valve lifters collapsing when the air-entrained oil hit them. This can generate quite a clatter but won't cause much harm as long as you shut the engine down quickly.
At this point, you should leave the van parked and call the shop that changed the oil immediately. Have them send a tow truck to bring it in so that the manager can look it over. I'd suggest that you pay to get an AAA inspector out there as well to moderate the situation and examine the engine to see if any permanent damage is done.
If the only damage is the noisy lifters, that should correct itself once the oil level is drained down to the proper level. The engine should be cranked with the starter for about 60 seconds total without starting it -- disconnect the wiring to the coil(s) first. Crank the engine for 15 seconds and wait 2 - 3 minutes. Repeat this 3 or 4 times. Let the engine sit for 15 minutes to allow the starter motor to cool down and then reconnect the coil(s) and start it up. Let the engine idle for a few minutes and listen carefully. The lifters should quiet down in a few seconds and if you're lucky the engine sounds should otherwise be normal.
I would demand that they pay for a full evaluation of the engine at a Ford dealership, as well as pay for the tow job and AAA inspector and if the inspection reveals any damage, they need to pay for that as well.
As you now know, you should ALWAYS check the oil level after an oil change. And you should look under the vehicle for any signs of leakage as well. I've had oil change shops fail to tighten the oil filter and the drain plug on several occasions and even had one fail to install the drain plug at all. The crankcase was dry!
2006-08-15 13:03:16 · answer #2 · answered by Bostonian In MO 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Take it to a shop preferably the Ford Dealer as all have said.
But overfilling can cause the symptoms above including the noise above. Sometimes draining the oil will fix all the problems and you won't have any other problems, but sometimes as others have said, it may have damaged the motor (usually will take over a quart and a half to cause noticeable problems)
The windstar is one that throws oil on the stick after it runs , so wipe the stick and recheck... still one inch over? let the dealer drain the oil and see if anything permanent has happened.
Usually Fords are pretty good survivors when over/underfilled... I've seen them running on 1 qt of oil and on 14 qts (on a car that should have taken 7).. after serivcing, no apparent problems but an inspection is definitely warranted as it may be oil, it may be coincidance..I would rather know first
2006-08-15 15:26:13 · answer #3 · answered by gearbox 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
lots of the time overfilling by technique of one quart heavily isn't a large deal, fairly on a vehicle with a wide oil pan like a diesel. The ICP sensor has more effective to do with the gas gadget. the probability of the ICP sensor failing having something to do with including an more effective quart to a vehicle with a 15 quart oil pan is low.
2016-11-25 19:59:47 · answer #4 · answered by devers 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well I'm told it can blow the seals and mess up your engine. I would immediately call them and if they won't pay for a tow truck then you do it and have the car towed back to their shop. Show them what was done and take them to court to pay for damage done to the engine, after all they goofed up.
2006-08-15 13:30:38 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
the worst case scenario is the engine will stop but drain the oil and it will be fine there is no internal damage possible
2006-08-15 13:01:21 · answer #6 · answered by riksolo 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
take it to a ford dealer!
do not drive it. let them look at it..if any damage was done..sue the company who did the oil change
2006-08-15 12:52:53 · answer #7 · answered by mommy2savannah51405 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have never had this happen after over filling a engine..... sometimes by a quart..... once by 2.5 quarts...
2006-08-16 01:48:21 · answer #8 · answered by 572ci. 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋