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oil level VW Passat

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  • 17-02-2010 12:01am
    #1
    teednab-el
    Registered Users Posts: 2,971 ✭✭✭


    Got my car serviced there by a local mechanic. He changed oil and filter etc and did the usual car checks. However 2 weeks later I checked the oil level in my car and I noticed that it was above the groove by a small bit. The groove is above the letter A which indicates the Max level. I checked it again today and its still the same. I have not gone near the car since mechanic serviced. Car has been poor to start in the morning since. Car is a VW Passat 2000.


    What should I do?


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    #2
    Tigger
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,707 ✭✭✭✭Tigger


    talk to the mechanic

    probaby fine but if too high can cause issues


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    #3
    mickdw
    Registered Users Posts: 23,286 ✭✭✭✭mickdw


    He wouldnt be the first mechanic to overfill alittle.
    If you suspect its causing any problems, you could tell him let some out or spend a day pulling out the dipstick and wiping it on a cloth. You would get a cup full out like that:D

    If its way too high, it can be bad but marginally above the mark cannot casue a problem. The main dealer always seem to overfill rather than underfill although I am aware of the many warnings on most modern cars about overfilling


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    #4
    cian1500ww
    Registered Users Posts: 2,904 ✭✭✭cian1500ww


    Shouldn't cause any problems as long as it's not too much over the max line. When you say harder to start, do you mean slow turning over ?


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    #5
    teednab-el
    Registered Users Posts: 2,971 ✭✭✭teednab-el


    Its about 10mm over the bent groove of the dipstick which kind of worried me a bit. That appears to be way too full to me but I may be wrong?. It was filled with fully synthetic oil by the mechanic.
    cian1500ww wrote: »
    Shouldn't cause any problems as long as it's not too much over the max line. When you say harder to start, do you mean slow turning over ?

    From what I can tell you the minute I turn the key (engine cold), its almost choaking before it finally starts. Battery does not sound as ifs on the way out. One morning I turned the key on the first attempt and it just wouldnt start. The second time i turned the key its started straight away. Starts perfectly again once engine has been running during the course of the day. I also noticed that the coolant temperature sensor acts up sometimes (i.e dropping from 90 to 60 and up to 90 again) eventhough it was replaced before christmas. Could oil levels have anything to do with that?


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    #6
    cian1500ww
    Registered Users Posts: 2,904 ✭✭✭cian1500ww


    teednab-el wrote: »
    From what I can tell you the minute I turn the key (engine cold), its almost choaking before it finally starts. Battery does not sound as ifs on the way out. One morning I turned the key on the first attempt and it just wouldnt start. The second time i turned the key its started straight away. Starts perfectly again once engine has been running during the course of the day. I also noticed that the coolant temperature sensor acts up sometimes (i.e dropping from 90 to 60 and up to 90 again) eventhough it was replaced before christmas. Could oil levels have anything to do with that?
    Is the glow plug light going out ?


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    #7
    teednab-el
    Registered Users Posts: 2,971 ✭✭✭teednab-el


    yeah the glow plug light goes out after about 2-3 secs and a bit longer in the freezing cold.


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    #8
    hi_im_fil
    Registered Users Posts: 889 ✭✭✭hi_im_fil


    teednab-el wrote: »
    Its about 10mm over the bent groove of the dipstick which kind of worried me a bit. That appears to be way too full to me but I may be wrong?. It was filled with fully synthetic oil by the mechanic.



    From what I can tell you the minute I turn the key (engine cold), its almost choaking before it finally starts. Battery does not sound as ifs on the way out. One morning I turned the key on the first attempt and it just wouldnt start. The second time i turned the key its started straight away. Starts perfectly again once engine has been running during the course of the day. I also noticed that the coolant temperature sensor acts up sometimes (i.e dropping from 90 to 60 and up to 90 again) eventhough it was replaced before christmas. Could oil levels have anything to do with that?

    10mm on the dipstick is a good bit overfilled. Get the mechanic to take a look at it again.


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    #9
    Stoolbend
    Registered Users Posts: 1,285 ✭✭✭Stoolbend


    If your temp gauge is playing up I'd say that the coolant temp sender is causing the starting problem.

    The actual max mark on a vw dipstick is a bit below the groove so anything above the groove is too much.
    Just make sure the car is on level ground when checking the oil!


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    #10
    nogoodnamesleft
    Registered Users Posts: 1,031 ✭✭✭nogoodnamesleft


    teednab-el wrote: »
    yeah the glow plug light goes out after about 2-3 secs and a bit longer in the freezing cold.

    Common problem in Passat....ive written a how to on how to replace it.

    See here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055757452

    This is for a B5.5 Platform as opposed to the B5 that you have but it should be in the same place.


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    #11
    GTE
    Registered Users Posts: 3,909 ✭✭✭GTE


    nogoodnamesleft wrote: »
    Common problem in Passat....ive written a how to on how to replace it.

    See here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055757452

    This is for a B5.5 Platform as opposed to the B5 that you have but it should be in the same place.

    Do you mean temp sensor?

    If its staying on longer in the cold mornings then I would have thought that rules it out.
    When I had the temp sensor problem the glow plug light would go off when the rest of the lights go out when you turn the key. No difference in the cold cold mornings. Infact the warmer the engine was the more chance Id get a GP assisted start.

    Still, its a good place to start anyway.


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    #12
    nogoodnamesleft
    Registered Users Posts: 1,031 ✭✭✭nogoodnamesleft


    bbk wrote: »
    Do you mean temp sensor?

    If its staying on longer in the cold mornings then I would have thought that rules it out.
    When I had the temp sensor problem the glow plug light would go off when the rest of the lights go out when you turn the key. No difference in the cold cold mornings. Infact the warmer the engine was the more chance Id get a GP assisted start.

    Still, its a good place to start anyway.

    Yup, its the coolant temperature sender (sensor). All it is is a thermocouple with varying resistance as the termperature changes. As per the thread I wrote I scanned my ecu and it turned out to be an intermittent fault so i just changed it and it hasnt occured since.

    Symptom on cars without the driving computer include...erratic temperature readings, glow plug light stays on longer that it should and running slightly rougher. And if you have the driving computer it brings on (an expensive looking) engine management workshop light as well as "Emissions Workshop" on the driver display and a very very annoying audible beeeeeppppp.:P


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