Technical Oil filter

[ruinin]

I had my oil changed today at a garage which was recommended to me by a few friends. I could not contact my good old mechanic so I had to try a new one. What surprised me at the beginning, he wanted to know what size is the oil filter . I told him that he can probably look up the right oil filter on the internet, as he knows what model my panda is, power, petrol, engine capacity, etc... but he said there are different sizes... Gee, never ever had a mechanic asked me about what size the oil filter is, they just order oil and oil filters after learning what car they are dealing with. I told him I had no clue. He said he would order both sizes. A few moments ago I tried to do the job and look up the right oil filter size and there are indeed a few different sizes available. I suppose you have to use the same size there is already. Then how can they service your car without actually seeing the oil filter first? I mean they have to order the oil filter, so they cannot just receive your car and do the job in 20 minutes, as they would have to first order the oil filter and get it, which could take a whole day. I am puzzled now. If he ordered both sizes - not that they are that expensive, but anyway, actually there are about four different sizes for the same engine and year of production, still, how can he hope that he will ever use the other size unless a random panda owner with exactly that oil filter will one day appear at his garage?

 

[Wee Smurf]

When it's a garage, the supplier tends to send both sizes and then when the mechanic works out which one he needs when he opens it up, he then returns the other. A bit like you ordering two sizes of trousers to try to see which fits and returning one pair. Most garages will have such a relationship with their chosen supplier of parts.

 

[ruinin]

I see, so he just returned the wrong one.

I don't want to start a new thread about this, but I read everywhere that changing oil is a peace of cake. Then how would a skilled, experienced mechanic mess up so much that he would spill the oil all over the engine? The engine seems like there is a lot of oil leaking somewhere or someone has recently or in the past spilled a lot of oil over it. Makes no sense to me. It is not really wet, but seems damp and definitely it is oil. Not sure how old it is but I noticed just today an hour after the servicing.

 

[daveofkent]

Hi, Do you have a pic and are you sure it wasn't like that anyway over years of use? If he spilled new oil it would be clear. Old oil comes out of the bottom of the engine at the sump. It's easy to splash a bit on the sump cover. Most people give it a wipe after. You wouldn't have seen unless you get your head under the front bumper. If he spilled clear oil near the fill cap then he shouldn't have done that.

As wee smurf said the two filters thing is normal and prob just thought you were interested or had done the oil change yourself maybe in the past so talked to you.

 

[varesecrazy]

I see, so he just returned the wrong one.

I don't want to start a new thread about this, but I read everywhere that changing oil is a peace of cake. Then how would a skilled, experienced mechanic mess up so much that he would spill the oil all over the engine? The engine seems like there is a lot of oil leaking somewhere or someone has recently or in the past spilled a lot of oil over it. Makes no sense to me. It is not really wet, but seems damp and definitely it is oil. Not sure how old it is but I noticed just today an hour after the servicing.

hi,
often the oil change job gets given to the "young trainee",
and if your panda is a petrol with the rubber bung as a filler cap,
they CAN be awkward to fill - I've made a few messes

Charlie

 

[jrkitching]

Most garages operate in exactly this way. When there are a number of possible different parts that could have been fitted, they order in the lot and send back what they don't use; trade suppliers understand this and cooperate with the garages. It's also why parts supplied by a factor not infrequently come in boxes that have been opened.

That said, it's poor engineering practice to use the part currently fitted as a pattern, as this makes the assumption that the previous one was correct. You should always check back to the manufacturer's data to find the correct part for the car; don't rely on the skill (or otherwise) of the last person to do the job.

Read this for an interesting and very good example of what can happen if you use old parts as a pattern, instead of checking the documentation to find the original manufacturers specification. The resulting accident came very, very close to scattering 87 bodies across the fields of Oxfordshire.

Franchised dealers have access to a system which will tell them the correct part based on VIN & engine numbers, though they don't always use it as often as they should. Third parties may have to make do with aftermarket catalogues and information; fortunately the internet has made this much more accessible. In the case of filters, the MANN online catalog (this is a link worth bookmarking) is a good reference (and they make pretty good aftermarket filters, too).

Those "type in your reg number" applications run by the factors are IMO dangerously useless in helping you find the correct part; they're generally based on date of first registration, which could be a long time after date of manufacture.

By way of example, I've just bought an oil filter for my Euro4 Panda from ECP; their online application suggested about eight possible filters but, armed with the engine type number and serial number, the MANN catalog found the correct part from the imposters in seconds.

A little homework on the internet before ordering parts could save you a lot of grief, frustration and wasted time.

 

[ruinin]

hi,
often the oil change job gets given to the "young trainee",
and if your panda is a petrol with the rubber bung as a filler cap,
they CAN be awkward to fill - I've made a few messes

Charlie

I see, so no reason to panic. Anyway, the garage seems to be a "one man show", one mechanic doing all the stuff. Plus I have no idea how old the oil spill is, could be from last time. Or something leaking?

As for the choice of oil filter, what if a mechanic makes a mistake, chooses the wrong filter, and uses it, instead of the right one, will the filter or oil come out?

 

[varesecrazy]

it's normally a different diameter of seal - like on O-ring,
obvious if it's the wrong one..

I made this mistake on a 127.. wrong filter..TOO BIG - pumped oil out past the seal..

 

[A3jeroen]

I once left the old seal on by mistake (in a hurry).
Had to get new oil and do a thorough cleanupon the garagefloor
But at least you know that your oilpump is in good shape

gr J

 

[Sweetsixteen]

Regardless of whether the oil around the engine was an old spill or from this job, good practice says that it should have been cleaned off as much as possible. It's shoddy work if a garage does not do that.
I am sure the guys on here who do their own oil changes make sure their engines are as clean as possible after each job.

 

[PuntoHowTo]

When I first did the oil on my multijet I had to order two filters as they fitted 2 types of filter to that model and there was no way of knowing which one you had till you took the old one out (paper element type) I'd not changed this type of filter before so I did make a bit of a mess I seem to think I wrapped an old towel around the filter housing. You then have to be sure it's all tightened up properly or it leaks.

Anyway I then returned the unused filter to the parts place and swapped it for a new air filter.

I'm no mechanic and if I could work all that out then I'm sure a professional shouldn't have had any problems, I'd suggest not taking it back to him in future

 

[varesecrazy]

I am sure the guys on here who do their own oil changes make sure their engines are as clean as possible after each job.

BEFORE AND AFTER.. don't want any grit / road grime getting into engine with the clean oil...!!

wipe off any spills onto a rag,
then use same oily rag to coat the steel sump pan

 

[Yolanda]

Unless you use the same make of filter every time, different makes tend to be a few mm larger or smaller. In my experience as long as the sealing ring and the thread is the same as the old one it will be ok. That's the beauty of buying from a local supplier rather than online, if it doesn't look right nine times out of ten they will change it. I experienced this once when I bought one from Euro Car Parts. It was my fault as I chose the wrong one but the changed it for the correct one with no questions asked.

PS. I'm not connected in any way with ECP but I do buy some things from them for the above reasons.