Service or ripoff?

[slimf Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close slimf]

Just got my car it's 20k service yesterday. Thought I'd check air filtering it doesn't look new to me... The oil is black... What do you guys think?

[Ghost Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ghost]

Service or ripoff?

Yea that isn't a new filter, that oil doesn't look new either, have a gander at your sump plug, does it look like it's been removed?


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[BiLLz0r Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close BiLLz0r]

I think you've been had slim. Dealer service?

[Steve M Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve M]

Air filter due at 40 isn't it ?? They wont touch it if the book says 40k. That oil certainly doesn't look new. Did they even touch it ?? Id be asking some questions either way.....Cheers Steve

[slimf Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close slimf]

Just got under it, looks like oil has been changed, but need to check oil and fuel filters.

[slimf Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close slimf]

Ok, checked service schedule, air filter is only to be inspected. I will check that they have done oil filter and fuel filter and report. My guess is the oil has been changed and quickly discolored.

[outbackswine Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close outbackswine]

That oil isn't new, or if it is the filter isn't.
My Pajero (DiD)just had the 50km service, and it has always had oil every 5k. After driving a few hundred km, the oil is still clean as it came out of the bottle, so I find it hard to believe that a car with 20km can have oil that colour right after a service if the oil and filter were changed.

[MDS69 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close MDS69]

Is your car a diesel. If so new oil can discolour quickly. As others have said check sump plug for evidence of being worked on and oil filter for age.

[slimf Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close slimf]

It's a diesel... I will check the filter when I can find somewhere suitable.. With a 2" lift I can barely see anything! Will need a step ladder.

[slimf Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close slimf]

Here is where the oil filter goes.. It looks clean as a whistle, like they didn't spill a single drop?

[Ghost Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ghost]

They are meant to give the engine bay a clean after the service. That's why I always check the sump plug, you will be able to tell if it's been removed, also they have to remove my inspection plates on my bags plates to get to the sump plug so this is another tell tale


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[Ghost Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close Ghost]

Another thing I do is mark all my filters , the service guys won't notice, and it's an easy way to see if they have changed your filters


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[Steve M Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Steve M]

Slim, bit hard to tell just because its clean around filter. Mine is clean as after I do a change as I spray degreaser or brake cleaner around it till its clean which then runs into a water bottle I stick under the drain hole from around filter. If its an old filter it should have some dust residue, or some grime on it.

[outbackswine Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close outbackswine]

I use a drop of clear nail polish on the filter and the block where it sits, same for the sump plug. They will never see it and just crack the bolt to make it look like it's been opened.
I have a mate who uses a UV Pen to put a couple of dots on filters, and 2 adjacent marks on sump plug and sump (in a different spot each time) and he takes his UV light with him when he picks the car up.

[AJ120 Out of control poster! Find all posts View Profile Close AJ120]

That oil only looks slightly discoloured, it certainly doesn't look 5-10k old. Even when you drain the oil you don't remove all of it, little pools of oil will sit up in the head and maybe a few other spots. So I would expect some slight discoloration almost immediately as the small amount of old oil mixes with the new.

5-10k old oil in a diesel is usually black as a dogs guts.

I don't mark my filter for my regular mechanic because I trust them implicitly, but if I get a service when travelling I will put a small scratch or something on the filter in order to check. I will also check the oil on pickup and any other easy to check things that may need doing.

I am convinced the 10k service I paid for in Alice Springs on my first Prado was never done, but I was 1000k away before I started to notice the tell tale signs and it was too late to do anything by then.



Cheers Andrew