10 replies to this topic

[TheRedSl#t]

Hi everyone,

I have a rover 1.3i 2000 mpi

I attempted my first oil change with my partner watching me attempt an oil change

I did everything right...

let the car warm for 2 minutes

jacked it up on one side

emptied the sump,

new copper washer,

torqued the sump plug to the haines manual specs,

fitted new oil filter

put a smidge of oil around the rubber seal,

other than that....

I UNDERFILLED THE OIL

For the first time i was using Millers 20/50 instead of 10/40 castrol that's I've been useing for years

it didn't have a measurement guide on the can like most of the plastic bottles, so resorted to to using a tiny measuring jug,

I know it's a bit anal but I'm dyslexic.

I put what I believed was 4.5 in litres and see where it comes to on the dipstick.

I was baffled but when I checked the dipstick the only a smidge of oil was below the minimum on the tip of the dipstick.

so I waited for a while and check the dipstick it was the same.

I saw no leaks and refused to believe why the dipstick was like that

my argument was... well it's got oil in it!

so out of a moment of madness started the engine to let the oil circulate around, i thought the warmer the oli

I could get a better measurement and I could check for leakes,

no leaks....

after 5-10 minutes possibly more of ideling... I could feel a lot of heat from the engine and a knocking sound I immediately switched the off the igntion.

Unbeknown to me my partner was counting my measurements better than me but didn't know how much I wanted to fill.

it turns out I put barely 3 liters in

In my horror corrected myself and topped up... then dip stick read up to max.

I haven't driven the car because it's been raining for a couple of days, and I drive my car when its dry

I treat my mini like a gremlin "never get them wet" lol

I'm not a mechanical wizard when I comes to cars

but I have a better understanding than the general public who don't put oil in their cars at all...

that pay silly prices to a garage that will send someone fresh out of school "spotty Herbert" worker to service their cars.

I tried my best...

all I wanted to do was protect my minis engine and give it the best bill of health

Yes I was anxious and excited at the same time hence why i made some silly decisions

with very basic knowledge when it comes to cars and no mechanics around...

so I had to resort to some unorthodox means

my question is for that brief period of ideling time of using barely 3 litres of oil and the engine idling for that period of time have I done in the extensive damage?

[Spider]

3 litres under those conditions is fine, that's well enough.

It's possibly not necessary, however I always pull the plugs after doing an oil change and prime the system before starting it.

[68+86auto]

As long as the oil light works and wasn't on then you should be fine.

[slidehammer]

I wouldn't rely on the oil warning light as they go out at about 3-4 psi.

I do think you will be fine with doing what you had done. it was just below minimum an the car was stationary so the oil wasn't slopping around in the gear box.

Might be worth you buying one of the larger oil jugs for next time.

[Steve220]

The pick up and gearbox bearings will be inside the oil level, you'll be fine under those circumstances. You wont have drained all the oil anyway as you only ran it for 2 minutes. Probably about 0.3L in the engine still. Fill it up to between the min and max lines on the dipstick and go for a run.

[Ethel]

It's worth noting it has to fill the filter before it can reach the oil galleries. It's not a bad idea to put some oil in the filter before fitting it.

 

A Mini filled to max on the dipstick has about twice what the engine needs. The rest is for the gearbox & sloshing about when you go round corners like only a Mini can 

[Steam]

Trying to put a filter on with oil in it is a messy nightmare, and with the older canisters you cannot anyway.
I always pull the coil lead and crank till I get pressure which will fill the filter, top up and then start. Belt and braces prevents a bare @£$€.

[TheRedSl#t]

Thanks for replys guys much appreciated!

@68+86auto Wasent looking at dash for oil.. so can tell 😮

Slide hammer... my brain works and learns after mistakes lol measure 500ml pour the rest of the can in 👨‍🎓

Ethel... I never pre-filled the oil filter 😮 just hand screwed it on with Superman grip strength... I will be keeping an eye on that for leaks 👨‍🎓

Spider and steam... good idea I rember that next oil change 😎👌

[coopertaz]

Trying to put a filter on with oil in it is a messy nightmare, and with the older canisters you cannot anyway.
I always pull the coil lead and crank till I get pressure which will fill the filter, top up and then start. Belt and braces prevents a bare @£$€.

pre filling the filter you can bypass it and introduce dirt, with cranking with plugs out till pressure is there you avoid this risk. also worth checking oil is at rockers too

[Ethel]

Trying to put a filter on with oil in it is a messy nightmare, and with the older canisters you cannot anyway.
I always pull the coil lead and crank till I get pressure which will fill the filter, top up and then start. Belt and braces prevents a bare @£$€.

 

I've never found it that hard with the grille off & getting dirt in is an issue with or without oil. I concede  de-grilling isn't a doddle, or useful for all.

 

I do deserve deriding for not recognising this particular Mini is an MPI, so gravity would be more of an issue for filter prefilling 

 

It might also make the plugs out cranking a tad problematic too - thinking of the cat converter in particular?

[TheRedSl#t]

So true Ethel 🤣 that was my argument in regards to the oil filter... knowing my luck it would all end up on the floor and down the Block

As cat converter.... not an issue with me...

Been decat for years! 😎👌