Q: I recently purchased a 2013 Subaru Legacy Touring and am very pleased with it. The oil filter is easily accessible just under the hood. My neighbor says I can safely pull the oil out with a vacuum puller through the dipstick holder and then change the filter. No need to crawl under the car!
I have never seen this done at any of the many service shops I have come across. Is it an effective method? Will it cause any engine problems? I appreciate your thoughts on this.
To: In some new vehicles, oil pulling is the preferred method of replacing engine oil. In fact, some of the mobile oil change companies, to minimize the chances of oil dripping, will also use extraction to change the engine oil.
In your vehicle, with the location of the oil filter, the removal method makes sense.
On a vehicle that must be lifted to access the oil filter, it is just as easy to remove the drain plugs and drain the oil using the conventional method.
Why does John like the Chevy Bolt better than Consumer Reports?
Q: You recently commented that the Chevrolet Bolt, “despite some battery issues, is a very good car.” Consumer Reports, in its March issue, gives it an overall score of 45, which is not good. CR felt the charging rate was also slow compared to other vehicles. Could you explain the differences between your top score and the negative Consumer Reports scores?
To: I tested the Chevrolet Bolt for seven days and found it to perform quite well. My average driving was about 50 miles per day. I found charging it overnight at 120 volts was adequate. I used a level 2 charger once.
Yes, it probably charges slower than other vehicles. I’m not sure about CR’s charge rate numbers. Typical level 2 charging rate is 7-19KW depending on charging device and circuit. I did not charge at level 3, which can charge between 50 and 350 (Tesla) KW.
Looking at the car itself, I found that even with four adults, the car was comfortable enough and the storage was good for trips to the grocery store.
Ride and handling were good, highway merging was effortless, and the nearly 240-mile range was more than I needed for 90% of my driving.
That’s in an EV that, in some states (Massachusetts is one), you can buy for about $29,000, taking into account credits and incentives. In addition, Chevrolet will cover the basic cost of installing a home charger. Overall, the Bolt is a good vehicle, but yes, the competition is good too, with some great electric vehicles from Hyundai, Tesla and Kia.
What effect does excess oil have on the Subaru engine?
Q: My 2018 Subaru Forester annual inspection was due, and service is always done at Subaru. The service manager indicated that the engine oil was one to two quarts too much. He recommended an oil change to correct the capacity, as overfilling is just as bad as underfilling.
My next recommended service wasn’t due for at least another 3,000 miles so I declined. It seems that when I check my oil level it usually reads above the fill mark on the dipstick when the Subaru dealer does it.
What effect does this excess oil have on my engine? At 48,000 miles, this overfilling doesn’t seem to have caused any problems.
To: Since you always had your oil changed at the dealer and the dealer overfilled it, I feel like they should have drained and filled the oil to the proper level at no charge. Overfilling two quarts of oil can cause excessive pressure on the seals and eventually lead to oil leaks.
Did the dealer’s mistake during the oil change damage the Jeep engine?
Q: I have a 2017 Jeep Grand Cherokee with about 52,300 miles on it. The six-year, 60,000-mile warranty has expired due to time, not mileage. The car is in mint condition, except for the fact that we were just told we need a new engine, at a cost of about $11,900.
Three years ago, we took it to the same dealer for an oil change. After I left, my wife noticed that the oil light had come on. He pulled over, called the service department and was asked to return to the store. When he returned, he was told that sometimes they forget to reset the instrument panel. They did and sent my wife on her way.
Of course, the lights came back on and the car made bad noises. He went back to the store. As the car entered the area, they noticed a small trail of oil. Sure enough, the cap wasn’t tight and the engine oil had leaked out. This is all well documented.
Could this incident have caused engine damage? I think the lack of oil three years ago might have damaged the engine. I’d love your thought, even if I’m wrong.
To: If you’ve been keeping the car by the book, this engine should easily last 175,000 to 200,000 miles or more. So, based on the fact that it ran out of oil, or almost out of oil, it is certainly plausible that the lack of lubrication reduced the life of the engine by accelerating bearing wear.
John Paul is AAA’s Northeast Car Doctor. He has more than 40 years of experience in the automotive industry and is a Master Technician certified by ASE. Write to John Paul, The Car Doctor, at 110 Royal Little Drive, Providence, RI 02904. Or email jpaul@aaanortheast.com and put “Car Doctor” in the subject field. Follow him on Twitter @johnfpaul or on Facebook.
