An everyday occurrence in our shop and may be yours as well is routine service. The services that are performed most frequently at our shop are oil changes and tire related service. Many of the vehicles our customers come in with are late model vehicles that are driven a fair number of miles. With that being said, let’s take a look at the number one most common service, the oil change.
Before we get to the bay
But before we get too deep into the service let me share with you what takes place first.
Everything starts at the front desk, the customer fills out the work order, followed by us writing down their requested service, and finally we have them sign the work order for approval. Many customers we encounter are either new to our shop or just purchased/leased a new vehicle and are in for a bit of a shock.
We find that many of them are not aware that this is “not their father’s Oldsmobile.” Their new driving machine is not only more sophisticated but is going to be more expensive to service. Many of them were using conventional oil in their old clunker or think the oil change is going to be one of those $19.95 specials, since they have seen an advertisement in the local paper or mailer. This brings us to the point where we have to explain that their motor has to use the proper rated synthetic motor oil. Many times, we must go into either ALLDATA or ProDemand to print out the specifications to justify the price. As we all know, today’s oils are expensive and must be used for proper engine operation, mileage and warranty.
Some customers have an issue with the price since they were accustomed to paying so much less compared to what they must spend now. Once the front desk process is complete we get a floor mat, take the keys and drive the vehicle to an open bay. We make sure we unlock the doors, have the driver or one window down and pop the hood. Our normal procedure for any service performed in our shop is to always check all the lights and take a look at the windshield wipers. There is nothing worse that receiving a call or visit from a customer with a vehicle that you just serviced having an issue with a burnt bulb or worn wiper that you did not make them aware of. Besides it’s a good way to make a few extra bucks and keep a customer satisfied.
After these checks are completed, we write down the mileage, inspection date, year, make, VIN number and last but not least the tire pressure specs, taken from the door pillar sticker. By recording all that information, we don’t have to go crazy later guessing what year the car is, what engine it has or what the tire pressure should be. The extra minute to record all the information saves time and allows us to look up the correct parts or information on the vehicle we are servicing. Once all the information is recorded in our shop management system it’s a breeze the next time the vehicle is in for service.
Under the hood, under the car
Next, we open the hood, give a good look see for worn belts or anything that may look abnormal along with checking the oil level and writing down if it is dirty, low or overfilled. The oil cap is removed and placed next to the hood latch so it is not forgotten as well as reinstalled. That is followed by checking the transmission, power steering, brake fluid, battery (we may perform a test using our Midtronic (Figure 1) or Associated tester (Figure 2), fill up the washer fluid bottle and any fluid that was not up to the specified level.
Now the vehicle goes for an upward ride where we take a look underneath and note any leaks. If the vehicle has an under pan cover it is removed, followed by removing the oil drain plug and oil filter. Note, if the engine has the oil filter on top of the engine, the filter would be removed first, so the oil can drain properly. While the oil is draining, the tire pressure is adjusted and possibily, depending on the service history of the vehicle and the condition of the tires, a rotation may be recommended or performed. The front and rear differentials as well as the transfer case (if equipped) are checked along with the condition of the fluid.
We will sometimes suggest replacement of the fluid per the OE service requirements or fluid condition. When those two procedures are finished the new filter will be installed making sure that the filter base is clean and does not have any gaskets left on it, the same would apply for a top engine mounted filter. If it’s a cartridge-type rather than a spin-on, we make sure that the oil ring gaskets are replaced and that the filter is torqued down to the proper specification using a torque wrench. The drain plug in some cases may need the plug washer replaced and if so, we would replace it. Many drain plugs need to be torqued to 25 Nm to prevent damage to both the drain plug and oil pan. To make matters worse, have you come across the special rubberized Audi/VW drain plug that you need a special removal tool for? It’s a good idea if you work on those vehicles to purchase the correct tool and at least a couple replacement drain plugs.
No substitute for “right”
After the filter and drain plug are taken care of, the vehicle is let down and the correct oil specified for the engine is installed. Using the correct oil along with the proper level is a very important step. Today’s engines are very expensive and not using the correct oil, or under- or over-filling the crankcase can become a very costly repair.
In my shop, we prefer to use Pennzoil (Figure 3), LiquiMoly (Figure 4), Motul (Figure 5), Pentosin or in some cases the OE oil to ensure the proper oil for the application. We always make sure that the oil meets the required specifications for the engine it is going in. Before we pour the oil in the engine, we use one of our many special oil funnels to prevent any spills. After the oil is poured in, we leave the funnel in place with a rag on top of it and start the engine. The oil indicator, light or gauge is observed for proper operation and then the engine is shut off and the oil level is rechecked. If the vehicle does not have a dip stick, we follow the OEM procedure, usually using a scan tool, to make sure the oil temperature and level are correct. Once that procedure is completed we make up an oil sticker on our oil sticker machine and install it on the upper left hand corner of the windshield.
We are not done yet, now comes the difficult part if you are not familiar with the vehicle you just change the oil on. Since most new vehicles have an oil change, tire rotation or maintenance reset procedure you have to either go through a dash or infotainment screen and perform the dance. Most vehicles are easy but there are some Euros and other vehicles that are a real pain. On some vehicles the reset can be performed with a scan tool or you can look it up in service information. There are also apps that provide reset information; Oil Reset Pro, Reset Oil, and Pro Reset Oil Service among others. So, an oil change that was once a quick simple service has become a more difficult and time consuming process.
Maintenance lamp reset — the easy to the difficult
The easy? GM has a procedure where you select Info until you see Remaining Oil Life, and then press the SEL button until you see Oil Life. After a beep is heard the Oil Life will be reset to 100 percent and you’re done. Now that’s nice and easy, the way it should be.
Now let’s turn the wheel to an oil reset that is on a difficult vehicle. On many early Mercedes Benz products, it’s like a game of spinning the wheel and hoping you land on the right spot. Well maybe it’s not that bad once you’ve done it a couple of times, but you don’t know it until you have done it. The following is an example of a Mercedes E class that uses the steering wheel control buttons that you need to know the proper procedure on. First, may I suggest that you must make sure that the trunk lid, liftgate, hood and doors are closed in order for the procedure to work. Your next step is to make sure the ignition is in the on position, engine not running.
Now you’re ready to press the Page In button that is located of the left side of the steering wheel until Temperature is displayed on the dash. This is followed by pressing the Reset button that is located to the left on the instrument cluster. The cluster should now display UB 12.1 or so, next return to the left side of the steering wheel and press the Down Arrow. The Service Menu will now be displayed, now get ready to switch to the right side of the steering wheel and press the – (Minus) button until Confirmation is highlighted. This is followed by going back to the Page In button on the left side of the steering wheel until you see Full Service. Don’t worry you’re almost done, press the Page In button again until you see Service Confirmed, now you can turn the ignition off and go back and see that the oil life is reset. It makes you wonder why any car company would make it so complicated. Thank God most of the newer vehicle are easier and many have the function to be reset right through the scan tool or oil reset tools.
On many of the higher end, newer vehicles that we service there is an extra step since the engine does not have an oil dip stick. So besides from just filling the oil up and just checking the level on the dip stick, the engine operation temperature has to be up to the correct level. There is also a wait time before checking the oil level either on the vehicle display, or by a scan tool. I like using the scan tool since it allows easy access to changing the date, miles, light reset and oil level. Now this is not to say that we don’t double check the oil level by using the vehicle’s oil level display, since this is how the vehicle owner is going to check it. The procedure on a Porsche, for example, can vary from using the console control knob or the steering wheel to display the oil level information. The display has the following: oil level OK, minimum oil level reached, oil level below minimum, oil level above maximum. The important thing on this vehicle is the eye candy display (Figure 6) that will indicate if the oil level is correct. It’s a good idea to stay on the lower end of the oil level required amount. Pouring in just under the specified amount is the way to go since it’s easier to pour more in than removing extra oil. Too much or too little oil can cause engine running issues or even damage. The extra time it takes to double check is well worth it when your dealing with any vehicle — never mind this expensive engine.
Tire rotation
This simple service is something that most of us do without thinking much about, but with almost every vehicle out there with TPMS (Figure 7a, 7b, 7c) installed, the game has changed. When we rotate tires, first we check if the tires are different sizes, followed by if they are directional. Many vehicles have wider tires in the rear or directional tires that cannot be rotated the normal way. Directional tires have a one-way arrow on them that has to be installed only on the corresponding side of the vehicle that they are intended for. These type tires have a specific tread pattern that were developed for the vehicle, so it can handle better. A tire rotation with directional tires can only go front to back or back to front on the same side. Different size tire like the ones on my Corvette can only be rotated side to side since the rear tires are wider than the front. On vehicles with front wheel drive, move the front tires straight back on the same side and move the rear tires to the front on opposite sides. On the run of the mill rear wheel drive vehicle with the same size non-directional tires can easily be rotated. The front tires get moved to the opposite side of the vehicle in the rear and the rear tires are moved straight to the front.
That’s easy but if your thinking what about the spare? Let me tell you that if the vehicle does have a spare you have to dig it out since many owners have their trunk loaded with stuff. Or if you live in the real world and deal with rust, spare tires that are installed under a vehicle are a bear to deal with. Besides many vehicles have already replaced tires with different brand or style tires, so we don’t usually have to rotate them. However, if the tire valve is accessible we will inflate the tire to the proper pressure. Our next part of the rotation procedure is to look up the torque specification and select the proper torque stick (Figure 8) to get the wheel nut torque in spec. This is done before we lower the vehicle to the ground followed by manually torqueing all the wheels with our Snap-On torque wrench (Figure 9).
We are not done yet since TPMS has to be reset. The quickest way for us to perform this function lately is by using the Autel TS508 (Figure 10) that provides us a quick and easy way to reset the TPMS. This is to insure that the vehicle owner has the correct tire pressure displayed on their information system. The relearn procedure varies by vehicle, but the tool provides us with step by step directions.
Let’s take a look at a GMC Canyon TPMS relearn procedure that starts with the ignition on and turning the headlight switch off to on 4 times within 3 seconds. If the procedure was performed as stated, the horn should make a double chirp that indicates the relearn mode is activated. On the Autel tool and most others, the TPMS tool will display a vehicle graphic that displays the tire you should start at. On this Canyon, we start at the left front tire and use the tool to activate the sensor. In some cases, you may have to let air out of the tire or add air until you hear the horn beep before you move on to the right front, right rear and finally the left rear tire. Once the last tire is done the horn should sound twice indicating that the process was completed. Turn of the ignition and your set to go.
Of course, on some vehicle such as a Subaru Forester you have to add a test drive at speeds over 19 mph for 10 minutes before the TPMS light goes off. Now if you recall I wrote an article on a VW that was a real problem with adding a TPMS sensor. VW relearn procedures are usually automatic and reset just by driving the vehicle. However, the procedure is different if you have to replace one of the sensors. Audi/VW (Figure 11) has you start with the vehicle sitting 20 minutes ignition off, no door or any activity on the vehicle. If anything is turned on or open the system will not go into a new sensor learn mode. After the 20 minutes of wait time the vehicle needs to go for a test drive above 16 mph and not over 64 mph for 7 minutes. Once the test drive is completed the vehicle needs to be shut off and the tire pressure set to the recommended pressure. The parking brakes needs to be set, and the ignition must be set to the on position, engine off. Once this step is achieved hold the SET or ESP if it has one. The location varies from the console near the shifter to the glove box. On the VW Golf we had the procedure was totally different since it did not have a SET or ESP button. We had to confirmed that the tire pressure was correct and add a Tire Pressure Security Adaptation code in order to get the TPMS light off. To read more about this problem VW go to MotorAge.com/problemVW.
