# Low Oil Level Delivered New from Dealer



## NWRider (Jan 6, 2020)

Bought a new Honda snowblower, dealer stated that they would prep it and deliver it. Dealer arrived with the machine, started it up and went over it with me and I used it a few days later to clean up a storm. Shoulda checked the oil before using it, but felt confident that the oil level would've been fine. Decided to check it afterwards and the oil was only showing by just about 3/8 of an inch on the dipstick. Put oil in the machine and it took 12 oz and now shows about 1/2 inch from the top of the dipstick (didn't want to overfill). Started the engine, warmed it up and rechecked, still the same. BTW, this engine takes 37 oz of oil.

Now I am pretty sure that a brand new Honda engine is not going to burn about 12 oz of oil in about an hour of use, so I have to assume that the dealer did not adequately fill the engine with oil. I also don't think that running the engine 12 oz low on oil is going to damage it, but just wanted to give everyone a heads up to not assume all is good like I did and double check yourself because I guess it could've been much worse!


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## BlowerMods1 (Jan 11, 2020)

I would find another dealer to service your machine during warranty. Can't be trusted. No excuse for that.


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## RedOctobyr (Mar 2, 2014)

That's too bad, sorry. Disappointing on a new dealer-checked machine. 

Was it still within the acceptable range on the dipstick? If so, I'd finish filling it, and keep it as a lesson learned. If it was below the range on the dipstick, then I might consider talking to the dealer.


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## NWRider (Jan 6, 2020)

RedOctobyr said:


> That's too bad, sorry. Disappointing on a new dealer-checked machine.
> 
> Was it still within the acceptable range on the dipstick? If so, I'd finish filling it, and keep it as a lesson learned. If it was below the range on the dipstick, then I might consider talking to the dealer.


Oil was just showing on the bottom part of the dipstick, not sure if that is in "range" cause the Honda manual says the following (see attachment):


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## orangputeh (Nov 24, 2016)

common sense would dictate ( for any new snowblower ) to go over the whole machine before using. loose hardware , low oil , check all operations , check all adjustments.

you find anything.......bring it back.


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## Spawn.Qc (Dec 24, 2019)

I had the exact same thing here on mine! The oil was barely touching the dip stick... made sure I was level, I was... so I added enough to reach the middle of the dipstick scale.. when I was done with the first 10 hours, I flushed and fill to Honda spec.. 

I’ll be doing my maintenance myself! Trust me!


Envoyé de mon iPhone en utilisant Tapatalk


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## Ziggy65 (Jan 18, 2020)

Sounds like the dealer may have checked oil level with dipstick threaded in. Honda manual says to check the oil without threading in the dipstick. I would let the dealer know that the oil level was low when you received the machine, the person doing the pre service could be sending all machines out low on oil?


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## johnwick (Dec 16, 2019)

Ziggy65 said:


> Sounds like the dealer may have checked oil level with dipstick threaded in. Honda manual says to check the oil without threading in the dipstick. I would let the dealer know that the oil level was low when you received the machine, the person doing the pre service could be sending all machines out low on oil?




Exactly. It’s likely an honest yet very serious mistake. You should let them know and I’m sure they would appreciate it.


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## tpenfield (Feb 24, 2015)

NWRider said:


> . . . . the oil was only showing by just about 3/8 of an inch on the dipstick. Put oil in the machine and it took 12 oz and now shows about 1/2 inch from the top of the dipstick (didn't want to overfill). .



I am not sure what you mean by the 3/8" and 1/2" comments. lain: Usually there are markings on the dip stick that show the min/max level that thew oil should be.


Are you saying that the oil was 3/8" below the minimum when you checked it. and after adding oil it is now in the proper range??? Sounds like the machine only had about 20 oz of oil in it.


Bad, bad dealer . . . :sad2:


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## TD-Max (Jan 2, 2020)

I just picked up a new 1332 ATD this past weekend. Prior to moving out of the shop the mechanic held me up so he could top off the oil and gas because he checked and they were not full. Even offered me the rest of the bottle of Honda oil.


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## NWRider (Jan 6, 2020)

tpenfield said:


> I am not sure what you mean by the 3/8" and 1/2" comments. lain: Usually there are markings on the dip stick that show the min/max level that thew oil should be.
> 
> 
> Are you saying that the oil was 3/8" below the minimum when you checked it. and after adding oil it is now in the proper range??? Sounds like the machine only had about 20 oz of oil in it.
> ...


The oil dipstick only has these criss cross type patterns on it (please click on diagram from owners manual below to enlarge) and it doesn't depict a minimum level or maximum level. So I mentioned an approximate distance of the oil level being 1/2" down from the very top of the dipstick and 3/8" above the very bottom of the dipstick. Hopefully this makes sense?


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

tpenfield said:


> I am not sure what you mean by the 3/8" and 1/2" comments. lain: Usually there are markings on the dip stick that show the min/max level that thew oil should be.
> Are you saying that the oil was 3/8" below the minimum when you checked it. and after adding oil it is now in the proper range??? Sounds like the machine only had about 20 oz of oil in it.
> Bad, bad dealer . . . :sad2:





NWRider said:


> The oil dipstick only has these criss cross type patterns on it (please click on diagram from owners manual below to enlarge) and it doesn't depict a minimum level or maximum level. So I mentioned an approximate distance of the oil level being 1/2" down from the very top of the dipstick and 3/8" above the very bottom of the dipstick. Hopefully this makes sense?


 @NWRider has it right; the crosshatch area represents the oil level Min/Max when measured without the dipstick screwed in (per the diagrams).


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## SkunkyLawnmowers (Oct 18, 2018)

I'm glad that the underfill didn't cause any problems. It is good to highlight this issue so that others can be more cautious. 

I had the opposite happen to me. When I bought my Honda generator 10 years ago it arrived massively overfilled. Maybe they thought me being a girl I wouldn't check! Wrong! I checked twice!!!! This is obviously more of a PIA than an underfill because one has to drain the excess out. 

I've learnt to check and re check everything. Sometimes dealers (of any machinery) just make innocent mistakes and other times it's down to laziness and sloppiness, which I can't tolerate.


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## vmax29 (Oct 19, 2017)

I don’t understand how this would happen. When delivered it came boxed with a bottle of oil from Honda. You open it, pour it in and it is the right amount of oil. Someone please explain to me how you can screw that up.


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## tabora (Mar 1, 2017)

vmax29 said:


> I don’t understand how this would happen. When delivered it came boxed with a bottle of oil from Honda. You open it, pour it in and it is the right amount of oil. Someone please explain to me how you can screw that up.


Not do it or do it twice? Something you have to watch out for when handloading ammunition, too.


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## 88-tek (Nov 5, 2017)

vmax29 said:


> I don’t understand how this would happen. When delivered it came boxed with a bottle of oil from Honda. You open it, pour it in and it is the right amount of oil. Someone please explain to me how you can screw that up.


Ahh...the "human factor" rears it's ugly head again...:facepalm_zpsdj194qh


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## thefixer (Nov 19, 2017)

If you look closely at your Honda engines it has two oil fill plugs one on each side, one has a dipstick, and one doesn't. The one with a dipstick is actually a little bit lower than the other. If you get the engine perfectly level both directions, you can fill it with oil until it is right up to almost running out of the lower hole. That is the correct and easiest way to check oil level as shown in the previous pictures. Using the dipstick is optional. In my opinion of course.


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## LoganH (Oct 27, 2018)

thefixer said:


> If you look closely at your Honda engines it has two oil fill plugs one on each side, one has a dipstick, and one doesn't. The one with a dipstick is actually a little bit lower than the other. If you get the engine perfectly level both directions, you can fill it with oil until it is right up to almost running out of the lower hole. That is the correct and easiest way to check oil level as shown in the previous pictures. Using the dipstick is optional. In my opinion of course.


That is how I check mine now. It was slightly low when new.


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## toms (Nov 17, 2017)

What I have noticed on the New Honda engines is the the bottle of oil that comes with it is not enough. I think it is like 28 oz not even a full quart. I always have to add more oil to bring it up to full. All of my recent engines have been that way. GC190 up to the GX390. The assemblers at the dealer probably just dump the enclosed bottle and call it good.


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## WVguy (Nov 24, 2018)

SkunkyLawnmowers said:


> I had the opposite happen to me. When I bought my Honda generator 10 years ago it arrived massively overfilled. Maybe they thought me being a girl I wouldn't check! Wrong! I checked twice!!!! This is obviously more of a PIA than an underfill because one has to drain the excess out.


This can (but may not be) just as bad as an underfill. If it is overfilled to the point that the lower end of the crank rod is hitting the surface of the oil, the oil can foam so much that it looses much of the lubrication qualities and the result is scored bearings and/or cylinder.

And then of course they blame it on the user for not using enough oil....


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## NWRider (Jan 6, 2020)

NWRider said:


> Oil was just showing on the bottom part of the dipstick, not sure if that is in "range" cause the Honda manual says the following (see attachment):





RedOctobyr said:


> That's too bad, sorry. Disappointing on a new dealer-checked machine.
> 
> Was it still within the acceptable range on the dipstick? If so, I'd finish filling it, and keep it as a lesson learned. If it was below the range on the dipstick, then I might consider talking to the dealer.


Just a quick update... a few days later, I did carefully finish filling it and it took just a little over 3 more ounces of oil to get it the very top of the upper limit of the dipstick. So in total I added nearly 16 oz of oil! Don't make the mistake I did when getting a new machine (snowblower or otherwise) and just take a minute and check it!


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