somean49

While searching without success for the VIN (online as well as in an extremely disorganised 'Steptoe & Son' heap of documents) I found this plate under the bonnet to add to my worries:

Which tool I luckily have from my earlier incarnation as an inveterate fiddler.

Well worth watching, thank you. And the advice is welcome too

You are definitely correct about the stress. To ensure my family had the outing I had promised them for the wife's birthday I had to hire a car. A Merc CLA automatic. Not terribly comfortable for a car of that (supposed) quality. And bloody expensive to hire.

Reg is: SL10 GDU

I have wanted to do that for the past few days but I am unwilling to risk damaging the car further by driving it. My mechanic friend works a short walk away and should be willing to do this work - at price of course.

Thanks Paws. Nice to know you're still watching the progress here

Thanks, nta.

Will try to do that Pete but today completely given over to celebrating my wife's birthday. Inexplicably she takes these anniversaries seriously. I think of mine as an intrusion.

Red, very red. This may be good news you are bringing me because a switch could be very much cheaper than a sensor. I have yet to cross-reference parts with my car's chassis number though.

Not much progress, J.R. Been having dental treatment this week which is a 'nice' distraction. My mech friend has surfaced and he suggests the oil level sensor may be screwed. That has also been muted by my friendly MOT examiner. Whatever the solution to that might be sounds as if it could get expensive, depending on its accessibility.

It's worth adding perhaps that I have only ever used premium oil. That may not mean much but if the manufacturers claims are only partly true the oil should do the engine more good than the other stuff I get offered.

Yes so I believe. A good hard drive to burn the **** out of the engine. But the oil was approaching 2 years old or possibly more so in my opinion a bit like me - past it. The car used regularly to do this trip uncomplainingly but I don't like tempting fate. It ran those roads in March this year so I thought... da-di-da. The sad story is above.

All good advice, which I have followed less than religiously of late. Various encroaching disabilities have slowed me : I cannot easily get under a car now and deffo can't get back to the vertical without a struggle. As my mileage is pretty low and mostly local trips, ie under 15 miles urban roads, I have excused myself serious maintenance. Hence the hurried oil change before pounding Mways for 350 miles. Regretted ever since.

The engine is designated as CAXA so apparently not on this table.

As an initial failure you may be right but I can't change it now. Wife was champing at the bit to get away on hol and I had suddenly realised my maintenance was overdue. I didn't like the idea of hammering the car down Mways with old oil. Car's only 80500 and I had promised my wife I would drive it into the ground by the time I drop off the twig. Foolish? Yeah maybe but how long is a short piece of string?

Thanks for this. Actually my mech mate was going to be asked to do the valve removal next but he seems to be off grid (maybe he expected my call!). Fill capacity is given as 3.5 litres. I renewed the filter when I first refilled the motor. I haven't touched it since ; without the handbook to hand I seem to remember that it accounts for about half a litre. As for Mr Sealey's device I know what I pushed into the hole came out entirely. I've used it a few times with success until now.

To obviate the possibility of someone thinking my measurement of the oil is lacking I should say that I use a 2l measuring jug with a flexi-spout. Another Sealey job - so sorry to keep advertising

After a night filled with nightmares, I am beginning to wonder whether the brass drain valve is not functioning properly. Though it's only been opened once.

Thanks for getting back Paws. The TP69 as you probably know has sections in the cylinder. The mech mate has previously said each section represents 1 litre. The bloody thing filled to about the third level and over. I knew from reading various critiques that these tools can't get all the oil out so I should have been more cautious.

And the dipstick is presumed to be the OEM dipstick as the vehicle was obtained as a Motability vehicle at 3 years old from a Skoda dealer.

And I forgot to write that EVERY reading of the dipstick is preceded by thoroughly wiping on clean cloth or tissue.

I shall try to address all these queries and apparent discrepancies; but I can only say what I did and what I have seen. I know nothing of internals of the engine. I have owned the car for 11 years and do all my own maintenance. 1. I tried to change the oil [all references are to engine oil] before a long hard trip on holiday. 2. Because of disability I was unable to drain by the sump plug [this was replaced some years ago by a brass drain valve] I resorted to a Sealey Siphon TP69; and got out what I supposed to be about 3 litres. 3. Knowing the oil capacity to be 3.5 litres I introduced about 3 litres of fresh oil of the correct grade. 4. I set out on my trip. After about 100 yards the oil light and alarm began. My wife busily checked the handbook and internet for explanations while I negotiated traffic in South London. 5. As soon as possible I returned to base abandoning my journey until I could hire a car to continue on holiday. 6. 2 weeks later I returned and enlisted the help of a friend and mechanic. The TP69 was again used to extract about 3 litres of oil. The mech then jacked up front nearside of the car for access to the drain valve. About half a litre was drained. The dipstick showed 'clean'. 7. I measured 2 litres of oil into a jug. I poured almost all of that into the engine. The dipstick shows overfull, ie the oil level is beyond the hatched area. It remains there. The TP69 will no longer enter the dipstick tube to the bafflement of Sealey Tech and me. 8. In desperation I started the engine today in neutral. (?I imagined something was blocking the oil galleries) I revved up to +/- 2000rpm whereupon the alarms started again. 9. This remains the state of play as of 6.30pm : the dipstick shows overfull and the alarms begin on revving the engine. What is the missing component?

Started up , stayed in neutral. Eventually revved up to about 2000 rpm. Alarm and warning light came on immediately. So no surprises. Will start again in the week with the resurrection project. Thanks to all my helpful correspondents.

GFP?