Car Sluggish After Engine Oil Change
 

Last weekend I did an engine oil change with a new OEM filter on the brz and ever since then the car behaves differently. When shifting to second, third, and fourth gear the revs don't move for about two seconds before they start to go up and it sounds like the car struggles to get past it. Overall it feels sluggish and slow.
I bought the oil in a box that had 6 quart bottles several months ago and had it stored in my garage. The box looked like it started to stain with oil. My friend said maybe the oil had thinned because of the heat in the garage over time? Live in Arizona.

Every time I've done an oil change I've actually been putting 6 full quarts (I think I saw it in a video) and this time I did about 5.5. Maybe it has something to do with that?

I'm thinking of just doing another 6 quart oil change to try to fix it.

Did you remember to reinstall the drain plug?

Have you checked the oil level to verify it?

Lol another case of oil going bad.
Yep.. People always check your oil "Best by used date".

You can always tase test your oil freshnes by zipping a little and holding it in your mouth. It should have hints of almonds, butter, olives. If you don't tase that take it back to the auto parts store and ask to speak to the manager.



Joking aside, I would question your friends mental capacity. Maybe buy him a helmet or something.
Check your dip stick jimmy. It's there for a reason. Don't go off bottles of oil alone.
Lastly, did you use the right oil weight? Or did you use something else?

yep, what oil weight was used. and what type of oil. oil ain't just oil anymore.

i have 5.4 qt's written in my cap, i've found that to be about right during the oil changes.

Can we assume that this is not the first time you have done an oil change? So, it is highly likely you used the correct oil and the amount. Try this instead: wash the car and clean the wheels real well. Vacuum the interior and clean all the hard surfaces. Finally, clean and polish all the glass inside and out; make it sparkle. Drive the car and report back.

Years ago working at a dealership, customers would bring their cars in with drivability issues. Back in the days of carburetors there were problems with gasoline left over from seasonal changes. At high altitude this was really an issue; vapor lock in the summer and hard starting in the winter. Most of the time we would find no obvious issues, so the car would be handed off to the detail guy (or gal) and they would wash the car and special attention would be paid to getting the glass sparkling like lead crystal. The car would not come back and sometimes customers would report that it ran better. Then there were cars that had a real problem and if it was recently in the shop, it usually had absolutely nothing to do with the previous service; coincidental. Some customers were hard to convince, but making accommodations keeps them happy and coming back.

Again, if the oil is not the problem and and a shiny windshield doesn't fix the problem, then there is trouble brewing. Check it out.

the car's just having a bad day!

Gad, you must be old - :eyebulge:


humfrz

Do you have any power mods?

Did you do anything else to the engine when you changed the oil?


humfrz

he could have just worked in a small engine repair shop!

Are you sure you are not over full on the oil level ?

22R

Humfrz is excited.

Maybe the car is on a low carburetor diet?

Surely OP will respond @Jviveros2

Have several questions to answer to.

This isn't my first time doing an oil change on the car on my own, maybe my fourth.

I checked the dipstick when I did 5.5 quarts and it read right at the max level. I really don't remember why I used to do 6 before and it worked fine.

Some classification on the issue. I drove it around again yesterday and it's not just that it "stays" at the Rev. The pattern is shift up, revs go up by about 1-2k for 2 or 3 seconds, then they come down to what it should be and the car drives normally until I shift again.

Half quart one way or another isn't a problem. Unlike a conventional inline-four, the oil takes a while to dribble into the pan. Wait an extra long time before checking the dipstick. I think the owner's manual recommends five minutes.


If I read correctly, it sounds like your clutch may be slipping. Let's clarify that.

Yeah after narrowing down the symptoms it kinda seems it might be that. I'm a new manual driver so I'm sure I blew through that clutch way ahead of it's expected life

Any ideas on cost to repair?

As many of these threads that I've seen, I never paid attention to the cost. I've always done it myself. It should be a couple hundred for the parts and a few hours labor. It's one of the easiest ones out there to replace. Others will chime in with their experiences.


This is a good opportunity to learn how to upshift properly for long clutch life. The difference is easy to feel with a worn clutch. Work on timing your throttle application so you apply it immediately after your clutch is fully engaged. It's a common bad habit to step on the gas a tiny bit too soon. The sloppy clutch pedal on this car exacerbates the issue and is the main contributor to unnecessary clutch wear.

700-1200 I think is a reasonable range for a new clutch and related work. More for a dealer. Less for an indie.

Assuming it is the clutch that needs to be replaced, how many miles is it safe to drive it? I have a 100 round trip to work but I carpool so I can have someone else drive while I get the car fixed

It will work until it doesn't work. You may also damage some extra parts and have it cost more to repair. It could also leave you stranded in a dangerous situation. There is no set miles. You could be one engagement away from permanent damage, it could already be damaged, or you could have plenty of time.

Many ideas, none in order.

All these new cars have computers in them, have you tried pulling the battery for 15 minutes to force the car to re-learn how to run?

Rev's shouldn't be increasing during clutch-in moments, a bad clutch generally is less grabby, you'd notice the revs falling slower if you popped the clutch from gear to gear...

Have you checked your floor mats?

I'm also wondering about your technique. You shouldn't be on the gas in an upshift until the clutch is fully released, is that when the revs climb?

According to my experience with the car in its stock form, one should apply gas a tiny bit earlier before clutch is fully released for up-shifting. Of course, if you can upshift really quickly, that is another story.

You may wish to try this.

Warm up the engine, set the emergency brake, put the car in second gear, slowly let up on the clutch. If the engine is killed right away, you are most likely good for another trip to work and back. If the engine wants to keep running, I suggest you car pool it till you get the clutch fixed.


humfrz

Old? Here is a little perspective that makes me feel old: When I was a kid there was an OLD lady in our apartment building that remembered the Lincoln assassination. I owned a 1959 Austin Mini 850 that, from unverified evidence, was the very first Mini imported into the US. My other Mini, an Austin Cooper S could outrun a Porsche in the turns. Another old favorite was my Austin-Healy Mk I Sprite (Bug-Eye). All my stuff was second hand, but new to me. I worked on the Datsun 240Z back when they were introduced. My BRZ is just like old times, without the puddle of oil in the driveway.

"Stylistic Differences" :)

Unless I'm either trying to chirp the tires, or hitting an on ramp, i almost always sort of 'delay clutch out' where i hold the clutch in for an extra second to allow the revs to match before i clutch out in an upshift. But i do it mostly because i like the sound of freefalling revs...

In this case though, I'm trying to understand how the OP drives, as the impression of this thread is that the car is pseudo-rev-matching/rev-bumping by itself on upshifts in the time between letting off, clutch-in, shifting, and then clutch-out, which would be a weird engine management issue. Which is where my floor mat question came from.

Yeah the dealership thought 2000 would be their price. I think it might end up being a worn clutch. I'm taking it to another shop Thursday to see what they say by driving it around and not just take my unexpert opinion.