You should never overfill oil, if anything err on he side of under-filling i.e. just below the max. In the interests of centre of gravity, a lot of modern engines have no leeway when it comes to the crank hitting the oil (when over filled) this causes the oil to froth which can cause pressure and/or lubrication issues. It'll also cause crank-drag affecting fuel consumption and reducing power output.

Sunday evening means that the fleet is due its weekly checkover.

First the Fabia. 8 months and 10,000km old, the bonnet handle feels like it belongs to a solid piece of millitary hardware, yet the underbonnet clips were supplied by airfix. Plenty of room under the bonnet - the short, deep three pot engine is lost in the bay and outgunned by the impossibly large engine mounts. I note that the oil is starting to discolour - soon be time for the first service, followed by a regime of interim services to keep that timing chain healthy. Dipstick shows 8/8ths - she hasn't used a drop of oil since new due to a controlled period of running in, all clean under the cap too. There is a big warning sticker which advises against overfilling in case of severe catalyst damage. Bonnet dropped from 2 inches, and closes with a positive thunk that startles the dogs.

Next up the FIAT. Almost 8 years and 300,000km young - the bonnet handle feels more action-man toy, but the engine bay is far more serious. The 1.9 litre JTD 'cube' barely fits inside a bay intended for nothing larger than a 1.4 - the lump + ancillaries get in the way of everything. Still - all fluids levels are at 100% and a careful look with a torch and a squeeze of hoses and clips reveals nothing untoward. Bonnet gives a 'kerchink' when closed, which goes laregly un-noticed.

Finally the German. 22 years and 178,000km as of yesterday. The bonnet latch pulls with a positive action that should be launching spacecraft, or at least triggering some kind of 'self destruct' sequence in a movie somewhere. Pulling back the safety catch at the front allows the mouth of the beast to yawn open. The three litre straight six is tall and almost too long - leaving plenty of room around the plugs and ancillaries, but keeping things tight at the fan end. Fluid levels have remained unchanged in three months and 2,000kms of ownership - a good sign for the engine. Birds fly from the trees, and a herd of goats in the nearby field look up as the bonnet closes.

I fill to MAX at change time, and don't top up unless the level drops below about 1/3 of the way between MIN and MAX. I miss the dashboard oil level indicators from my old Peugeots (some of which doubled as useful oil pressure or temperature gauges) and the digital dipstick reading of the Renault, which if not strictly accurate, were at least consistently inaccurate. Nice to get a check of the level at every startup.

In terms of general servicing and access, the typically uninviting, Teutonic, black plastic covered engine bays of both the Golfs depress me. All they are missing is a "No user serviceable parts inside" label, such as you'd find on your television or microwave oven. The PD engine's cover just pulls off (after removing the dipstick), but the 1.8T has you mucking around with flimsy plastic screws first. I do miss seeing an engine when I lift the bonnet.

There are some nice touches on the Golf though. The use of hydraulic rams to lift and hold the bonnet open for starters (makes the old fashioned, rattly prop system seem so crude). I also love the little T-shaped release handle which pops through the grille slats when you pull the lever. Saves fumbling around under the leading edge of the bonnet with all its road crud and grease to release the catch. It's not quite as cool as the swivelling badge / ignition key arrangement on a Ford, admittedly.

The Vicar of Bray - a fine old English song and good to hear it again. Oddly, it seems to have been inspired by a C16 vicar who lived through the reigns of Henry VIII, Mary and Elizabeth, changing his allegiance as he went along - but the song rather cleverly has him starting at Charles II and surviving till the Georges.

Anyway, sorry about the deletion: I didn't see the thread but thanks for posting the link again.

Returning to oil levels - many thanks to everyone for warning about overfilling. Worth spreading the word, as so many people don't even realise it can be an issue. Just because the oil can physically go in via the filler, they think it must be OK - 'shove another litre in and play safe....'

Edited by Avant on 13/04/2010 at 22:30