Is it bad to over-fill engine oil?
Is an over-filled engine oil bad? I've had my Mazda taken to the dealership for fluid replacement and each time I noticed that the oil level was above the second mark.
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
Yes it is bad. Engines are made for a certain amount of oil. If you put too much oil, it takes up space that wasn’t taken up before and can cause compression problems that can blow seals out.
You’d want to empty it out so that it’s just at the full level and go someplace else to get your oil changed, because will need to be at the full level. That’s what a pro does. I always look them up. I don’t even trust a gas sign. I look at my computer and if it says 3.4 quarts, I put 3.4 quarts. You want to be a pro when you’re changing it and not put the wrong amount in because it can ruin it.
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If the oil level is a little above the full mark, that shouldn`t cause problems. If it`s overfilled by half a quart or more, or foam shows on the dipstick, the best fix is to have the oil drained and refilled to the proper level.
Make sure the oil is always topped up to the recommended level! If there isn`t enough oil to lubricate the moving parts of the engine, these will wear faster and could overheat.
What should I do? A: Overfilling an engine with oil can put additional pressure on seals and, over time, can cause an oil leak.
A quart or more of excess oil in a car can cause engine damage. Overfilling engine oil raises the level of oil in the pan, allowing the crankshaft to come into frequent contact with it. The crankshaft moves fast, essentially whipping your oil into a froth that can`t be properly distributed by the engine.
When too much oil is added, the level in the oil pan becomes too high. That allows a fast-moving lobed rod called the crankshaft to come into contact with the oil and essentially aerate it. The result is a foamy, frothy substance that cannot properly lubricate the engine.
Engine damage – Too much lubricant in the system can cause pressure on the crankshaft to increase. This can result in oil entering the crankshaft exhaust pipe, running through into the combustion chamber, blocking the suction hose with oil soot and potentially leading to engine overload.
Check the oil level
Put the dipstick back in its original location – all the way down – and then pull it out again. Some oil will be visible on the dipstick – this is your car`s engine oil level. If the top of the oil reaches between the minimum and maximum markings, the oil level is fine.
The engine oil level should be in the cross hatch section and at or slightly below the full mark when the engine is cool. If the engine oil is low, it could indicate the engine is either leaking or consuming oil.
What happens to an overfilled engine? If you overfill your car engine with oil, your car may experience these problems: Pressure on crankshaft; proper pressure on crankshaft will prevent leaking. But excess oil in the engine will cause excessive pressure in the crankshaft component, which will cause leak.
Also, you can look at the bottom of the engine to see if there are any oil spots or drips. If you notice a significant drop (more than ¼ of the dipstick) in a week`s time, check carefully for new leaks or other problems.
If you have put too much oil in your car, you should drain the excess oil. If you`re not confident doing this, you will need to get your vehicle towed to a mechanic – driving it could damage the engine, requiring expensive repairs.
Overfilling the oil should not cause a head gasket to give up. However, it could force some oil into the engine upper end and cause smoke. This can also come across as white in color.
We all know that having too little oil in your engine is asking for big trouble. But having too much is also a potential disaster. It may be less common, but it can cause similarly catastrophic damage.
Common signs of engine oil overfill include:
Smell of burning engine oil. Smoke from the engine compartment. Smoke or black exhaust from the tailpipe. Unusual noises coming from the engine.
A quality conventional motor oil will tolerate oil sump temperatures up to 250 degrees, but starts breaking down over 275 degrees. The traditional approach is to try to hold oil temperatures between 230 and 260 degrees.
It`s bad because it will cause too much pressure build-up, as normal behaviour of liquids expand when heated. Not only the liquid inside the engine, as we as the air inside the engine. So when they expand they produce more pressure. That excess in pressure could break the oil seals and cause leaks.
In a typical size automobile engine, 4 or more cylinders, it is extremely unlikely that even a liter or two of overfill would any noticeable problems. Any problems from noticeable overfill would likely just be a bit of leakage out of seals.
WHAT ABOUT MIXING ENGINE OIL BRANDS? Yes. It won`t harm your engine to mix, for example, Quaker State® motor oil with Pennzoil, as long as the oil you use is the weight (or viscosity) recommended in your vehicle owner`s manual.
How much oil does your car take? The amount of oil car engines require is roughly between 4 and 8 litres. This differs greatly between vehicles, though generally: Four-cylinder engines need around 4.5 litres of oil.
Examine the end of the dipstick and notice where the oil ends. There are markings that indicate the level the oil should reach. Sometimes there are holes instead of marks. If the oil doesn`t reach inside the markings or holes on the dipstick, you need to add at least one quart of oil.
How much oil does your car take? The amount of oil car engines require is roughly between 4 and 8 litres. This differs greatly between vehicles, though generally: Four-cylinder engines need around 4.5 litres of oil.
Driving a car with a small amount of excess oil is no big deal. The engine may work a little harder as the crankshaft windage tray will not work as well, but it shouldn`t damage the engine.
If there`s a noticeable thick burning oil smell coming from your car, it may mean that your oil is leaking. Oil can drip out onto the hot engine parts, creating this acrid smell. If your oil is leaking, it could also mean that your vehicle is overheating.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
lost all oil pressure, replaced the oil pump, low oil sensor, oil pressure sensor, oil pan gasket,
ANSWER : The fuel pump will not stay on if you loose oil pressure. This is why it is shutting off. The loss of oil pressure may be from bad crankshaft bearings or camshaft bearings. The engine oil pan should be removed and the oil pump needs to be checked to ensure that you put in the pick up tube seal to the pump and connected the pump to the block. Then remove at least one main bearing cap and inspect the bearings for excessive wear and crankshaft damage. If you need some help with this, consider YourMechanic, as a certified technician can help diagnose the issue with your oil pressure firsthand and help you fix it accordingly.
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Oil was leaking, put in over 4 qts of oil and oil leak stopper. White smoke coming tailpipe,engine shakes, car dies. Oil leaking.
ANSWER : Oil additives are not recommended by any vehicle manufacturer for any reason. Additives that purport to resolve oil leaks are useless, a waste of your money, and may result in engine damage. Every vehicle manufacturer strongly recommends against use of these materials. There is only one recommended and approved repair strategy when it comes to oil leaks: fix the leak.
You can only add the manufacturer specified amount of oil to an engine. If you add too much oil, or too little oil, that will cause engine damage. You should check the engine oil dipstick to determine if there is presently too much oil in the engine. If there is too much, the excess will have to be removed to prevent engine damage.
The leak that you are referring to can be repaired if you request an oil leak diagnostic. If you have further questions or concerns as you decide what to do, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic because we want you to make the most of your repair dollars and help you get the best possible results.
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Burning engine oil and have gray smoke coming from below the engine and the tailpipe.
ANSWER : Hi there. If you are getting gray smoke from under the vehicle and in the engine compartment, then there is an external oil leak. The oil is leaking onto the exhaust pipe and then burning off. This is why you are not seeing any oil on the ground. As for the engine smoking some oil, then the valve guide seals on the cylinder heads are possibly leaking causing oil to enter the combustion chamber through the intake valves.. Another way that the engine could be getting oil into the combustion is having a positive crankcase ventilation valve (PCV valve) being stuck causing oil to enter the intake system. To check this, check the intake tubing and see if there is any oil present. If there is oil present, then I recommend replacing the PCV valve to prevent any oil from going into the combustion chamber. The external oil leaks could be, a leaking front engine seal, a leaking rear main seal, a loose oil filter, oil cooler lines could be split or loose, or a valve cover gasket could be leaking. If you need further assistance with your engine using a lot of engine oil, then seek out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you.
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Check engine light refuses to go off after engine replaced
ANSWER : Hello there, you have a long series of issues going on with your 2013 Hyundai Sonata. If you keep getting a repeating oil light on than there is likely a fault in that system.
Since this fault has lasted after the engine was replaced it could be a oil pressure sensor, wiring harness fault, ECU fault, oil pump, oil strainer clogged, or low oil pressure.
To diagnose this issue properly you need a complete vehicle inspection to start from square one and identify the root cause of all this.
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Low oil pressure light comes on when idle. Check engine light is on as well. Both came on after getting an oil change 3 days ago.
ANSWER : It is possible that they put in the wrong viscosity oil. In rare instances, a defective filter will also cause low pressure. If there is too much oil, it will aerate and cause low pressure. Be sure the oil level is really not above "max". The P2187 code will appear if the oil fill cap is not tight but it will also appear due to a myriad of causes because that code only "generally" identifies a lean running condition. Consequently, numerous parts would have to be tested including the O2 sensor, gas cap seal, manifold air leaks, any vacuum leak anywhere including PCV and EVAP systems, exhaust leaks, and fuel system faults such as failing fuel pump, clogged filter and more. Since the car has relatively low mileage, you would not expect a failed oil pump, although the pressure sensor (or switch) could be bad. However, the occurrence of the oil pressure warning light is quite coincidental to the oil change, thus I would suggest bringing the car back and asking them to redo with a new filter and double check the viscosity of the new oil that they use. If the problem persists after that, you will have to test actual operating oil pressure (at idle for instance) as well as the oil pressure switch. Finally, if the oil pressure warning light comes on continuously, unless the warning circuit itself is malfunctioning, that means the oil pressure is too low to operate the engine without damaging it. Anytime the light comes on for more than literally an instant, you should shut down the car and thus an issue like this obviously has to be repaired.
If you’d like, a YourMechanic certified mechanic can come to your home or place of business to inspect the vehicle and perform an oil pressure light is on inspection to diagnose the vehicle and suggest potential repairs.
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Stop car check oil warning
ANSWER : This light will usually come on when one of two things are happening. Either the motor is in fact low on oil or the oil pressure sending unit is not working properly and may be producing a faulty reading. I would recommend first, to check the actual oil level in the motor by using the dipstick. Be sure the oil level reaches the "full" mark. If this registers as "full" then you likely have a faulty oil pressure sending unit. I would recommend having an expert from YourMechanic come to your location to take a look at your vehicle to determine what may be causing your low oil pressure light to come on.
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Just noticed a huge oil leak trailing my car. It seems to be coming from below the engine. I recently had my oil changed a month
ANSWER : You might have a problem with the oil filter leaking when you rev the engine and increase the oil pressure. This can be from a collapsed oil filter media or excessive oil pressure from the engine. I recommend having the oil and filter replaced using a good quality filter and have the oil leak verified to be from the filter. Make sure to not run the engine low on oil. If you are finding you do not want to drive with the leak, a mobile technician from YourMechanic can come to your home or office, and replace both your filter, and oil.
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Codes P0201 & P0301 are being read immediately after local instant oil change garage overfilled engine with oil.
ANSWER : Without actually checking the vehicle myself I will say the cause is from the engine being overfull of oil. You did not have a check engine light on before they overfilled it. You may be able to just clean off the injector and connector then clear the codes to see if problem returns. You may have to pull out the spark plugs and clean them. I recommend not using the oil change place again since they do oil changes for a living and cannot get that correct and will not stand behind their work.
Read Full Q/A … : Is it bad to over-fill engine oil?
