HI. I just did an oil change service couple of days from a local garage. The oil level is about 4mm above maximum marker. What to do?

Is this warm or cold?

Nothing, mine was overfilled by 5 mm, but it burnt it anyway so it's fine now. So long as it's not right up the stick, don't worry, the crankshaft won't be sitting in it at that level.

Ben

cold on flat ground.

Your doing no favours to Turbo. Get that oil level back to where it should be. Run tube down oil dipstick pipe and syphon some engine oil out PRONTO.

Your doing no favours to Turbo. Get that oil level back to where it should be. Run tube down oil dipstick pipe and syphon some engine oil out PRONTO.

How's that going to damage the turbo then?

The turbo is fed off of a pipe (IIRC from older type engines) from the pump to the filter then to the turbo, so a bit much oil in the sump won't damage the turbo.

The main problem with chronic (i.e. right up the stick) overfilling is that the crankshaft can sit in it and that really isn't good

Mines been overfilled by 4 or 5 mm for the last 90k each service and it's still fine.

Ben

How's that going to damage the turbo then?

The turbo is fed off of a pipe (IIRC from older type engines) from the pump to the filter then to the turbo, so a bit much oil in the sump won't damage the turbo.

The main problem with chronic (i.e. right up the stick) overfilling is that the crankshaft can sit in it and that really isn't good

Mines been overfilled by 4 or 5 mm for the last 90k each service and it's still fine.

Ben

Tendency that crank hitting overfilled oil creates aerated oil (full of bubbles). Oil pump cannot operate with this degraded oil so each and every component is now lacking oil lubricant. Depending how much it is overfilled will reflect your luck.

Edited 12 December, 200916 yr by giandougl

Get that oil level back to where it should be. Run tube down oil dipstick pipe and syphon some engine oil out PRONTO.

Ditto.

You'll find a minimum AND maximum level marker on the dipstick for a very good reason.

Sorry, I fail to believe that with a 4mm overfill the crank is sitting in it or touching it. 20 or 30 mm maybe, but as I say, mine has always been over the mark (done at a dealers each time) and 91,500 miles on, she's still as good as ever.

Surely you will get some kind of bubbling anyway seeing how the oil actually goes round the engine at pressure.

I would be more worried if the oil were very low on the stick.

Ben

Slightly off topic but here goes. At my last job, our Transport Manager, took delivery of his brand new fleet car, a Series 5 Beamer.

Half way up the M6 he stopped for fuel, and being a good little boy, checked the oil, not with the dipstick, but by looking into the rocker cover. He then proceeded to fill the engine to the top of the rocker cover

Two miles later, BANG, conrods through the block, head pushed into bonnet, although he claims it was much quieter after the oil top up, just before it exploded.

Slightly off topic but here goes. At my last job, our Transport Manager, took delivery of his brand new fleet car, a Series 5 Beamer.

Half way up the M6 he stopped for fuel, and being a good little boy, checked the oil, not with the dipstick, but by looking into the rocker cover. He then proceeded to fill the engine to the top of the rocker cover

Two miles later, BANG, conrods through the block, head pushed into bonnet, although he claims it was much quieter after the oil top up, just before it exploded.

what a top hat!! yea, that's definitely overfilled!

Ben

mate, just take a 10-20ml syringe and a piece of straight rubber tube(for example take a "dropper", i dont know what it calls on English - the thing that injects the glucose 5% into the blood veins slowly)

put the tube (with the syringe on the other end) into the oil gauge hole and suck the desired ammount of oil and here you go - back on the road!