Put too much oil in!

[Jimrod]

Hi guys, after a little advice if poss! My friend had a low oil light on her 2.0tdi 150 Yeti and topped up with a 5l bottle of oil, after driving for a few days it got sluggish and then made a "pop" before running normally again... I'm presuming the oil is the culprit! What's the easiest way to remove some? (I'm obviously no mechanic) - I know the sump plug would seem obvious but I imagine there's a cover etc, any special tools required? Or can it be siphoned from the top somehow?

 

Cheers for any advice! Obviously she's wary of driving the car anywhere at the moment!

[SimonVespa]

Something like this??

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-104616-Fluid-Extractor-Pump/dp/B003G2YV1I/ref=sr_1_1?s=automotive&ie=UTF8&qid=1499964539&sr=1-1&keywords=oil+remover

 

[SuperbTWM]

I really hope you used the dipstick and didn't just pour the whole 5L in there

[Jimrod]

Apparently it was 2l, which shouldn't be toooo much considering the light was on but we're trying to take the sump plug out now, not done it before though...

[bigjohn]

7 minutes ago, Jimrod said:

Apparently it was 2l, which shouldn't be toooo much considering the light was on but we're trying to take the sump plug out now, not done it before though...

 

Have you not checked the level on the dipstick yet? Be careful you could easily damage the engine if you get this wrong.

 

If you are not sure please ask a mechanic

[Jimrod]

Yes, the oil level is showing well over the max level on the dipstick - up to the top of the plastic end piece (yes we've wiped it off). The problem is getting a mechanic to look at it! Don't want to drive it and everyone is booked up for weeks... We may try the siphon option...

[Llanigraham]

I wonder why anything is being done.

I suspect the car is still under warranty AND covered by Skoda Recovery, therefore the best thing to do is stop everything and get them involved. A couple of amateurs messing around, even if they do know what they should be doing, could invalidate that warranty.

[CWARD]

If you're not confident find a local mobile mechanic to come drain some oil. Whilst they are there she can be taught how to do the basic checks. 

[Jimrod]

6 minutes ago, CWARD said:

If you're not confident find a local mobile mechanic to come drain some oil. Whilst they are there she can be taught how to do the basic checks. 

 

Gonna try that, I'd imagine if the oil is overfilled and it causes a problem it would invalidate the warranty anyway? (Llanigraham), it's a simple job for a mechanic. 

[Parkesie]

Get someone who knows what they are doing to have a look don't run it until it's been drained to the correct level. Hopefully no seals or gaskets have been burst and that's job done. Personally I wouldn't go through skoda as they will void the warranty as potential self inflicted damage.

[Sad555]

2L.  That Was A Topup?

[Guest FurryFriend]

As said. If you don't know what you're doing then leave well alone for all the reasons stated. 

 

A lady I knew in the past from my mechanic days had a low oil light showing in her mini. She stopped at a garage and bought a 5L bottle of oil and put the lot in. She then got back on the road and  put her foot down, as it had made her late. She got 2 miles before the engine quite literally blew up. The hydraulic pressure must have been phenomenal. 

 

Another young lady who decided to ignore her oil light. Told us it had been on for weeks, but she never checked it........  BANG! Another wrecked engine. 

 

Please get a mechanic to come out to you, and remove the excess oil. Do NOT drive the car until you have done so.  The 'pop' you heard was probably a gasket or seal bursting. You need to get it checked out by someone competent. 

 

I despair....... 

 

[VAGCF]

Thought it best not to post what I thought.........so I won't!

 

[137699]

I hope "your friend" gets it sorted.

[Jimrod]

Well we got a mobile mechanic out to my friend today, he said the oil was a little high but it shouldn't have caused any problems. There were two unrelated fault codes showing (I don't know what they were) which should both be covered under warranty. He took the excess oil out and suggested she take it to Skoda and explain the power loss then let them deal with it. 

 

Thanks for any genuine advice in amongst the snark and condescension. Not everyone has grown up having to do much maintenance on modern cars outside scheduled servicing, not every Yeti driver is an OAP, she's only been driving for around two years. 

 

Cheers.

[2Geordiebroon]

2 hours ago, Jimrod said:

Well we got a mobile mechanic out to my friend today, he said the oil was a little high but it shouldn't have caused any problems. There were two unrelated fault codes showing (I don't know what they were) which should both be covered under warranty. He took the excess oil out and suggested she take it to Skoda and explain the power loss then let them deal with it. 

 

Thanks for any genuine advice in amongst the snark and condescension. Not everyone has grown up having to do much maintenance on modern cars outside scheduled servicing, not every Yeti driver is an OAP, she's only been driving for around two years. 

 

Cheers.

Looks like a good result.

[Ootohere]

Jimrod,

Pity that you do not know what it was said that the two unrelated fault codes were, and yet the 'mechanic' knows that they will be covered under the warranty.

Was there any mention of how much oil was removed?

I take it the friendly mechanic is meaning take the Yeti in just mention power loss, do not mention the over filling and keep your fingers crossed that nothing is evident of driver error and invalidating a warranty claim.

[Sad555]

All this doesn't sound good,1 newish yeti burning a lot of oil? 2 overfilled with using half a gallon of oil (right/wrong any old oil) and then loses power and pops? 3 after excess oil removed warning lights appear, but mechanic says nothing to worry about ?must be a genuine skoda mechanic ? ( ref egr,DPF etc that fail after fix but nothing to do with fix according to skoda/vag)not that the 150 requires THE FIX just needs servicing oh and oil top up if required.

[VAGCF]

15 hours ago, Jimrod said:

Well we got a mobile mechanic out to my friend today, he said the oil was a little high but it shouldn't have caused any problems. There were two unrelated fault codes showing (I don't know what they were) which should both be covered under warranty. He took the excess oil out and suggested she take it to Skoda and explain the power loss then let them deal with it. 

 

Thanks for any genuine advice in amongst the snark and condescension. Not everyone has grown up having to do much maintenance on modern cars outside scheduled servicing, not every Yeti driver is an OAP, she's only been driving for around two years. 

 

Cheers.

As mentioned later I'd still be concerned about what the pop was and the loss of power.

 

And sorry, but checking the oil and putting the correct amount in is hardly "having to do much maintenance on modern cars outside of scheduled servicing". Also it's part of learning to drive nowadays isn't it? And if you have absolutely no idea on how to do the very basics then don't do anything, ask a friend or family member who can.

 

Hopefully no damage has been done. 

[Guest FurryFriend]

I don't feel that there was any 'snark' or condescension actually. You asked a question, and you got the relevant advice. 

 

Every vehicle owner should be able to top up oil, screenwash, water, inflate tyres, and carry out such simple basic checks, whether male or female.

It isn't difficult and  

handbooks usually give all the relevant information. 

I hope your friends car is ok.....

 

[Guest]

I don't know if it's because it's not part of the test, but on a few occasions I've had to show people (male and female) how to refuel their vehicle as 'somebody else normally does it'. 

 

A few of the staff at the cafe I go to for Sunday Lunch have recently passed their tests and I've shown each of them how to carry out basic weekly checks as they saw me do them one week, and they didn't know how to do it.  

 

On longer journeys I see more vehicle breakdowns at the side of the road than in the early 90's. I wonder how many of them are caused by the owner not carrying out basic weekly checks? 

[KenONeill]

@Jimrod - Since none of these self-proclaimed experts mentioned the vital point that you didn't actually ask, depending on make and model, the gap between the marks on the dipstick on a car is normally between 1 imperial pint (454ml) and 1 litre. The top-up warning on a VAG car is normally synchronised with the lower mark, so when that happens buy an 1l bottle of oil and add that!

[Sad555]

any particular oil ?

[Ootohere]

What is normal between the marks on a cross hatch counts for nothing when someone is waiting for a Low Oil or Warning Message since with some VW Group engines they can be 1.5-2.0 litres low before you get a Low Oil yellow can or message, and if you open the bonnet for 30 seconds and do nothing the light or message go out.

 

1 litre might mean you can continue but not that there is the correct quantity of oil in.

Better than being near 50% low though.

 

Note the 1 US Quart of Oil, that is not a UK Quart or as we call 2 pints, that is a Quarter of a US Gallon.

 

Edited 18 July, 2017 by Awayoffski

[KenONeill]

@Awayoffski - I'm reporting actual experience, including dipping the oil on activating the warning, and again after a 1l bottle top-up.