Octavia 2 TSI 1.3 manual 2010

Due to ineptitude and rushing the job I over filled my vehicle with oil. I started my journey and the oil warning light immediately came and a warning sounded. I travelled about 5 miles in all before I could return to base, my speed did not exceed 30-35 mph. What damage am I likely to have done?  It has been suggested that oil may have been forced past seals into various areas where it should never be, like the crankshaft.

Sorry, can't answer but how much was the overfill? A little or a lot. How far above the maximum fill level are you?

2 hours ago, somean49 said:

my speed did not exceed 30-35 mph.

Irrelevant.  Damage over that sort of distance is more likely to be things like air whip from the big end bearings splashing in the sump, and is aggravated by engine speed, not road speed.

So we need to know how much (other than "too much") oil you put in, and the highest engine speed used.

4 hours ago, Paws4Thot said:

Irrelevant.  Damage over that sort of distance is more likely to be things like air whip from the big end bearings splashing in the sump, and is aggravated by engine speed, not road speed.

So we need to know how much (other than "too much") oil you put in, and the highest engine speed used.

Thanks for replying so quickly. 3am is not my best time. The engine is actually 1.4 TSI. Thanks to using the syphon method to get out the old oil and so getting insufficient out, there may have been as much as 2.5 litres excess. The engine speed would be determined by the gear engaged?  If so driving in London traffic I would have been in 3rd and 4th mostly. I couldn't hope to more accurate having kept my eyes on the road (while my wife fretted loudly in my ears)

5 hours ago, tetley said:

Sorry, can't answer but how much was the overfill? A little or a lot. How far above the maximum fill level are you?

So sorry only just seen your reply. Have answered Paws4Thot on the subject but reckon about 50% at least. So a lot!

1 hour ago, somean49 said:

1. there may have been as much as 2.5 litres excess.
2. The engine speed would be determined by the gear engaged?
3. If so driving in London traffic I would have been in 3rd and 4th mostly

Ok, I've introduced legal paragraph numbers.

1. That's a lot. There's a real possibility of oil aeration, affected directly by engine speed.
2. Yes. Remember I only know what you tell me about the situation.
3. Well, that's not too bad, based on cars I've driven you may not have exceeded 2_000rpm?

3. I doubt I got to that engine speed but you never know. I was very wary of driving at all but needed to get home. (I had set off for a 350 mile holiday

journey which had to be abandoned)

1. What effect would that have and what effects might I notice?

 

When I finally get home next week (and get rid of the hateful Citroën hire car) I shall have the oil drained and replaced properly. Any damage should then be apparent I guess. What might it be and might such be reparable?

 

 

OK, from what you've added, the aeriation will have cured itself by the next time you see the car. Just drain the excess oil and it will be drivable.

 

I can't say for sure about engine damage since I can't inspect the car at all, but the most possible damage is oil starvation on the main bearings, big ends and around the camshaft.

Thanks Paws4Thot. I feel hopeful and a bit reassured. The whole lot will come out via the sump plug and be replaced with the correct volume of the correct grade. The new filter will I'm sure survive any punishment it's had. Would you expect to hear unusual noises as a result of such starvation  or will it be silent but deadly damage?

Latest instalment.
Siphoned out nearly 4 litres. Opened the sump but only half litre drained. Dipstick showed empty. Introduced about 1.5 litres fresh oil. Dipstick shows over-full, well passed the hatched area. "Something wrong here". Started the engine, no warning light or complaining sounds.Switched off 'in case' after about 5 seconds.Now the siphon tube won't go down the dipstick tube. Sealey Tech baffled.   Might the oil galleries be blocked?

48 minutes ago, somean49 said:

Might the oil galleries be blocked?

Yes, I am clutching at straws.

You wont have done any damage.

 

I know someone who quite literally "filled" their engine with oil, they had to walk into town 2 more times to get a second and then a 3rd 5 litre can of oil.

 

When finally the oil was overflowing from the filler cap and they could not get any more in he put the cap on and started the engine, as it was making a funny noise he phoned me for advice, after getting him to repeat what I thought I had misheard I was crying with laughter 😀

 

There was no engine damage done.

 

A Russian guy on Youtube made a perspex sump for an engine on a test bed and then filmed it running with higher and higher oil levels, it did not cause any damage, the perspex sump eventually failed because it was bodged by vacuum forming it over the original sump hence was too large, had to use loads of gasket sealant and the fixing bolts holes were too close to the vertical sides of the oil pan where it finally fractured.

34 minutes ago, J.R. said:

You wont have done any damage.

 

I know someone who quite literally "filled" their engine with oil, they had to walk into town 2 more times to get a second and then a 3rd 5 litre can of oil.

 

When finally the oil was overflowing from the filler cap and they could not get any more in he put the cap on and started the engine, as it was making a funny noise he phoned me for advice, after getting him to repeat what I thought I had misheard I was crying with laughter 😀

 

There was no engine damage done.

 

A Russian guy on Youtube made a perspex sump for an engine on a test bed and then filmed it running with higher and higher oil levels, it did not cause any damage, the perspex sump eventually failed because it was bodged by vacuum forming it over the original sump hence was too large, had to use loads of gasket sealant and the fixing bolts holes were too close to the vertical sides of the oil pan where it finally fractured.

Thanks for that reassurance, J.R. At the moment it's the inconsistent evidence that concerns me. Is the damned thing overfilled or not. The absence of anything comprehensible is worrying. Maybe I might gently run it to see how it goes. I shall report back.

1 hour ago, J.R. said:

 

 

A Russian guy on Youtube made a perspex sump for an engine on a test bed and then filmed it running with higher and higher oil levels, it did not cause any damage, the perspex sump eventually failed because it was bodged by vacuum forming it over the original sump hence was too large, had to use loads of gasket sealant and the fixing bolts holes were too close to the vertical sides of the oil pan where it finally fractured.

 

 

 

 

A sump on a small modern engine would not be as forgiving as that one but I imagine you will be fine, worst case you have blown a bit more oil through the breather system than normal and being a 2010 there isn't any senstive emissions equipment like a GFP to damage.

Edited 21 September, 20241 yr by SuperbTWM

GFP?

Sorry, meant GPF-Gasoline Particulate FIlter. like a diesel particulate filter any oil contamination uses up their usable life dramatically as it leaves behind ash residue when regenerated

Started up , stayed in neutral. Eventually revved up to about 2000 rpm.  Alarm and warning light came on immediately. So no surprises. Will start again in the week with the resurrection project.  Thanks to all my helpful correspondents.

On 21/09/2024 at 18:40, somean49 said:

Siphoned out nearly 4 litres. Opened the sump but only half litre drained. Dipstick showed empty. Introduced about 1.5 litres fresh oil. Dipstick shows over-full, well passed the hatched area. "Something wrong here"

 

49 minutes ago, somean49 said:

Started up , stayed in neutral. Eventually revved up to about 2000 rpm.  Alarm and warning light came on immediately.

 

Perhaps the something wrong is your judgement of level using the dipstick?

 

You think you overfilled the vehicle, you do not say how much you siphoned out or how much you added so it was an unknown quantity.

 

You subsequently sucked (not siphoned) out 4 litres and drained a further 0.5 litre from the drain plug which would be around the correct volume, I am assuming it was the sump and not transmission drain plug.

 

You refilled with only 1.5 litres of oil which is far less than the required volume and would not show on the dipstick but you say the dipstick showed over-full, you did wipe it first before dipping?

 

1.5 litres would be just enough for oil to circulate and develop enough pressure for the low speed (under 2K rpm) oil pressure warning to not declench but once above 2K rpm the high speed oil pressure warning came on as it should.

 

From all that you have said your engine contains 1.5 litres of oil and should be topped up to the correct level.

I

1 hour ago, J.R. said:

 

1.5 litres would be just enough for oil to circulate and develop enough pressure for the low speed (under 2K rpm) oil pressure warning to not declench but once above 2K rpm the high speed oil pressure warning came on as it should.

 

Surely a 2010 ocativia only has 1 oil pressure switch. Only the modern engines that have variable oil pressures have more than 1 switch, at least that ive noticed anyway, happy to be proven wrong though. Its often the reason why low oil pressure starts to give the low oil pressure warning when idling rather than when driving with higher rpms.

 

I would say as the amount of oil increased in the top end as the revs increased the level dropped below the pick up tube. 1.5 litres is not a lot of oil

 

Edited 22 September, 20241 yr by SuperbTWM

I'm not sure and you have me doubting myself now, I think maybe the oil pressure warning is inhibited at lower revs and only operates above 1500rpm, modern engines with low viscosity oils dont develop or need any significant pressure at low revs.

 

On my race engines aside from always having an oil pressure guage I would always fit a higher pressure oil switch as most would have the light come on at tickover when at operating temperature.

26 minutes ago, SuperbTWM said:

I would say as the amount of oil increased in the top end as the revs increased the level dropped below the pick up tube. 1.5 litres is not a lot of oil

 

I agree 100%

 

The mystery for me is why the OP believes the engine is overfilled after draining and refilling with 1.5 litres.

Maybe its got the wrong dipstick?

 

Thinking about it, I wasn't aware a high level alarm even existed until recent-ish models, and that, I assume, is only to catch cars with oil dilution issues causing the oil level to rise from DPF woes.

I shall try to address all these queries and apparent discrepancies; but I can only say what I did and what I have seen. I know nothing of internals of the engine. I have owned the car for 11 years and do all my own maintenance.

1. I tried to change the oil [all references are to engine oil] before a long hard trip on holiday.

2. Because of disability I was unable to drain by the sump plug [this was replaced some years ago by a brass drain valve] I resorted to a Sealey Siphon TP69; and got out what I supposed to be about 3 litres.

3. Knowing the oil capacity to be 3.5 litres I introduced about 3 litres of fresh oil of the correct grade.

4. I set out on my trip. After about 100 yards the oil light and alarm began. My wife busily checked the handbook and internet for explanations while I negotiated traffic in South London.

5. As soon as possible I returned to base abandoning my journey until I could hire a car to continue on holiday.

6. 2 weeks later I returned and enlisted the help of a friend and mechanic. The TP69 was again used to extract about 3 litres of oil. The mech then jacked up front nearside of the car for access to the drain valve. About half a litre was drained.

The dipstick showed 'clean'.

7. I measured 2 litres of oil into a jug. I poured almost all of that into the engine. The dipstick shows overfull, ie the oil level is beyond the hatched area. It remains there. The TP69 will no longer enter the dipstick tube to the bafflement of Sealey Tech and me.

8. In desperation I started the engine today in neutral. (?I imagined something was blocking the oil galleries) I revved up to +/- 2000rpm whereupon the alarms started again.

9. This remains the state of play as of 6.30pm : the dipstick shows overfull and the alarms begin on revving the engine.

 

What is the missing component?

 

 

4 minutes ago, somean49 said:

I shall try to address all these queries and apparent discrepancies; but I can only say what I did and what I have seen. I know nothing of internals of the engine. I have owned the car for 11 years and do all my own maintenance.

1. I tried to change the oil [all references are to engine oil] before a long hard trip on holiday.

2. Because of disability I was unable to drain by the sump plug [this was replaced some years ago by a brass drain valve] I resorted to a Sealey Siphon TP69; and got out what I supposed to be about 3 litres.

3. Knowing the oil capacity to be 3.5 litres I introduced about 3 litres of fresh oil of the correct grade.

4. I set out on my trip. After about 100 yards the oil light and alarm began. My wife busily checked the handbook and internet for explanations while I negotiated traffic in South London.

5. As soon as possible I returned to base abandoning my journey until I could hire a car to continue on holiday.

6. 2 weeks later I returned and enlisted the help of a friend and mechanic. The TP69 was again used to extract about 3 litres of oil. The mech then jacked up front nearside of the car for access to the drain valve. About half a litre was drained.

The dipstick showed 'clean'.

7. I measured 2 litres of oil into a jug. I poured almost all of that into the engine. The dipstick shows overfull, ie the oil level is beyond the hatched area. It remains there. The TP69 will no longer enter the dipstick tube to the bafflement of Sealey Tech and me.

8. In desperation I started the engine today in neutral. (?I imagined something was blocking the oil galleries) I revved up to +/- 2000rpm whereupon the alarms started again.

9. This remains the state of play as of 6.30pm : the dipstick shows overfull and the alarms begin on revving the engine.

 

What is the missing component?

 

 

And I forgot to write that EVERY reading of the dipstick is preceded by thoroughly wiping on clean cloth or tissue.

Just now, somean49 said:

And I forgot to write that EVERY reading of the dipstick is preceded by thoroughly wiping on clean cloth or tissue.

And the dipstick is presumed to be the OEM dipstick as the vehicle was obtained as a Motability vehicle at 3 years old from a Skoda dealer.