Over filled my engine oil slightly...problem?

nottingham13

It was a syringe I use to refill my printer cartridges. Only about 20ml size. I must have taken out about 150 ml. It was quite easy.

It makes me think whether to buy one of those oil suction pumps to change the oil in my car to take out most of the oil and then open up the oil drain hole to drain what's left. Then no chance of spilling lots of oil everywhere.

mattyprice4004

I used a suction pump to do all the oil changes on my 200,000 mile old Rover 75, it didn't seem to mind much.

They're quite a clean engine, and I'd imagine a 205 petrol won't coke things up too much if it's changed regularly.

red_eye

nottingham13 wrote: »

Hi

I topped up my oil today and accidently put too much in. It's only 4-5mm above the max level mark.

Is this a problem?
Thanks

should be a problem unless there is blue smoke coming out the pipe

red_eye

TrickyWicky wrote: »

Just what I was thinking. Engineers have to work with tolerances all the time so it would make sense that they'd do the same with engine oil levels.. unless they're french

dip sticks are mass produced so the min max line are not always in the right place the tooling tolerances are probly 2-3mm

londonTiger

when in doubt stick to the idiot proof markers, loosen the sump a little and let some oil out. seal it back and check the levels after cleaning the dip stick

andygb

red_eye wrote: »

dip sticks are mass produced so the min max line are not always in the right place the tooling tolerances are probly 2-3mm

Mass production was introduced as a means of also controlling tolerances, so I would say that 2 - 3mm is a very large margin of error in a very simple part.

londonTiger

red_eye wrote: »

dip sticks are mass produced so the min max line are not always in the right place the tooling tolerances are probly 2-3mm

if anything mass production probably makes these things more accurate. If the oil levels were produced bespoke on a case by case basis there is a greater risk of human error.

but when designing these things for 100,000 units. They'll measure these things more accurately double check, tripe check their measurements.

I think you're trying to infer that car markers will just buy any old dipstick from a OEM manufacturer and use the dipstick without making sure it's accurate and the markers corrospond with the vehicle's requirements, this is unlikely. They'll find out what the safe levels are and get an OEM manufacturer to build the dipstick to spec.

Sure there *might" be some idiot proof margin of error applied, but you don't know what these margins are so best be safe and not play russian roulette with your engine.

UncleZen

In all the cars Ive had in the last 15 years, dealers have always overfilled the oil. And occassionally a non-dealer service as well.