I was a auto service writer many years ago and a customer came in with a "low power" problem after getting an oil change at some "quicky lube" place. One of the tech's looked at it for maybe a 1/2 hour and could not point out anything obvious. I asked if he checked the oil level and he had, so I checked it myself. The "quicky lube" shop had never drained the old oil but added four or five quarts on top of what was already in the engine/oil pan. We did an oil change and sent him on his way to yell at the "quicky lube" people. Most automobile engines can easily hold an extra quart or two depending on the manufacturer and oil pan design. Double your called for capacity and you will have some issues for sure. My neighbors Mazda-3 says it takes something like 4.4 quarts for a typical oil & filter change. But the dipstick is obviously too short so even with five quarts in it the level is about half way in the "safe zone" on the dipstick. Some guys said they have been adding 5.5 to 6 quarts on their Mazda-3's so the oil level is at the full mark on the dipstick without any issues.
Thank you so much for this information and explanation! I’ve been stressing so much cuz I overfilled my car and didn’t know if it was a disaster or if the engine is fine. Thank u🙏
On my 14 mazda 6 it calls for 4.8 quarts/4.5L but putting in that exact amount puts it a little half on the dipstick. I run it like that any ways and have had no issues. Now i work as a oil lube tech and i do a lot of oil changes and have done many oil changes on many different 2.5 sky active Mazda 6's, Mazda 3's, ect. You can tell whether the car was built in japan or mexico by looking at the vin number and one thing I've noticed is the Japanese built ones like my mazda 6 the dipstick reads low with 4.8 put in. But on the Mexico factory-built ones the dipstick reads full with 4.8 put in. Ive noticed that the dipstick wont quite read full with a couple other cars to. My thought is that the dipsticks designed to read full after the oil is hot on some motors so when the oils cold it will read low but once you drive for awhile and get the oil temp up it will read on the full mark. Idk if thats true or not but its what ive experienced with my mazda anyways.
It’s probably because the oil pan made/used/built in Mexico is probably a different volume, or they’re using the same pan but different marked levels on the dipsticks. Compare the two next time you’re at work to see what you find, would be interesting to know why they’re both different
I love the american consideration of importance of feelings.. How much oil you feel is too much? Yeah, it's about the feelings from the bottom of my soul! Thanks for the vid!
@type568 this dudes not even American. And real Americans don't give a fuck about that shit that's a small group that's preying on the younger people that are easier to persuade to get them to go out and divide the masses because everybody knows that together we're way more powerful than any other nation could dream of being. But they can only convince the dumb ones believe me they are a small minority it's just publicized because the same people doing the convincing are of the same crowd that owns the media and are currently involved in a racial clensing in a place they have been programmed to believe is theirs. They don't speak for most of us we just unfortunately have a system that has been corrupted by money and they just so happen to control the moving of that too.
On my 3rd Gen Prius, the PCV valve is horizontal on the block. Too much oil and the engine will be throating raw engine oil. Toyota says 4.4 quarts but I only fill to 4.1 quarts so as to minimize the oil that’ll pass into the PCV tube.
I've heard that oil level may increase due to accumulation of water and dilutants like unburnt fuel from short trips, and that a good long drive will sort it out because of high temperature for sufficient time. So when i saw the oil level above what I expeected and then drove 500km (planned trip, not just whimsy) it did return to normal. So I suggest when changing oil, fill to the maximum level on the dip stick, and check from time to time. If the car is not leaking or smoking you should not see the level fall. If it rises then maybe you are doing too much short trip driving and really need to go on a trip of a few hours on a highway, then check again.
@@torquecars what I forgot to say was that it was surprising how much change could be seen. I even thought the dealer may have done it incorrectly. After the warranty was done I did the next oil change myself. It might not seem like much but it was about the content of the filter amount of change. I would think that adding 10% water and fuel mix to the sump after changing the oil according to spec' is probably a bad idea, but that is kind of what happens in short drives over time. The other thing I didn't say is it's a PHEV and I was always trying to avoid short trip stop start running of the engine. Like using the battery (EV mode) if the trip could be completed that way and running the engine on the motorway to get up to and maintain operating temperature when I knew the battery would not be sufficient. Yet with all my best intentions, I still saw oil level over the full mark until after a real long trip.
P.S. I ran six quarts in my '76 Suburban with a 468 CID rebuilt engine in it with a measly 4 quart oil pan. I put a double oil filter kit on it and I'd check the oil level when it was hot and running and six quarts put the oil level right at the full mark.
Watching this after I overfilled my 1.8 TFSI. I checked the oil through the multimedia interface while driving the car and that gave me a wrong reading and I added a full 1L of oil after checking it like that (it was at min but no oil light on). Now I'm pissing my pants in fear that I permanently damaged the engine :(. Oil started to appear on the head cover and I changed the timing cover and gasket thinking that was causing the oil leaks. Also oil started to appear around the head cover gasket. I drove the car like this 350km. I will do an oil change tomorrow and check the damage (hopefully there will be none) with a mechanic.
@@torquecars too much oil explained why oil appeared on the head cover, luckily it burned through it pretty quick (I drive it sporty) and didn’t do any damage (mechanic looked at it). Also i drove it like this more than 350 kms :))))
Over filling will not affect oil pressure. Oil pressure is controlled by oil temperature, viscosity, engine rpm, engine wear/ tolerance, pressure control valve in the pump and pump design in general. But if your engine normally hold X pressure at Y rpm. Adding a quart/Liter to the oil pan will not affect X if everything else is the same.
More oil increase oil temps this increasing pressure, so yes, excess oil is going to create excess oil pressure, it will in worse case scenarios blow seals and you’ll get a proper mess to have to clean
It does matter…. Just spent $4,000 on a 2015 Chrysler town and country, 120k mileage on it. Test drove mint, looked mint. On the drive home… Hwy driving …. Engine starts violently shaking, check engine lights all flashing. Limped it home. Long story short…. Someone had over 10 quarts oil in it. Vehicle experienced soo much misfire and blow by that it ended up in the spark plugs, throttle body etc. Fastest $4,000 I’ve ever had go up in smoke!
I put about 4.75 quarts in my wifes jeep (4.5 qt), and it measures about a quarter inch over the top of the max line. When i measured it cold after filling, it was below the max line. What gives!? I drove it after and once after cornering it felt like it bogged down a touch, otherwise fine. I bought a siphon kit today, but man im freaking out about this.
So the proper way to measure on the dipstick is after driving for a while. Then wait at least 10 mins after you turn off your car to check the oil? I have read that oil needs to heat up so best to check after car has been driven.
Valvoline overfilled my oil by 2 quarts, and had bubbles on dipstick. I caught it, after I thought I smelt a burning smell, but I had just parked in a parking lot of other cars who also had just parked. It had 7 quarts, and supposed to have 4.8. This was after driving almost 2000 miles. Its a 2015 Nissan Juke 4 cylinder turbo. They changed it today, making sure the level was now right. Never ran bad, no warning lights. but I haven't got under it to look for gasket leaks. When will I know Im in the clear? Or could it have caused premature wear, and is going to bite me later down the road. What should I do?
I don’t think it’s caused any significant damage per se, but the higher oil pressure due to overfill might have caused a slow oil leak around a seal somewhere in the engine bay, if you check for oil leaks and there aren’t any then you’re in the clear 👍
@@BenjisMK6Thx. I think I'm o.k. I don't drive the car hard ever, and so far after a thousand miles nothings leaking. They need to train these employees better. I shouldn't have to worry after paying a huge oil change company to do the one thing they're in business for, but I learned a good lesson. Never trust anyone's competence, and always check the level as soon as you leave their bay. Just noticed your a Benji too, haha!
I don't overfill any of my engines, but I keep them at the max level. They build up oil pressure faster and a bit reserve if they should start leaking. I do overfill my differentials by jacking the vehicle up. A differential will push any extra out of the breather. Not a lot of extra fluid, maybe an additional few percent (example my dodge truck 8 ounces higher with a standard capacity of 100 ounces). I have a Polaris sportsman 570 that has a notorious front differential issue where the bushing for the pinion gear is notorious for wearing out anywhere from 700-2000 miles. I have 6000 miles and mine is nice and tight. I do not overfill any automatic transmissions. I follow the manufacturer's instructions. Just my $.02
If you have a EA888 engine - if it’s at max on dipstick on level ground add exactly 200ml and that is where you want to run a EA888 engine (any and all years) no less and no more. When my dipstick hits max level then I know to fill with exactly 200ml to be spot on. Hope this helps anyone else with a EA888
Yeah I do the same on my EA888 Gen1 Mk6 GTI, these things chew up oil it’s crazy!! I get oil in my pcv hoses, in my intake manifold, my intercooler pipes, my rear pcv breather that routes into my intake pipe, shits crazy!!! They have so much blow by that it’s not even funny, I want to install a catch can, my first possible moment in the future. I bore scoped my valves and there’s so much shit on my valves it’s clearly due for a clean. Never experienced misfires, ever, which is a blessing but I’m gonna give the spark plugs and coil packs the flick also cos the baby girl needs them, I’ve damn near replaced everything else haha
Walmart overfilled my 2.4 VTec by a small amount. Is that cause for concern? I've been freaking out about it. It's the first time in my life I've ever taken my car to have the oil changed
I have run all my engines a quart over full. Going to help with oling the pistons and timing chains and lifters. Why you think they have oil squitters shooting oil at the pistons and rings. They never oil squitters years ago. They over baffle engines today just for a little better gas millage at the expense of the engine which you pay for after the warranty is gone.
@@arthurrodesiler3109 adding a quart isn't going to benefit you. The only way extra oil will benefit you is if you're running high RPM's and your engine is starving for oil because it's in the engine and hasn't made it's way back to the pan.
I was a auto service writer many years ago and a customer came in with a "low power" problem after getting an oil change at some "quicky lube" place. One of the tech's looked at it for maybe a 1/2 hour and could not point out anything obvious. I asked if he checked the oil level and he had, so I checked it myself. The "quicky lube" shop had never drained the old oil but added four or five quarts on top of what was already in the engine/oil pan. We did an oil change and sent him on his way to yell at the "quicky lube" people. Most automobile engines can easily hold an extra quart or two depending on the manufacturer and oil pan design. Double your called for capacity and you will have some issues for sure. My neighbors Mazda-3 says it takes something like 4.4 quarts for a typical oil & filter change. But the dipstick is obviously too short so even with five quarts in it the level is about half way in the "safe zone" on the dipstick. Some guys said they have been adding 5.5 to 6 quarts on their Mazda-3's so the oil level is at the full mark on the dipstick without any issues.
I wrote service 8 years at a Mazda dealership. Is that the car company you worked for? I noticed you mentioned a Mazda.
Thank you so much for this information and explanation! I’ve been stressing so much cuz I overfilled my car and didn’t know if it was a disaster or if the engine is fine. Thank u🙏
On my 14 mazda 6 it calls for 4.8 quarts/4.5L but putting in that exact amount puts it a little half on the dipstick. I run it like that any ways and have had no issues. Now i work as a oil lube tech and i do a lot of oil changes and have done many oil changes on many different 2.5 sky active Mazda 6's, Mazda 3's, ect. You can tell whether the car was built in japan or mexico by looking at the vin number and one thing I've noticed is the Japanese built ones like my mazda 6 the dipstick reads low with 4.8 put in. But on the Mexico factory-built ones the dipstick reads full with 4.8 put in. Ive noticed that the dipstick wont quite read full with a couple other cars to. My thought is that the dipsticks designed to read full after the oil is hot on some motors so when the oils cold it will read low but once you drive for awhile and get the oil temp up it will read on the full mark. Idk if thats true or not but its what ive experienced with my mazda anyways.
It’s probably because the oil pan made/used/built in Mexico is probably a different volume, or they’re using the same pan but different marked levels on the dipsticks. Compare the two next time you’re at work to see what you find, would be interesting to know why they’re both different
I love the american consideration of importance of feelings.. How much oil you feel is too much? Yeah, it's about the feelings from the bottom of my soul!
Thanks for the vid!
@type568 this dudes not even American. And real Americans don't give a fuck about that shit that's a small group that's preying on the younger people that are easier to persuade to get them to go out and divide the masses because everybody knows that together we're way more powerful than any other nation could dream of being. But they can only convince the dumb ones believe me they are a small minority it's just publicized because the same people doing the convincing are of the same crowd that owns the media and are currently involved in a racial clensing in a place they have been programmed to believe is theirs. They don't speak for most of us we just unfortunately have a system that has been corrupted by money and they just so happen to control the moving of that too.
On my 3rd Gen Prius, the PCV valve is horizontal on the block. Too much oil and the engine will be throating raw engine oil. Toyota says 4.4 quarts but I only fill to 4.1 quarts so as to minimize the oil that’ll pass into the PCV tube.
I've heard that oil level may increase due to accumulation of water and dilutants like unburnt fuel from short trips, and that a good long drive will sort it out because of high temperature for sufficient time. So when i saw the oil level above what I expeected and then drove 500km (planned trip, not just whimsy) it did return to normal.
So I suggest when changing oil, fill to the maximum level on the dip stick, and check from time to time. If the car is not leaking or smoking you should not see the level fall. If it rises then maybe you are doing too much short trip driving and really need to go on a trip of a few hours on a highway, then check again.
It is something worth checking for, I did a video on this a short while back th-cam.com/video/PDD816Xki3M/w-d-xo.html
@@torquecars what I forgot to say was that it was surprising how much change could be seen.
I even thought the dealer may have done it incorrectly. After the warranty was done I did the next oil change myself. It might not seem like much but it was about the content of the filter amount of change. I would think that adding 10% water and fuel mix to the sump after changing the oil according to spec' is probably a bad idea, but that is kind of what happens in short drives over time.
The other thing I didn't say is it's a PHEV and I was always trying to avoid short trip stop start running of the engine. Like using the battery (EV mode) if the trip could be completed that way and running the engine on the motorway to get up to and maintain operating temperature when I knew the battery would not be sufficient. Yet with all my best intentions, I still saw oil level over the full mark until after a real long trip.
P.S. I ran six quarts in my '76 Suburban with a 468 CID rebuilt engine in it with a measly 4 quart oil pan. I put a double oil filter kit on it and I'd check the oil level when it was hot and running and six quarts put the oil level right at the full mark.
Breathers prevent pressure build up... oil makes not difference, but blow by does.
Watching this after I overfilled my 1.8 TFSI. I checked the oil through the multimedia interface while driving the car and that gave me a wrong reading and I added a full 1L of oil after checking it like that (it was at min but no oil light on). Now I'm pissing my pants in fear that I permanently damaged the engine :(.
Oil started to appear on the head cover and I changed the timing cover and gasket thinking that was causing the oil leaks. Also oil started to appear around the head cover gasket.
I drove the car like this 350km. I will do an oil change tomorrow and check the damage (hopefully there will be none) with a mechanic.
How did it go my friend? Did you get away with it?
@@torquecars too much oil explained why oil appeared on the head cover, luckily it burned through it pretty quick (I drive it sporty) and didn’t do any damage (mechanic looked at it). Also i drove it like this more than 350 kms :))))
Over filling will not affect oil pressure. Oil pressure is controlled by oil temperature, viscosity, engine rpm, engine wear/ tolerance, pressure control valve in the pump and pump design in general. But if your engine normally hold X pressure at Y rpm. Adding a quart/Liter to the oil pan will not affect X if everything else is the same.
Oil with air incorporated will have the same viscosity ?
@@pr0n5tar i think you need to look up the definition of viscosity.
it increases engine inside pressure
@@gabrielv.4358 the oil pan is much larger to accept an extra QT. NO WORRIES
More oil increase oil temps this increasing pressure, so yes, excess oil is going to create excess oil pressure, it will in worse case scenarios blow seals and you’ll get a proper mess to have to clean
Great video. Very informative.
I filled my oil to the maximum. I want to add an oil treatment that is 250ml in volume. Is it safe or do I need to remove some of the oil first?
@@jounistactics it's ok
It does matter…. Just spent $4,000 on a 2015 Chrysler town and country, 120k mileage on it. Test drove mint, looked mint.
On the drive home… Hwy driving …. Engine starts violently shaking, check engine lights all flashing. Limped it home. Long story short…. Someone had over 10 quarts oil in it.
Vehicle experienced soo much misfire and blow by that it ended up in the spark plugs, throttle body etc.
Fastest $4,000 I’ve ever had go up in smoke!
I put about 4.75 quarts in my wifes jeep (4.5 qt), and it measures about a quarter inch over the top of the max line.
When i measured it cold after filling, it was below the max line. What gives!?
I drove it after and once after cornering it felt like it bogged down a touch, otherwise fine.
I bought a siphon kit today, but man im freaking out about this.
So the proper way to measure on the dipstick is after driving for a while. Then wait at least 10 mins after you turn off your car to check the oil? I have read that oil needs to heat up so best to check after car has been driven.
I have to say that it seems to be the correct way. And also on a flat surface
Valvoline overfilled my oil by 2 quarts, and had bubbles on dipstick. I caught it, after I thought I smelt a burning smell, but I had just parked in a parking lot of other cars who also had just parked. It had 7 quarts, and supposed to have 4.8. This was after driving almost 2000 miles. Its a 2015 Nissan Juke 4 cylinder turbo. They changed it today, making sure the level was now right. Never ran bad, no warning lights. but I haven't got under it to look for gasket leaks. When will I know Im in the clear? Or could it have caused premature wear, and is going to bite me later down the road. What should I do?
I don’t think it’s caused any significant damage per se, but the higher oil pressure due to overfill might have caused a slow oil leak around a seal somewhere in the engine bay, if you check for oil leaks and there aren’t any then you’re in the clear 👍
@@BenjisMK6Thx. I think I'm o.k. I don't drive the car hard ever, and so far after a thousand miles nothings leaking. They need to train these employees better. I shouldn't have to worry after paying a huge oil change company to do the one thing they're in business for, but I learned a good lesson. Never trust anyone's competence, and always check the level as soon as you leave their bay. Just noticed your a Benji too, haha!
I don't overfill any of my engines, but I keep them at the max level. They build up oil pressure faster and a bit reserve if they should start leaking.
I do overfill my differentials by jacking the vehicle up. A differential will push any extra out of the breather. Not a lot of extra fluid, maybe an additional few percent (example my dodge truck 8 ounces higher with a standard capacity of 100 ounces).
I have a Polaris sportsman 570 that has a notorious front differential issue where the bushing for the pinion gear is notorious for wearing out anywhere from 700-2000 miles. I have 6000 miles and mine is nice and tight.
I do not overfill any automatic transmissions. I follow the manufacturer's instructions.
Just my $.02
Interesting, thanks for sharing my friend.
fun fact, some engines need to be overfiled as at high rpm they run out of oil!
this is a design problem and should be ill3g 4L
So what is the correct way to measure the oil level? with the engine hot or cold?
Cold and off for an hour
If you have a EA888 engine - if it’s at max on dipstick on level ground add exactly 200ml and that is where you want to run a EA888 engine (any and all years) no less and no more. When my dipstick hits max level then I know to fill with exactly 200ml to be spot on. Hope this helps anyone else with a EA888
So you're basically covering MAX sign with oil, right?
Yeah I do the same on my EA888 Gen1 Mk6 GTI, these things chew up oil it’s crazy!! I get oil in my pcv hoses, in my intake manifold, my intercooler pipes, my rear pcv breather that routes into my intake pipe, shits crazy!!! They have so much blow by that it’s not even funny, I want to install a catch can, my first possible moment in the future. I bore scoped my valves and there’s so much shit on my valves it’s clearly due for a clean. Never experienced misfires, ever, which is a blessing but I’m gonna give the spark plugs and coil packs the flick also cos the baby girl needs them, I’ve damn near replaced everything else haha
Question: My engine needs 4.3 liters ,i put 4.5 yestarday when changet my engine oil. Is ok?
Its okay 👍
You will be fine
Walmart overfilled my 2.4 VTec by a small amount. Is that cause for concern? I've been freaking out about it. It's the first time in my life I've ever taken my car to have the oil changed
No don't worry, a little over seems fairly routine for garages and dealers, I guess they assume people wont top up or check.
Is it the first time you’ve taken it to a shop to get the oil changed, or the first time EVER getting the oil changed?
I'm a dipstick because I overfilled it three times.
I have run all my engines a quart over full. Going to help with oling the pistons and timing chains and lifters. Why you think they have oil squitters shooting oil at the pistons and rings. They never oil squitters years ago. They over baffle engines today just for a little better gas millage at the expense of the engine which you pay for after the warranty is gone.
@arthurrodesiler3109 too much Oil ?
Thats just costing more fuel to be used and more foam in the Oil.....not good.
This has nothing to do with "oiling the pistons". This makes no sense at all. the oil delivery will be the same at low mid or high oil levels
@@arthurrodesiler3109 adding a quart isn't going to benefit you. The only way extra oil will benefit you is if you're running high RPM's and your engine is starving for oil because it's in the engine and hasn't made it's way back to the pan.
Really informative video.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks buddy.
My car manual states the engine requires 3.5 liters of oil but i usually fill 4 liters. Is that ok?
@@LeanWilhelm if its says 3.5 then its 3.5L.. NOT 3L nor 4L, theres a saying
I put way too much oil into the car, can I drive like 10km until the service station?
If its not too much only thing that will happen is that its going to force the seals on the engine. Dont rev it hard and its ok
@@gabrielv.4358 thx, mate
Tx