Overfilled Engine Oil Level ( Now What? )

filling-engine-oil

What if my car engine oil is 5 mm over max level on dipstick?
150,000 km. It is a Hyundai Matrix 2007, 1600 cc.


Overfilling your cars engine can and will cause damage overtime. And I am not saying overfilling the engine by a small amount of 1/2 qt(0.47 liters) or less. I mean if you overfill the engine by 1/2 qt (0.47 liters) or more.

However Your vehicle only holds 3.3 Liters of engine oil. Luckily for you for you there is a .3 liter variable. This means the engine is good with 3.3 Liters of oil plus or minus .3 liters. I think are at the top of that variable which is still OK.

So, What Happens When You Overfull The Engine Oil?

Here’s the thing. A properly filled engine uses the oil to lubricate all the internal components that rub each other. This allows the engine to perform at its best. One part of the engine is the oil pump which does just that. It pumps oil throughout the engine making sure each component has the oil it needs. The engine oil is contained in a oil pan that allows the oil to remain below the crankshaft and out of the way of rotating components. So that’s what it is supposed to do.

Now, lets say you overfilled the engine oil by 1/2 qt (0.47 liters) or more. Now that oil level is higher than normal and is now in direct contact with rotating components such as the crankshaft. You would think that this would be OK because its just getting oil splashed around. Well, what really happens is that it gets splashed and churned at such a rate that the oil creates a foamy frothy consistency. At this point the oil pump is unable to perform correctly. The oil is more difficult to pick up and distribute this foamy oil. And after time the internal components that are no longer lubricated properly begin to wear and cause damage. Overfilling the engine oil isn’t a good thing to practice.

How can I fix the oil level?

There are a couple of ways to correct having to much oil in the engine. One way is to use an automotive fluid evacuation pump. The other is to drain the oil. Draining the oil into a clean oil drain pan will allow you the ability to reuse the the oil instead of wasting it. The pump is a lot less messy and can have you fixed up in minutes. It can also be used on multiple fluids.

How to check your Oil with the Dipstick

– Use the dipstick to gauge how much oil is in the engine. The marks may be dots or just “X” marks. the bottom of the marks indicate the engine oil level is one full quart low. Adding one quart of engine oil will bring it up to the full mark.

oil-dipstick-reading

3 thoughts on “Overfilled Engine Oil Level ( Now What? )”

  1. Thank you so much for the rich info.
    I got that the 5mm on dipstick represents 300ml oil volume. And as much as the excess not more than 10% we have no problem at all, am I right?

  2. Besides, there is another issue:
    The car manual says that the oil quantity between low and full marks is 1 litre, and the 5mm is round one fifth of the distance between the low and full marks.
    Does that mean the 5mm on dipstick represents 200ml or not?
    And many thanks again for your rich and fast reply..

  3. Not sure on the exact math conversions but I think you will be fine. 200ml is still just 0.2 liter.
    With all the checking of the engine oil, did you ever notice any air bubbles or frothy looking oil on the dipstick? If not you are probably OK. But if you are still concerned and it is keeping you up at night, feel free to follow the corrective measures listed under “How can I fix the oil level?” in the above article.

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