too much oil

[Sarge]

I resently had the oil changed and the oil indicator gauge is a WEE bit higher than usual. Can putting too much oil in hurt the car? Its been 3 weeks at least and I have not had a problem with it ....

What should I do? just leave it or have it changed again or what?

 

[enkrypt3d]

I resently had the oil changed and the oil indicator gauge is a WEE bit higher than usual. Can putting too much oil in hurt the car? Its been 3 weeks at least and I have not had a problem with it ....

What should I do? just leave it or have it changed again or what?

How much oil was put in? 5.3 quarts is how much *should* be used... If you're worried have it changed again and be sure they put in the right amount...

Also the gauge is oil pressure.... it doesn't measure how much oil is in the engine per se. You might notice the gauge move as you press the gas pedal.... this is just increased oil pressure... I'm not exactly sure what actually causes the pressure to rise and fall as you accelerate and decelerate respectively... maybe one of our resident guru's can chime in?

 

[nsxotic911]

1/4 or even 1/2 a quart is no problem. Some senior NSXr's have said having upto 1 quart over is ok so unless you put in 6.3+ qts, you should be ok.

-Paul

 

[KooLaid]

Check the dipstick first. Anyhow, how many quarts did you put in???? If you actually drained the oil, changed the filter but put in 5 quarts, you're low. If you put in 6, you put in too much. If you put in about 5.5 quarts, well obviously you're just about good.

The dash gauge is a rough estimate oil pressure gauge, not oil level gauge. So too much won't change the reading, but WAY too little will. You must of put in a heavier weight oil or it got considerably colder outside.

If I overfilled with say 6 quarts, I personally would drain the oil filter to get rid of about that 1/2 quart over.

The sure fire way to do it is to fill your NEW oil filter with fresh oil from a new quart. Cap the quart, and put it away somewhere. Obviously install the filter. Then fill up the engine 5 new quarts of oil. You should be close to 5.3 quarts. Then check the dipstick after running a little bit and top off with that 1st open bottle. It's better to fill your new filter anyways, gets oil circulated a little bit quicker at dry start.

I'm not exactly sure what actually causes the pressure to rise and fall as you accelerate and decelerate respectively...

Engine RPM. Just like how the alternator will crank out more power at higher RPMs and flow rate of the water pump increases with engine RPM. Watch the oil pressure gauge sometime when VTEC engages. You should see a slight dip in pressure when it does.

 

[Big_D]

Yes, you should check the level with the dipstick. If it shows more than a half a quart higher, then I would get one of those drill operated pumps and take some out through the dipstick tube.

 

[enkrypt3d]

Engine RPM. Just like how the alternator will crank out more power at higher RPMs and flow rate of the water pump increases with engine RPM. Watch the oil pressure gauge sometime when VTEC engages. You should see a slight dip in pressure when it does.

Haha I think I have only seen that once because by the time I'm in VTEC, I like to keep my eyes on the road :tongue:

 

[KooLaid]

Haha I think I have only seen that once because by the time I'm in VTEC, I like to keep my eyes on the road :tongue:

LoL, just rev it up slower and more gradually. Down to the floor or a gradual press downward will get the RPMs up to where it wants to be, just the rate of change will be slower :biggrin:

 

[PhiAlpha44]

I had some work done over the winter last year at Source1NSX's shop. His mechanic is very good / knowledgeable at what he does. Ex Honda tech. Actually went to school to work on our cars. I checked my oil when I got my car back and the oil was over the line. I called the shop and asked him what was up. He over filled the oil by .5 quart. He told me that it's no problem and all and they (honda mechanics) have been doing it for years.

Now that I know that I'm always going to put an extra .5 quart in.

 

[Big_D]

I had some work done over the winter last year at Source1NSX's shop. His mechanic is very good / knowledgeable at what he does. Ex Honda tech. Actually went to school to work on our cars. I checked my oil when I got my car back and the oil was over the line. I called the shop and asked him what was up. He over filled the oil by .5 quart. He told me that it's no problem and all and they (honda mechanics) have been doing it for years.

Now that I know that I'm always going to put an extra .5 quart in.

I wouldn't be happy if I got my car back with the oil reading above the fill line...I don't care what the tech says, to me it just means they overfill so they don't have to recheck it.

 

[mystican]

overfilling can lead to "frothing" and decrease in HP because increase in crank "windage" and etc...just be careful...a little bit is not bad...might actually help if you are tracking your car...

 

[PhiAlpha44]

I wouldn't be happy if I got my car back with the oil reading above the fill line...I don't care what the tech says, to me it just means they overfill so they don't have to recheck it.

Uhhhh.... I doubt that the guy that just installed my

• Coil Overs
• Big Brake Kit
• 6 speed transmission
• clutch
• flywheel
• stereo system
• trunk struts
• hatch struts
• Comptech Supercharger

Is going to be too lazy to check the dip stick again.

 

[CL65 Captain]

Uhhhh.... I doubt that the guy that just installed my

• Coil Overs
• Big Brake Kit
• 6 speed transmission
• clutch
• flywheel
• stereo system
• trunk struts
• hatch struts
• Comptech Supercharger

Is going to be too lazy to check the dip stick again.

You mean the same guy who forgot to bleed my brakes after doing the timing belt and reconnecting the brake lines. They were so bad that I had to go straight home and bleed them. :wink:

BTW: A little extra isn't a big deal. However, I wouldn't do it on a regular basis. There is a reason why Honda has a low and full mark. Too much oil can lead to the oil cavitating and foam causing pickup problems. How much is too much? Don't want to find out.

"A word of caution: Be careful not to overfill your car's crankcase with oil. If you put in too much oil, the engine's crankshaft can actually come in contact with the oil. And because the crankshaft is turning at several thousand revolutions per minute, it can quickly whip your oil into a froth — like the steamed milk that sits on the top of a cappuccino. Why is that bad? Well, the oil pump can't pump froth very well, and as a result, it can't get oil to the parts of the engine that need lubrication. The result ... a hefty boat payment to your mechanic."

 

[Big_D]

I wasn't trying to disrespect anyone here. I just know that with mechanics, time is money and anything they can do to save time means more money in their pocket. And yes they do forget things, especially if they have a lot of interruptions. Hopefully he has someone else answering the phone.:wink:

 

[cybernsx]

who you callin' 'dip stick'?!!! :wink:

 

[goldNSX]

If the oil foams shouldn't you see that by a drop of psi on the oil gauge?

 

[Gansan]

If the oil foams shouldn't you see that by a drop of psi on the oil gauge?

Yes, the gauge will drop during sustained high rpm. I have experimented with oil level and its effect on an alarming oil pressure drop I noticed during long straights at the track. 1/2 quart over the full mark definitely produces a pressure drop while filling to the full mark exactly (with engine off) does not. I would keep it at the full mark.

 

[RON98]

a little extra wont hurt.

check via dipstick.

 

[docjohn]

just wanted to add a data point to this discussion.I recently had my fluids changed at my usual place,same mechanic for years.Decided two days before my two track days at watkins glen I'd check my oil level.Well way above the top hole Larry B was at the track and confirmed probably a quart too much After searching the paddock for anyone with a oil sucker outa dipstick hole rig( no go),and with the painful thought of draining the oil and replacing,I decided to run anyway.Well after 200 hard track miles,no issues,no cels,no hickups.

 

[goldNSX]

and with the painful thought of draining the oil and replacing

Actually no need to drain all the oil. I've overfilled once by accident and just opened the drain plug very shortly until about a quart or more came out and then torqued it again. It needs a little bit more torque on the washer to stay dry but it worked.

 

[Big_D]

I just wanted to add this story to this thread.

In '05 I purchased an '03 Camry for my wife and after about a week I decided to check the oil and to my surprise there was waaaaaayyyy to much oil in it. Apparently the tech added new oil and never drained out what was in there. I sucked a gallon out with a drill motor pump before it read properly. My wife must have driven a few hundred miles with 8 quarts of oil in a 4 quart system...I was pissed. So far no problems with the car after 40K miles and 4 years.

With my NSX, I am much more anal and I check the oil after every fill up.

 

[21acres]

I thought I would share an interesting story along these lines. I was once changing my oil (in another car) and was waiting for the oil to quit draining. It was just down to a drip every 10 seconds and I was about to fish the drain plug out of the pan to clean it and put it back in when the phone rang. Since I had already pulled the drain pan out from under the car and I didn't want an oil spot on the floor I reached for the nearest thing, which was an old empty coffee cup and put it under the drip.

One distraction lead to another and it wasn't until the following morning that I remembered I still needed to put the plug back in and fill the car with oil. When I pulled the cup out I was quite surprised to find it over half full. I have since always let oil drain overnight.

Also after getting a new car and changing the oil this way, I then measure the correct amount and fill the car. I drive it a bit to let it warm up and then park it for the night. The next morning I pull the dipstick and note the level. I then wipe it clean, put it back in and pull it again and note the level. This is now my "full" standard to go by. I have usually noted that the initial pull is a bit higher than after the wiping and pulling and have attributed this to "creep". On one car it was nearly a 1/2" difference.

I have found this to be the only consistent way to measure oil level. If I do it at fillup there may be a slight angle to the car in one direction, also the oil may drain back at different rates depending on various temps and such. On a 308 Ferrari the mark on the dipstick was a moving target so to speak, it was marked based on the car being shutoff and pulling the dipstick 10 seconds later while some of the oil was still in the process of draining (I think it held 8 or 10 quarts, same bad memory that left the cup under the other car overnight) If you checked it cold in the morning it would be nearly 2" above the full mark. Imagine the surprise the first time you did that without knowing. YMMV.

 

[ZX4NSX]

I had my oil changed at a recommended, reputable shop in Dec. Since I don't drive it a lot, I didn't check the oil level until recently and was surprised the level looked significantly above the max line. I have read that some say a little over the max isn't anything to worry about. Based on my dipstick marking, do you guys think this is something to worry about, and should I try to remove the excess oil before my next change in a couple of months? Thanks

 

[drew]

You are fine. That is maybe half a quart/liter above full...meh.