Is adding too much oil bad?

[jam224]

Hey everyone,

You all have been so helpful to me in the past. Just one quick question...

I have a 97 DeVille that has an oil leak from the rear main seal. I don't have the money to fix it at this time, and with 110,000 miles on the car, I'm not sure if it would be worth it. So I have decided to drive the car until it dies, but I'm going to try to make it last as long as possible w/out spending a lot of money.

I have been adding oil-about 1 quart every 800 miles to make up for the leak. The dipstick (so cleverly made of brown plastic at the end) is very hard to read. So, I tend to add more oil if I am not sure of the level. If I overfill by a quart or so, is that really bad for the car? If it just means that it burns a little more, I get that smell anyway so that doesn't bother me.

I shouldn't let it get to the point when the "check oil level" light comes on, should I?

Thanks so much,
Jim

[Pimpin_Whity]

i'm not totally sure but it's not good to have too much oil in the car, it builds up pressure in the engine and that's not good. and i just hate that brown oil meter, i wonder who came up with that. while it's bad to have too much oil, it's also bad to have too little. let's just say that your engine is not going to last too long if there's no oil but i'f there's a little more then needed it wont hurt it that much.

[ljklaiber]

Do not over fill...When the crankshaft counterweights contact the oil, it aerates and pressurizes the whole engine....Total loss system. A mess!

Drain it hot..put 1/2 qt in new filter and install. Then, add to engine the 1/2 Qt left, and add 6 more. Drive on!

ljk

[JimD]

Originally Posted by jam224

Hey everyone,

You all have been so helpful to me in the past. Just one quick question...

material deleted

I shouldn't let it get to the point when the "check oil level" light comes on, should I?

Thanks so much,
Jim

I use the "CHECK OIL LEVEL" message as my primary oil level indicator and I rarely even open the hood until I see that message. Have been operating this way for over 100,000 miles.

[jam224]

Thanks everyone.

JimD, how often do you get the "check oil level" message?

Also, does anyone know how low the level must go before that message pops up?

Thanks again,
Jim

[JimD]

Originally Posted by jam224

Thanks everyone.

JimD, how often do you get the "check oil level" message?

Also, does anyone know how low the level must go before that message pops up?

Thanks again,
Jim

Depends on how hard I drive the car (I try to reduce carbon buildup with regular WOT 2nd gear Interstate on-ramp merges). Guessing here but in the range of 1,000 to 1,200 miles.

I read here and other places that the message 'should' appear at 2 qts. low which still leaves 5 qts. in the pan. There will be a slight variation with cold oil vs. hot oil volume.

[BeelzeBob]

Originally Posted by jam224

Thanks everyone.

JimD, how often do you get the "check oil level" message?

Also, does anyone know how low the level must go before that message pops up?

Thanks again,
Jim

Just drive it until the "check oil level" warning comes on. It should come on about 2 to 2.5 quarts low. With 7 quarts in the sump that is plenty....!!!! Unless you are doing track work on a race track the system is perfectly happy when the add oil light comes on...even well below that, actually. Even on the race track the engine will not be damaged running it until the add oil light comes on....it will just start to pick up some air and get air in the lifters...which makes them tick and get noisy. But nothing will be damaged.

You will probably find that the oil consumption will be less and less if you run it a little lower on oil.....just use the add oil message as your warning and only put in 2 quarts.....don't over fill.