My car's check engine light came on. I checked the oil and it was within the normal limits, but it was below full.
So i put two more quarts in. Now it should be well above full. the check engine light went off.
So - is there a downside to overfilling your oil??
2006-06-19 07:37:19 · 11 answers · asked by BigD 6 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Don't overfill your engine with oil. Have that check engine light checked out. The trouble code will stay in the computer memory.
2006-06-19 07:59:00 · answer #1 · answered by Answer King 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Adding two more quarts when your oil was within the normal level sounds very excessive, I am surprised you are not saying something like: "Now my car is smoking".
Your check engine light could be something totally different, maybe it could have been a loose oil cap.
My best advice to you and anyone not sure how much oil to add when your car is low on oil is to put your car on level surface and check the oil dip stick level, if its low just add the amount that the dip stick asks for.
2006-06-19 09:01:47 · answer #2 · answered by Dario 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The down side is blown seals. Incidentally, blown seals are a bad think.
Your check engine lite covers a number of parameters. Oil is only one of them. Adding oil and the light going out could be coincidental.
BTW, how long has it been since your last oil change? That, in my experience, is a common reason for the light to come on.
2006-06-19 07:45:45 · answer #3 · answered by gimpalomg 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Couple of issues come to mind, depending on how much over you fill it:
- The excess will end up going out the PCV value and get burned
- If the crankcase is full enough, the oil could interfere with the down stoke of the piston. In some cases this could case damage
2006-06-19 07:42:12 · answer #4 · answered by davidmi711 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When you overfill the crankcase by a quart or more, then you risk "foaming" the oil. If the oil level gets high enough, the spinning crankshaft can whip the oil up into a froth, and the oil pump can't pump froth.
2006-06-19 07:46:10 · answer #5 · answered by MOM KNOWS EVERYTHING 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
YES!!! Too much oil in your car can cause your tappets or "lifters" to "hydraulic". This will make your car burn oil and is not good. At most the only "extra" oil should not exceed 1/2 of a quart AT MOST.
2006-06-19 07:44:58 · answer #6 · answered by PHILLIP G 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depending on what car you have, the CHECK ENGINE light may be referring to the catalytic converter operating outside of spec.
Yeah, i know that is stupid. It seems tome that the CHECK ENGINE light has been used to signal everything EXCEPT that the gas tank is empty.
2006-06-19 07:44:10 · answer #7 · answered by nickipettis 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
never ever put more then the full amount of engine oil in. too much oil will cause excessive oil pumpig and slow down ur engine.
2006-06-19 07:39:16 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, it will just push it out, sometimes through the filter or the filler area and even the dipstick tube. You will have it all over your driveway etc. The quantity needed between normal and full is about one pint or even less..................
2006-06-19 07:48:38 · answer #9 · answered by thomasrobinsonantonio 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes you can cause carbon to build up on the spark plug
2006-06-19 07:40:52 · answer #10 · answered by chrome_rider 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋