Help!! Re: Engine Oil Level

Hi All,

I changed my engine oil yesterday. In the book it say's 8L is needed to refill, after it was all drained I changed the filter then started to re-fill the engine with oil.

I put in 5L then added a measured 2L more. I started the engine and let it tick over for 10 minutes then turned the engine off and left it in the garage overnight. This morning I dipped the dip stick and it's 1/2 inch over the top mark on the dip stick. will this do any damage to the engine ie seals or anything else, or is it best to drain out some of the oil to get it back down to the marks on the dip stick.

Thanks

Grayo

The oil has drained back from the filter housing...especially if it's the TD4. Start the engine, let it run for a couple of minutes, switch off, wait a minute or so then check it again. The raeding should be about right, if it's a fraction over the full mark don't worry about it. It's when it's way above the mark that you need to drop some out-but wait until the engine is cold when you do that.

Irishrover said:

The oil has drained back from the filter housing...especially if it's the TD4. Start the engine, let it run for a couple of minutes, switch off, wait a minute or so then check it again. The raeding should be about right, if it's a fraction over the full mark don't worry about it. It's when it's way above the mark that you need to drop some out-but wait until the engine is cold when you do that.

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Yes it's the TD4. Why would it drain back from the filter housing?? I thought it needed 8L to re-fill it's only had 7L and it's over the mark on dip stick. The filter was removed before the drain plug was put back in.

Grayo, my TD4 took about 6.5 litres of oil, so I'm suspecting it may be a tad over. You may need to drop some out, better if you have a syringe to suck it out, if not it'll be a bit messy

Yes it's the TD4.

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including oil filter .. 6.8 liters
( that's for refilling after draining .. i.e. service oil change
( for filling from 'dry' .. e.g. after an engine rebuild .. add 0.4 ltr
diff. between 'max' and 'min' on dipstick .. 1 liter

In the book it say's 8L is needed to refill

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above from Haynes ..
what 'book' are you reading ???

I dipped the dip stick and it's 1/2 inch over the top mark on the dip stick. will this do any damage to the engine ie seals or anything else, or is it best to drain out some of the oil to get it back down to the marks on the dip stick.

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1/2 " is a bit much 'over' imho .. best to drain some out
overfilling will simply increase the crankcase pressure
and worse .. if too much over .. the oil will get whipped up and get 'aerated' .. not good for lubrication at all
( although with the td4 i rekon it would have to be way-over for that .. but why take chances )

I don't know which book you're using but Haynes says 6.8 litres which I can confirm from experience.

The total is 7.3 from 'dry' which is daft telling us as we will never have a 'dry' engine.

You're only 200ml over which would be the 1/2" above max on the dip-stick.

I can pretty well guarantee that if you have the engine hot and then leave it for a few minutes before checking the level - that 1/2" will have magically disappeared.

I have checked the level during a long motorway journey - found it to be somewhere between the 2 marks - poured in 1/2 litre - only to find the next morning when I checked it cold - it was 1/2" high.

Personally I would leave it alone. It's not a big error - an extra 200ml will do no damage.

You now know about it and can reduce how much you refill next time.

You're only 200ml over which would be the 1/2" above max on the dip-stick.

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diff . between min. and max. on mine is 3/4" ( 1 liter )
( or 1/2" if the indentations are ignored .. and that middle rectangle measured )
~~~~~~~
maybe dipstick specs. changed somewhere down the line ..

no diff. on level .. hot engine .. or cold ..
( although will leave it to settle for 15min if checking on a motorway trip )

Grayo said:

Hi All,

I changed my engine oil yesterday. In the book it say's 8L is needed to refill, after it was all drained I changed the filter then started to re-fill the engine with oil.

I put in 5L then added a measured 2L more. I started the engine and let it tick over for 10 minutes then turned the engine off and left it in the garage overnight. This morning I dipped the dip stick and it's 1/2 inch over the top mark on the dip stick. will this do any damage to the engine ie seals or anything else, or is it best to drain out some of the oil to get it back down to the marks on the dip stick.

Thanks

Grayo

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Drain a bit out if your'e worried about it.

Thanks for the replies lads its much appreciated. I've now drained 200mm off using the syringe and a thin copper pipe down the dip stick tube and its now on the top mark. I don't know where I got 8L from, think I was having a senior moment lol. Anyway all done now back to draining the gear box making sure I can undo the fill/level plug first.

Thanks

Grayo

Sent from my iPhone in garage.

The apprentice at my old garage over-filled a van by about an inch on the dipstick. He confessed to the error and we told him the only way to remove the excess was to keep dipping the dipstick and wiping it on a rag, removing a little oil each time. He spent his entire lunch break doing this.

He wasnt the sharpest tool in the box.

my now dead and buried next door neigbour used to fill his car by the dipstick hole until i told him he should take the cap off, so thus he did and he filled it to the brim needles to say when he checked his oil via the dipstick it came flooding out , he could never get the hang of it, at least now there is no oil around on the floor.

teddywood1 said:

my now dead and buried next door neigbour used to fill his car by the dipstick hole until i told him he should take the cap off, so thus he did and he filled it to the brim needles to say when he checked his oil via the dipstick it came flooding out , he could never get the hang of it, at least now there is no oil around on the floor.

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teddywood1 said:

my now dead and buried next door neigbour used to fill his car by the dipstick hole until i told him he should take the cap off, so thus he did and he filled it to the brim needles to say when he checked his oil via the dipstick it came flooding out , he could never get the hang of it, at least now there is no oil around on the floor.

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LOL, I'm not that bad lol, years ago I used to enjoy having a fiddle and diddle with cars when you could before they brought in all that computerized cr@p, but years of having company cars put a stop to all that so for me it's just a case of getting back into gear so to speak lol. I've got a good sized garage with a full lenth pit and most of the tools needed to do any job. All I want now is stronger pills to combat the pains of arthritis.

Anyway all the oils are changed, i found the gear box change pretty easy, just enough room to get your hand up there to undo the fill/level plug and the 500mm syringe, made all the difference, just suck it up out of the bottle and pump it back in through the fill hole.

Once again thanks for all your help it's much appreciated. Tomorrow I start on the top, air cleaner, crank case breather mod, and auxiliary belts. Wish me luck.

dave21478 said:

The apprentice at my old garage over-filled a van by about an inch on the dipstick. He confessed to the error and we told him the only way to remove the excess was to keep dipping the dipstick and wiping it on a rag, removing a little oil each time. He spent his entire lunch break doing this.

He wasnt the sharpest tool in the box.

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Haha, that's cruel, but saying that I once sent an apprentice to an ironmongery shop for a sky hook and a left handed screwdriver, he came back saying they didn't have any in stock but did I want them to order them. I then sent him to the chemist to get a packet of french lettice seeds, he was served by a young female assistant who again said they didn't have any in stock not until later in the year, haha.

Mine wasn't the sharpest either. LOL

Grayo said:

Haha, that's cruel, but saying that I once sent an apprentice to an ironmongery shop for a sky hook and a left handed screwdriver, he came back saying they didn't have any in stock but did I want them to order them. I then sent him to the chemist to get a packet of french lettice seeds, he was served by a young female assistant who again said they didn't have any in stock not until later in the year, haha.

Mine wasn't the sharpest either. LOL

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"Fork handles"