We all know that having an insufficient amount of oil in your car and working it under such a condition is not advised. But did you know that this is applicable the other way too?
Yes, having excess oil in your car is also not advised. This can also cause disastrous effects on your car which can cost you a lot to repair. This is why it is important to identify certain overfill engine oil symptoms at the first sign itself and do the necessary to fix it immediately.
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What’s The Right Amount Of Oil To Fill In Your Car?
We will be discussing the different overfill engine oil symptoms. But you should be wondering now what the right amount of oil is for your car to run smoothly. So let’s clear that doubt first.
The exact amount of oil your car can handle will vary according to the engine type of your car and its size. Generally, 1.3 gallons of oil is required by a four-cylinder engine, 1.5 gallons of oil by a six-cylinder engine and 2 gallons of oil by an eight-cylinder engine.
Exceeding this above-mentioned amount of oil by a few millimetres won’t be a problem but exceeding the fuel line more than a few times by a few inches can bring significant damage to your different car parts.
What Are The Different Overfill Engine Oil Symptoms?
The symptoms of oil overfill in most cases only surface a few days after the oil change. So do not stop looking for overfill engine oil symptoms because your car was doing fine after a couple of days of an excessive oil change.
Here are some of the most common overfill engine oil symptoms
1. Bad Engine Performance
When there is more than needed oil in your engine, it will transform into a frothy foam. This can’t provide your engine’s moving parts with sufficient lubrication.
In such a situation your car can show the symptoms like your engine making more noise than usual, difficulty while accelerating, engine misfiring and stalling, engine not starting and car overheating. However, your car can show these symptoms because of other reasons too. But if it shows such symptoms, it is best to take it to a mechanic as soon as possible.
2. Smells Like Burning Oil
It’s advised to check the car’s oil level if you sense a stench of smoke or burning oil in the engine compartment or the rear part of the exhaust pipe.
The appearance of blue smoke coming out from the car’s engine is also an indication of engine overfill. This happens because the oil burns when it comes in contact with hot car parts producing a blue smell. Such issues can cause further damage to the vehicle so driving your car when you notice these symptoms should be avoided.
3. Oil Leaks
An oil leak is a common symptom of your engine having too much oil. It can leak when you are car is not moving or while moving. It is better to avoid driving your car at all when the oil is leaking.
When you notice that your car is leaking, check its oil level immediately.
Consequences Of Overfilling Your Car’s Engine With Oil
You have to face several consequences if you neglect the several overfill engine oil symptoms and continue using your car. Fixing the damages caused by these consequences may be impossible so it is better to act as soon as you notice the symptoms.
You will face any one or more of these consequences as a result of overfilling your engine.
1. Engine Damage Or Failure
This is the worst consequence you will have to face as a result of overfilling your engine and neglecting the symptoms. The oil that turned into foam will cause damage to several car parts causing your engine to fail eventually.
In addition to this, the oil that turns into foam will have the presence of air in it which can bend the rods and pipes leading them to even collapse.
2. Greasy Spark Plugs
One of the symptoms of engine overfill is an oil leak. If you ignore this symptom, continuous oil leaks can cause damage to the spark plugs. When your spark plug is faulty, your car will have higher fuel consumption and the engine will have difficulty accelerating properly.
3. Clogged Catalytic Converter
The function of a catalytic converter is to reduce the toxicity of exhaust gases before letting them out. However, when oil is repeatedly overfilled, it reaches the converter and burns, clogging the converter.
This is undesirable as it can lead to engine malfunctioning. This part of the engine is harder to replace and will cost you a lot to do so.
How To Solve The Oil Overfill Issue?
The issue won’t be much of a problem and can be fixed quickly if you notice the symptoms and take action immediately. However, it is advised to only fix the issue on your own if you are completely aware of what you must do.
Here are some of the methods you or your mechanic can do to fix the oil overfill issue.
1. Use an oil extract pump to remove the excess oil
You can use this technique if you know very well what you must do and how much oil you should keep in your engine.
For this method, you need an oil extract pump, a container to drain the excess oil to and an old towel. It is advised to wear gloves while doing this method. Make sure your car’s engine is cold and then open the car’s hood. Then place the towel to avoid staining the surface.
Set up the oil extractor pump ( you can get help from the user manual) and connect it to a power source. Switch on the pump and initiate the process. Avoid spillage of oil and monitor the container to know how much oil you have removed.
Do not remove more oil than the recommended level, so check the oil using a dipstick from time to time. Once it reaches the recommended level, switch off the pump and your car must work normally unless other car parts have already been affected.
2. Manually drain the oil
This method is very complicated and is not much recommended. You will have to get under the car to do this so you can reach the oil plug. For this technique, you will need a car jack, car jack stands, a wrench that matches the oil plug of your car and a container.
It’s advised to wear gloves and also glasses for your protection. Jack up your car and secure its position with Jack stands and place the container beneath the oil plug. Now loosen the oil plug using the wrench to allow oil to flow out through it. Be careful not to remove the oil plug completely.
Observe the amount of oil filling the container and tighten the plug when a sufficient amount has been removed. You can use a dipstick to know if the oil is below or above the recommended line and can act accordingly.
You have to know that both these methods only work effectively for your car if you noticed the oil overfill symptoms early and took action immediately. Otherwise, there may already be damage to your car and its different parts. So it’s better to get your car checked by a mechanic either after or before removing excess oil from your car.
Frequently Asked Questions:
So, here are some of the frequently asked questions about what likely to happens if you overfill engine oil, Is it dangerous to drive with too much oil? Etc-
What Likely To Happens If You Overfill Engine Oil?
Is It Dangerous To Drive With Too Much Oil?
Will Excess Oil Burn Off?
How Much Oil Is Too Much On The Dipstick?
Will An Extra Quart Of Oil Hurt My Engine?
Conclusion
Excess oil in your car can cause several consequences leading to the damage to your car or car parts. Excess oil is just as bad as not enough oil. So you must know how much is the perfect amount of oil required by your car and fill it accordingly. Prevention is always better than cure!
