The Dangers of Overfilling Your Car's Engine With Oil

If you are a car owner, you probably know the importance of checking and changing your engine oil regularly. But what if you accidentally put too much oil in your engine?

Can that cause any damage to your engine or affect its performance? The answer is: it depends.

How Much Is Too Much?

The amount of oil that your engine needs depends on its size, design, and specifications. Usually, there is a dipstick that shows the minimum and maximum levels of oil in your engine. You should always keep the oil level between these two marks, and never exceed the maximum level.

However, sometimes you may overfill your engine with oil by mistake, or because of a faulty oil pump or a leaky oil filter. How much overfilling is too much? That depends on how much space there is in your engine's oil pan and crankcase.

The oil pan is the container that holds the oil at the bottom of the engine. The crankcase is the space above the oil pan where the crankshaft and other moving parts are located. The crankshaft is the part that converts the up-and-down motion of the pistons into rotational motion that drives the wheels.

Read Also: Signs Your Car Needs an Oil Change and Oil Top-Up: Warnings and Solutions

There is usually a baffle or a shield that separates the oil pan from the crankcase and prevents the oil from splashing onto the crankshaft. The baffle also helps to maintain a constant oil pressure and flow to lubricate the engine parts.

If you overfill your engine with oil by a small amount, such as a few millimeters or so above the maximum level on the dipstick, you may not notice any problems. However, if you overfill your engine by a large amount, such as several quarts or liters, you may cause serious damage to your engine.

What Are The Risks Of Overfilling Your Engine With Oil?

There are several risks of overfilling your engine with oil, depending on how much overfilling there is and what type of engine you have. Some of the possible consequences are:

• Oil aeration: This is when air bubbles form in the oil due to excessive agitation or whipping by the crankshaft. Oil aeration reduces the lubrication and cooling properties of the oil, and can cause cavitation (a destructive effect) in places like the oil pump. Oil aeration can also affect the performance of turbochargers, which rely on oil bearings to spin at high speeds.
• Oil leakage: This is when excess oil escapes from the engine through various openings, such as seals, gaskets, valves, or vents. Oil leakage can cause oil consumption, smoke emission, fire hazard, environmental pollution, and reduced fuel efficiency.
• Oil pressure increase: This is when excess oil creates too much pressure in the engine's lubrication system, which can damage or burst pipes, hoses, filters, or sensors. Oil pressure increase can also cause oil starvation in some parts of the engine that need adequate oil flow.
• Hydrolock: This is when excess oil enters the combustion chamber through the piston rings or the crankcase ventilation system and prevents the piston from moving. Hydrolock can bend or break connecting rods, pistons, valves, or other engine components.
• Runaway diesel: This is when excess oil enters the intake manifold through the crankcase ventilation system and acts as fuel for a diesel engine. Runaway diesel can cause uncontrollable acceleration, overheating, detonation, or explosion.

Read Also: How to choose the best engine oil for your car

How To Prevent Or Fix Overfilling Your Engine With Oil?

The best way to prevent overfilling your engine with oil is to check your oil level regularly using a dipstick and follow the manufacturer's recommendations for changing your oil and filter. You should also inspect your engine for any signs of leaks or malfunctions that may cause overfilling.

If you suspect that you have overfilled your engine with oil, you should stop driving immediately and drain some of the excess oil from your engine. You can do this by using a siphon pump or by removing the drain plug from your oil pan. Be careful not to burn yourself with hot oil or spill it on the ground.

You should also check your engine for any damage or symptoms of overfilling, such as noise, smoke, vibration, loss of power, or warning lights. If you notice any of these signs, you should take your car to a professional mechanic for diagnosis and repair.

Overfilling your engine with oil can be a costly mistake that can harm your engine and affect its performance. Therefore, it is important to keep an eye on your oil level and avoid putting too much oil in your engine.

Read Also: How to tell if your car's engine oil is low or overfilled?

Don’t forget to share it