# Car with too much oil - What happens? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 23, 2004, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-with-too-much-oil-what-happens/281263 "2004-12-23T02:05:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Kel\_Varnsen\_Latex\_Division](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@Kel\_Varnsen\_Latex\_Division](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kel_Varnsen_Latex_Division)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-with-too-much-oil-what-happens/281263/1 "2004-12-23T02:05:20Z")
I know bad stuff happens if a car is driven without enough oil, but what happens if it has too much oil? ---
**Author:** ![Theologue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c0e974/32.png) [@Theologue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Theologue)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-with-too-much-oil-what-happens/281263/2 "2004-12-23T02:12:33Z")
IANA mechanic, but if I call correctly, this is what destroyed the engine in my parents’ car. We were going cross-country for my brother’s wedding. The car had lots of problems; by the time we got there, the engine was about destroyed. On our way back, it gave out. The mechanic showed us the metal shavings from the engine block floating in the oil. He said it was from too much oil. It cost them about $3,000 to fix. And a happy time was NOT had by all… Hopefully some more knowledgeable Dopers will stop by, but be careful if your car is like this now. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-with-too-much-oil-what-happens/281263/3 "2004-12-23T02:13:31Z")
If the oil level is high enough, the crankshaft can whip the oil into a froth, which makes it difficult for the pump to distribute oil through the engine block. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-with-too-much-oil-what-happens/281263/4 "2004-12-23T02:13:33Z")
In a typical auto engine, too much oil in the pan can result in it being in contact with the spinning crankshaft. If that happens, the oil can become foamy and, ultimately, become unpumpable by the oil pump. Also, I can’t imagine the extra drag on the crank does anything good. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-with-too-much-oil-what-happens/281263/5 "2004-12-23T02:15:06Z")
Couldn’t you blow some seals as well? ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-with-too-much-oil-what-happens/281263/6 "2004-12-23T02:17:25Z")
Man I need to get my mind out of the gutter I read that as blow (as in blowjob) some seals (as in the animal). I hope I wasn’t the only one ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-with-too-much-oil-what-happens/281263/7 "2004-12-23T02:20:46Z")
> [@treis](#): > > Man I need to get my mind out of the gutter I read that as blow (as in blowjob) some seals (as in the animal). I hope I wasn’t the only one No, you were the only one, you deve. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-with-too-much-oil-what-happens/281263/8 "2004-12-23T02:21:55Z")
:hangs head in shame: whats a deve? ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-with-too-much-oil-what-happens/281263/9 "2004-12-23T02:23:52Z")
A deviant. The sort of person who thinks about fellating pinnipeds. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-with-too-much-oil-what-happens/281263/10 "2004-12-23T02:29:56Z")
> [@treis](#): > > Man I need to get my mind out of the gutter I read that as blow (as in blowjob) some seals (as in the animal). I hope I wasn’t the only one Geez, you people sicken and amuse me. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Kel\_Varnsen\_Latex\_Division](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/aeb1de/32.png) [@Kel\_Varnsen\_Latex\_Division](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kel_Varnsen_Latex_Division)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-with-too-much-oil-what-happens/281263/11 "2004-12-23T02:34:56Z")
IS it better for a car to have a little too much oil or a little too little oil? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-with-too-much-oil-what-happens/281263/12 "2004-12-23T02:44:14Z")
> [@Kel Varnsen - Latex Division](#): > > IS it better for a car to have a little too much oil or a little too little oil? IANAM, but a _little_ more shouldn’t hurt. ---
**Author:** ![Guy\_Incognito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guy_incognito/32/3920_2.png) [@Guy\_Incognito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guy_Incognito)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-with-too-much-oil-what-happens/281263/13 "2004-12-23T02:45:03Z")
Wouldn’t you also see stuff happening like oil saturating the air filter? This would be on older cars with “O”-shaped air filters mounted on the top of the engine block. Seems pretty easy to remedy if you’ve found the problem in time. Pull the drain plug and let some of it drain out into a pan, or siphon some out through the dipstick hole. ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-with-too-much-oil-what-happens/281263/14 "2004-12-23T02:49:44Z")
It depends on how much too much oil is added and how long it stays there. One quart over probably won’t do any damage. (depends on the engine) Double fill that sucker, and it will smoke like hell from the excess going through the crankcase vent system. (ask me how I know this) Fill it to the top, and it is offical you are dumber than a bag of hair. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![4thMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/ac8455/32.png) [@4thMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/4thMonkey)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-with-too-much-oil-what-happens/281263/15 "2004-12-23T03:10:35Z")
> [@treis](#): > > Man I need to get my mind out of the gutter I read that as blow (as in blowjob) some seals (as in the animal). I hope I wasn’t the only one I also thought of this interpretation as well, mainly because a friend told me this joke years ago and it reminds me of Gary Larson’s Far Side comics. [hijack] A penguin was driving through Arizona on a hot, summer Sunday when he noticed his oil light was on. He got out of the car and, sure enough, it was leaking oil all over the road. The penguin drove around the corner to a service station and asked the mechanic to take a look at it. The mechanic said he had a few others to look at first but if he came back in an hour he could tell the penguin what was wrong with his car. The penguin agreed and went for a walk. He found an ice-cream shop and thought a big bowl of vanilla ice cream would really hit the spot, since he was a penguin and it was Arizona in the summer, after all. He sat down at the counter and started in on his ice cream. Of course he had no hands so it was rather messy. By the time he was done he had ice cream all over his flippers, and his mouth was a total mess. He walked back to the service station and said to the mechanic, “Did you find out what is wrong with my car?” The mechanic replied, “It looks like you’ve blown a seal.” “No no,” said the penguin. “It’s just ice cream.” From [From this site](http://www.jokesinthemail.com/animal-jokes/penguin.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Rick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9f8e36/32.png) [@Rick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-with-too-much-oil-what-happens/281263/16 "2004-12-23T04:17:39Z")
Ladies and Gentlemen [Mr. Kip Adotta](http://www.kipaddotta.com/kips-cds.html) > [@](#): > > “The Comedian of the United States” > Songs and Stand-up, Includes Wet Dream!. > > Yes, this is and has been the No. 1 novelty CD in the world. Why? Because this is the CD that contains Kip’s hit “Wet Dream”, “The Fish Song” that people can’t seem to get enough of. This the joke put to music ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 12:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-with-too-much-oil-what-happens/281263/17 "2004-12-23T12:25:58Z")
> [@Guy Incognito](#): > > Wouldn’t you also see stuff happening like oil saturating the air filter? This would be on older cars with “O”-shaped air filters mounted on the top of the engine block. Yes this can happen, and it happens all the time on my motorcycle. I put in about what it says I need, then after I start the engine I’m guessing that some oil is pooled and it throws oil into the air filter. It can get quite messy in there. You’d think I would have learned after all the times I’ve done an oil change. ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-with-too-much-oil-what-happens/281263/18 "2004-12-23T14:11:28Z")
:: growing faint. Paroxisms of laughter…blown seals… GUFFAW:: ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-with-too-much-oil-what-happens/281263/19 "2004-12-23T23:08:22Z")
> [@Rick](#): > > Ladies and Gentlemen [Mr. Kip Adotta](http://www.kipaddotta.com/kips-cds.html) You gotta give the reference for the folks too lazy to follow the link: “I was driving in downtown Atlantis. My Barracudda was in the shop, so I was in a rented Stingray – and it was overheating. So I pulled into a Shell station. They said I’d blown a seal. I said, ‘Fix the damn thing, and leave my private life out of it.’” ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2004, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-with-too-much-oil-what-happens/281263/20 "2004-12-23T23:12:22Z")
So how much is too much, as shown by the dipstick? 10 percent over the fill line? 50 percent? And how much is too low, for that matter? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/car-with-too-much-oil-what-happens/281263.md?page=2)