The oil level light came on (something that’s never happened before), so I added a quart. Light still stayed on, so I said to myself, “Wow, this must really be low,” and added a second quart. Same result. “Wow, you’re not kidding, REALLY low.” Enter quart three. Light stays on. OK, so now I do what I should have done first: I actually checked the oil level. Not low at all. In fact, pretty high (about three quarts high, I’m now guessing.) Ok, so the problem is obviously in the sensor. Duh. Do I really have to drain out 3 quarts now? Or will this resolve itself satisfactorily if I do nothing more? (Btw, yes, I’m sure the light is for oil level, not pressure and not the “time-to-change-light”; I have all three.)
Yes. Too high of an oil level is bad, as the crankshaft will whip the oil into a foam.
and why is foam a bad thing? I’m not trying to be argumentative here, just trying to learn something
Foamy oil doesn’t act like liquid oil; the oil pump can’t pump it around the engine. Thus, inadequate lubrication > melted motor.
Foam is mostly air and air isn’t a very good lubricant, also your oil pump won’t be very effecient at pumping oil if it is mostly air.
I don’t know your car but on mine the oil light coming on means that I have no oil pressure. You might want to be very sure that you have oil pressure.
oil pressure, oil level, and oil change are all different lights on my car.
OK, I got the picture on foamy oil. Draining oil here at the residence will be a rather awkward chore, not to mention the disposal issue. Can I safely drive about five miles to the nearest Jiffy-lube joint and have a pimply-face teenager perform the dirty task? Or will foamy oil do its dirty deed in <5 mi?
If it were my engine, I wouldn’t take the risk. Oil mousse really doesn’t lubricate well, and poorly lubricated engines can reach an astonishingly high temperature in a very short time.
You can drain the oil into a container and take it to the aforesaid Jiffy-Lube, where you can present it to them to be recycled.
I’ve seen this happen before, and it can damage the engien, and I strongly recommend that you bite the bullet and drain the excess oil. It is a large risk to take not to, relative to the inconvenience.
The easiest solution: Pump out the excess oil via the dip stick tube using a hand pump.
I’ve also heard that you can blow out seals by having the oil over-filled. One of the quickest ways to remove between a pint and one quart of oil from your engine is to replace the oil filter.
“I’ve also heard that you can blow out seals by having the oil over-filled. One of the quickest ways to remove between a pint and one quart of oil from your engine is to replace the oil filter.”
How are either of these methods easier than removing the plug?
Well for the pump method, you don’t have to get under the vehicle, and the oil will go directly into the container you have the discharge hose placed in.
The oil filter will act as it’s own container, especially if it is one that is installed in a vertical position with the openings at the top.
MC$E
Well, in fairness to the questioner, I’ve never seen a pump anywhere in all my experience (JC Whitney online?) that would fit down a dipstick tube and draw oil up. And it’s been a very, very long time since I’ve seen a passenger car that did not have the oil filter mounted at a 45-80 degree angle, which inevitably spills oil all over yourself, the floor, the cat, etc.
Zenster’s correct in his note - I have actually seen the results of a rear main seal blow out from excess oil.
They’re readily available. I have one. It’s manufactured by Mityvac, and is called a “Hand-Operated Fluid Transfer Pump.” Only $20. Here are some pics:
http://www.tools-r-us.biz/ntc/b/Barrel_Hand_Pumps/Mityvac_Hand_Operate_200008074.htm
http://www.get2buynow.com/workshop/oiltransferpump.html
http://www.save2much.com/buy/search/Mityvac_Hand_Operated_Fluid_Transfer_Pump
Do you see the small, black, coiled-up hose? It connects to the pump’s larger inlet hose and is small enough to fit down a dipstick tube.
Here’s another pump made by Amsoil:
The advantages to pumping out excess oil via the dipstick tube are obvious:
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You don’t have to get under the vehicle.
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Removing the plug and trying to drain some of the oil out is messy, and trying to re-thread the plug into the pan while oil is gushing out is somewhat difficult.
Thanks, Crafter_Man. I wonder if the access via the dipstick tube is universally good - that is, that the hose would get deep enough in the oil pan to suck it dry. If so, I really may want to invest in one of those for my Mustang…the problem is I wouldn’t know until I tried once, then pulled the plug to see how much oil remained.
Una:
The small black tube is plenty long enough for just about any dipstick tube. But having said that, I would not recommend pumping the oil out via the dipstick tube for regular oil changes, since the lowest point in the oil pan is usually at the plug. So for oil changes, you’ll want to drain the oil by removing the plug.
I’ve found two good uses for the hand pump:
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When I accidentally overfill the oil or transmission fluid.
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Pumping out the transmission fluid during regular service intervals.
Let me explain #2… changing the transmission fluid & filter is usually a messy affair because most (all?) transmission pans do not have a drain plug. The fluid goes everywhere when you remove the pan. So when it comes time to change the transmission fluid & filter, I pump the fluid out through the dipstick first, and then remove the pan. No mess!
Rather than mucking around with trying to drain a couple quarts out via the oil pan, or buying a pump, hoping it fits the dipstick tube, and waiting for UPS to deliver it, it may well be most cost-effective to simply have the car towed to the oil-change shop.