Is my car going to die?

[jeffreyli86]

Recently, I did an oil change for my W124 E220 (1995), myself. I drained the old oil for at least 20minutes whilst I sorted out other problems. After the old oil is drained (it was still coming out REALLY SLOWLY when I decided to stop waiting), I poured in some new oil (10W-40 from the MB dealership), just over 5.5 litres and I checked the dipstick and there seems to be too much oil.

I do not want to have the trouble to drive the car up a ramp or anything again, so I just want to ask...

My oil level seems to be either perfectly on the maximum mark, or over the maximum mark but less that the red thing on top of the maximum line.

Will my engine *die* from too much oil? Is that considered as TOO much?

My experience with VW is that the engine will run fine even if the engine oil is filled over the maximum mark by an inch. Will this be ok for my W124 E220?


Thanks,
Jeff

 

[Brian WH]

Have you run the engine after filling as this will distribute the oil throughout.

If the oil is still just over the max "but under the red line" then it will be OK.

BUT NOT OVER THE RED LINE

 

[GRAV888]

When I used to have my own workshop, I got a call-out to a rather distressed woman.
She said that she had topped up her oil in her orion.
Topped up being the correct word , she had filled it up to the brim. (about 3 gallon).
I put it on the back of my recovery truck and when I got it back to the workshop, I drained it all out and refilled it to the correct level.
Removed the plugs and spun it over to get the excess out of the bores.
Cleaned the spark-plugs and it fired up.
Was a bit smokey for about an hour, but eventually calmed down.

 

[Brian WH]

I can match that story.

Many years ago a neighbour had been on a vehicle maintenance course. He decided to change the engine oil.

He came to me an hour later very distressed. He said that the oil level was over the dip-stick and he couldnt understand it. He had tried to start the car but when he dipped the clutch it went down to the floor with no pressure in it??????

OK I said, now take me through what you did???

He showed me where he had drained the oil, and whilst underneath he decided to clean and lubricate the clutch mechanism by working it back and forth by hand???

Well I said here is the problem and the solution.

Firstly you have drained the Gearbox instead of the engine, then topped up the engine. Then you have destroyed the clutch seal to the master cylinder, so the clutch isnt working.

Now go and buy some more engine oil and gearbox oil and I will bleed the clutch and hope I can save the seal, which I did, and all is now OK.

He said you won't tell my teacher in the vehicle maintenance class will you? I said No just put it down to experience mate.

 

[pammy]

we overfilled a Sierra once. The oil low light came on as we were driving home. Dipstick seemed OK so hub's dropped a litre in. Light went off so we continued on. Few miles down the road, light came on again, checked level, seemed OK - not over the level so thought something was wrong in that it was leaking. We needed to get home so dropped another litre in. The drove home in our very own mobile smoke screen machine. Turned out the light had shorted

 

[griffin5]

Surely an "inch" over the mark is a lot of oil>

 

[Will]

You did warm the engine before draining the old oil - right?

If the oil level is too high (ie, over the max mark on the dipstick), then remove as much as required to bring the level back to normal (just below the max mark)

Good Luck,

Will

 

[jeffreyli86]

What damage could it do to my engine if I leave it?

Also, I checked the dipstick again today after the car had cooled down... the level seemed ok (just under the max mark)... last time I checked (when it was over the max mark) it was when the car is warm. Would this be the cause? Or is my oil gasket gone? I don't notice any leak stains on my parking space and a leaking oil gasket cannot possibly cause oil to leak so quickly within 175miles can it?

Thanks,
Jeff

 

[Brian WH]

If you have run the engine then switched off and left it to settle for at least 10 minutes, then the level is a true reading. If that is at or just above the maximum then it will be OK. But not if it is well above the max by more than say quarter of an inch. If so it needs draining off back to max.

I assume the over the max mark comment when warm was before you had run the engine after top up???

 

[jeffreyli86]

Yep... After top up, run the engine briefly (for around 5miles) then stopped by for petrol and checked the dipstick... it was kind of over the max mark when i checked if i remembered correctly...