SL R129 overfilled engine oil

[RichardF]

1994 M104 I've managed to overfill my engine oil M104 engine by about 1/2 ltr (early 104 engines were 7.5 ltrs I'm guessing this was a later 7ltr capacity)

Should I drain 1/2ltr out? or just let it burn off naturally? I've a long trip to do on Friday

 

[Mercland]

M104's dont like to be anything much over 3/4 on dipstick.. I would drain some out.

 

[RichardF]

Thanks, I'll drain some out.

 

[MancMike]

Drain some out. Overfilling is bad news for most engines. I don't know about yours specifically but it can cause "windage" where the eccentric shape of the crank shaft repeatedly smashes into the oil and beats air into it quicker than the air can settle out. Also it'll put stress on oil seals and gaskets as the crankcase pressure will increase.

Newer engines ingest their own blowby gas by redirecting it into the air intake, so oil overfills can cough oil into the intake which can foul the MAF and ultimately end up in the cylinders, then onto the cat which can damage it, it'll be smokey anyway, but doubt that'd be the case on an engine of it's age, or one with a catch can.

 

[MOR8A]

Could always get it sucked out throught the dipstick pipe, less ballache than trying to put the plug back in after the half litre has come out.

 

[optimusprime]

I use a syringe and small bore tube on the end , pop it in to the dip stick hole , and suck it out ,as post said above the other way it will run down your arm and all over the place if you drop the plug. My friend had to purchase a new engine ,clutch and radiator , for his ford after putting a gallon in plus 25% extra..Only because it was 25% extra free on a gallon tin of oil at the time. And he never looked ,as he said he allways put the whole gallon in to the engine ,only this time he had 1/4 of a gallon extra ..I run mine 3/4 on the dip stick.

 

[RichardF]

I have no tube long or thin enough. It's an oily arm time.

 

[190]

Definitely drain out the excess.

I Always run my oil below the full mark on the dipstick on any vehicle. More air space in the sump gives the engine breather an easier time and can reduce oil consumption.

At least I still have a dipstick unlike some modern engines.

 

[Howard]

Pop down to your local garden centre tomorrow and buy some fish tank airline tubing.

 

[kid-jensen]

There's oil/petrol-safe hand pumps on ebay for about a tenner. Very useful for loads of jobs around the car, especially if you fill up with the wrong type of fuel (guess how I know?)

Just connect up some smaller diameter tube and suck it out of the dipstick tube into a can.

 

[davidsw]

B&Q sell tubing of various diameters , by the metre .

 

[RichardF]

A friend had an electric jobbie which worked just fine.

 

[190]

I did my last oil change with a vacuum extractor. Made the job quicker and cleaner.

 

[rorf]

Or dump all the oil into a clean container, then pour it back in. I did that when I cracked my sump on the jack just after putting new expensive Mobil 1 in:bannana: