Urgent Question!

[onslow]

I have just had my seat alhambra tdi serviced checked oil when i got home found out that it above the max mark on dip stick,will this be ok as sposed to be doin long journey tonight??

[mumof4]

How far up the dipstick is it and was the engine cold wen you checked it?

[onslow]

its about just under an inch past the max mark,know it was hot when i checked it?

[mumof4]

let the engine cool before you check it again.when hot the oil thins and goes runny.Let the engine cool.Then it will give you an accurate reading.

[onslow]

let the engine cool before you check it again.when hot the oil thins and goes runny.Let the engine cool.Then it will give you an accurate reading.

 

Ok but if it is still over max mark will this be ok?or will it harm the engine?

[mumof4]

a little bit wont hurt it..but a lot will.....too much oil and the engine could seize IIRC(i may be wrong on that point)...let it cool..then check.When i have checked mine hot it is way over the mark..when cool it is correct.

 

All you can do is check it when it is cool..the longer you can leave it the better i believe

[Shabazmo]

When I used to take my Galaxy to a Ford dealer it always came back overfilled by about 20mm. An inch is about a litre and too high for my liking. I doubt it will do any damage in te short term, but you should point it out to the dealer and ask them to drain some of it. Just don't drive with high revs.

 

Shabaz

[familyman]

:( An inch over the mark is a tad much ,i know a certain ammount of leeway is built into the dipstick markings ,but i would take it back to garage and get them to rectify it,just to be on the safe side

[mumof4]

The engine was hot when he took the reading so it will be over the mark....it has to be cool to get the correct reading.

He has said that he is travelling this eve aswell.If he can let it cool then take the reading..then it will be lower..in theory anyway.

[Guest HairyPlateEater]

Needs to be sorted asap - damage to catalytic convert will follow if it's overfilled. Should be 4.5 litres put in (or thereabouts) from an emptied engine IIRC.

 

If the engine is hot then the oil won't have drained back into the sump completely yet? so by the time it has cooled, the level will be higher? Could be wrong ... it's happened before lol

[mumof4]

you are wtrong i believe..as the oil cools it all goes back down into the sump and settles..when hot it getd splashed all around and thins..it is higher when hot..lower when cold

[Vanbursta]

quote from the owners manual "under no circumstances fill the engine oil above the MAX mark, this will lead to damage to the catalytic converter and is NOT covered by warranty"

 

It also says so on the oil filler cap. Get the excess drained out without delay or you could face a BIG bill, best is mid way between the empty and full mark on the dipstick.

[Guest MATT jr]

i thought the oil expanded with heat - giving a false,, higher reading.

 

if its over when cool,,, find a thin tube, and syphon some out, via the dipstick tube.

 

MJR

[mumof4]

quote from the owners manual "under no circumstances fill the engine oil above the MAX mark, this will lead to damage to the catalytic converter and is NOT covered by warranty"

 

It also says so on the oil filler cap. Get the excess drained out without delay or you could face a BIG bill, best is mid way between the empty and full mark on the dipstick.

 

 

He took the reading whilst the engine was hot..this will give a false reading..

[seatkid]

Hairy is right, although oil will expand when heated giving a larger volume, it will be , to use MO4's delightful turn of phrase, "splashed all around" and located all over the engine....in the head, in galleries etc. By the time it drains back into the sump it will have cooled quite a lot. So it is usual to see a slightly higher dipstick level when the engine has been stood a long time.

 

Best advice is, make sure the engine has been stood for at least ten minutes and the vehicle is parked on the level before you check the dipstick. Always remember to wipe the dipstick and take a fresh reading. As its a diesel, I would only be worried if the level was more than 10mm above the max mark. The main danger is that oil will be forced out the exhaust, possibly damaging the CAT (not that important on a diesel you might argue) and more annoyingly make a mess in the EGR valve back into the intake, possibly caking up the turbo and blocking the intercooler. In severe cases of overfilling (probably 40mm+ over max), it can also put a large load on crankshaft/piston components causing something to break eventually.

 

BTW Best is exactly at the MAX mark not halfway between Min and Max....

[Vanbursta]

I was just quoting from the owners guide, it says mid way between MIN and MAX. I have kept all my other cars dead on max. After a long run it takes ages for the oil to settle in the Galaxy, no idea why I guess it's the engine design, that's perhaps why the owners manual says between each mark.

 

I had a friend once who was an apprentice mechanic, he was left to do an oil change and was told to refill it with new oil which he duly did, it was not for some hours afterwards that it was discovered the reason the engine wouldn't turn over was that he had literally done as he was told and filled it with oil, thereby creating an hydraulic lock!

[anadin]

must admit i was always told between min & max :( , stuck to it for years , least then you never go over :(

[Vanbursta]

What you thinking about as a replacement Anadin?

[anadin]

What you thinking about as a replacement Anadin?

 

erm paracetemol :lol: :D

 

no preference really , i buy trade and just take what comes, not much about at the moment tho, will hopefully get a bargain over xmas when santa's robbed everybody :lol:

[Vanbursta]

LOL

 

OK keep us informed mate.

[onslow]

Thanks guys for all the help,phoned the garage who done it they said they couldnt drain some out til thursday so i got i under there yesterday done it myself!!

[mumof4]

Thanks guys for all the help,phoned the garage who done it they said they couldnt drain some out til thursday so i got i under there yesterday done it myself!!

 

Well done onslow..glad you got it sorted. -_-

[jkspoff]

Its coming to something, when garages can't even do an oil change properly. -_-

[seatkid]

Thanks guys for all the help,phoned the garage who done it they said they couldnt drain some out til thursday so i got i under there yesterday done it myself!!

Was it fitted with an full engine undertray? Or was it missing?