Engine oil over-topped up

[altvic]

Returned from a 2000 mile trip last week. Today I checked the engine oil and it was low on the dipstick. I filled up to maximum (c. 3/4 litre) and then realised I had done it when the engine was cold and not hot as the manual says. The oil level is at the top of the B indicator as per the manual. There is no message when I started the engine but I don't wish to take up to operating temperature of 90 deg C.
I am sweating over this as the first 'modern' engine I have had. What should I do?
Many thanks.

 

[westfalia]

I have always done oil checks when on level ground and cold.

You didn't add much so i wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Ocean Spirit]

The safest thing to do is bring forward an oil service to re correct the levels ASAP but of course what happens between now and then?
I had to consider this myself but fortunately I was (luckily) conservative with my filling so no problems were caused. You have 2 things to consider.....
1) 3/4 of a litre spread thoughout a warm engine doesn't necessarily amount too much extra capacity in the sump but it will of course depend on how low was low on the dipstick when you started?
Consider that the dipstick level was engineered to withstand some error.
2) A serious overfill may show blue smoke from the exhuast.It will also aerate the oil as it get whipped up by the crank and that has a frothy appearance on the dipstick. That will actually starve the engine of proper lubrication.

So its really about your low starting level.
Min to Max on the dipstick is 1 litre but i'm not sure if thats when at operating temp or when cold. Filling to max when cold (as you realise) will take more than filling at operating temperature.
So rethinking your problem...3/4 of a litre to max when cold turns into how much to max when warm? plus how much room for error has been allowed by VW?
I would hate to advise you and be wrong but my guess is that you would not have overfilled at half that amount because warm oil wont expand that much. So now we are talking about overfilling by 375ml instead of 750ml.
That a coke can plus a bit which I suspect would hardly show in the sump level.
No dashboard engine warnings?
Ever actually known anyone damage an engine by inaccurate oil filling (i'm not talking total neglect of course) but apart from the sensation of the internet it can't be as common couse engine damage as it is to overfill without engine damage or we'd all know someone who did it right?
OIl expansion is not huge.
I'm not going to say drive it but if you do, get it up to operating temp and check the dip stick for frothy bubbles. Then wait for 10 mins, check the level. If the heated oil hasn't expanded above the max you are in good shape though I would continue to check this for a couple of journeys myself.
If you have engine warnings dont drive.
Extra noises dont drive.
Frothy dipstick dont drive.

DAMN modern cars!!!! Good Luck.
What was ever wrong with checking them cold.
VWGuru ???

 

[altvic]

I have always done oil checks when on level ground and cold.

You didn't add much so i wouldn't worry about it.

L

I have always done oil checks when on level ground and cold.

You didn't add much so i wouldn't worry about it.

Many thanks for reply, Westfalia. I was thinking of trying to siphon oil out of the dipstick channel? Would the VW support help with this issue, do you think? I have read 2020’s reply and thinking about his advice to bring up to temperature but fear permanent damage. What think?

 

[altvic]

The safest thing to do is bring forward an oil service to re correct the levels ASAP but of course what happens between now and then?
I had to consider this myself but fortunately I was (luckily) conservative with my filling so no problems were caused. You have 2 things to consider.....
1) 3/4 of a litre spread thoughout a warm engine doesn't necessarily amount too much extra capacity in the sump but it will of course depend on how low was low on the dipstick when you started?
Consider that the dipstick level was engineered to withstand some error.
2) A serious overfill may show blue smoke from the exhuast.It will also aerate the oil as it get whipped up by the crank and that has a frothy appearance on the dipstick. That will actually starve the engine of proper lubrication.

So its really about your low starting level.
Min to Max on the dipstick is 1 litre but i'm not sure if thats when at operating temp or when cold. Filling to max when cold (as you realise) will take more than filling at operating temperature.
So rethinking your problem...3/4 of a litre to max when cold turns into how much to max when warm? plus how much room for error has been allowed by VW?
I would hate to advise you and be wrong but my guess is that you would not have overfilled at half that amount because warm oil wont expand that much. So now we are talking about overfilling by 375ml instead of 750ml.
That a coke can plus a bit which I suspect would hardly show in the sump level.
No dashboard engine warnings?
Ever actually known anyone damage an engine by inaccurate oil filling (i'm not talking total neglect of course) but apart from the sensation of the internet it can't be as common couse engine damage as it is to overfill without engine damage or we'd all know someone who did it right?
OIl expansion is not huge.
I'm not going to say drive it but if you do, get it up to operating temp and check the dip stick for frothy bubbles. Then wait for 10 mins, check the level. If the heated oil hasn't expanded above the max you are in good shape though I would continue to check this for a couple of journeys myself.
If you have engine warnings dont drive.
Extra noises dont drive.
Frothy dipstick dont drive.

DAMN modern cars!!!! Good Luck.
What was ever wrong with checking them cold.
VWGuru ???

Thank you for such a comprehensive reply. Plenty to think about.

 

[westfalia]

Book it in for an oil change and ask them to collect
it with a trailer.
If there's way too much oil in it then it will need draining from
the sump plug, ideally on a ramp.
I don't know how successful it would be trying to syphon up the dipstick.

 

[B J G]

You can get an Oil Vacuum pump which has various tubes to fit down the dipstick hole to extract some oil.
Simple clean process. An example which I have.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07P5WYGGD/?tag=eliteelect-21

 

[altvic]

You can get an Oil Vacuum pump which has various tubes to fit down the dipstick hole to extract some oil.
Simple clean process. An example which I have.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07P5WYGGD/?tag=eliteelect-21

Thank you. Just ordered the siphon/pump and should receive Monday or Tuesday. I’ll update folks on my progress.

 

[B J G]

Thank you. Just ordered the siphon/pump and should receive Monday or Tuesday. I’ll update folks on my progress.

I had my local garage do an oil change and supplied the oil & filter. 2x4ltr cans with instructions to put 7 ltrs in. They put the 8 litres in as 'it took that to put to the full mark'.
I used that pump, which I already had, to take some out. Bit awkward as you have to have the pump up in the air to enable the tube to go down the dipstick tube, nothing too daunting.

 

[andyinluton]

Returned from a 2000 mile trip last week. Today I checked the engine oil and it was low on the dipstick. I filled up to maximum (c. 3/4 litre) and then realised I had done it when the engine was cold and not hot as the manual says. The oil level is at the top of the B indicator as per the manual. There is no message when I started the engine but I don't wish to take up to operating temperature of 90 deg C.
I am sweating over this as the first 'modern' engine I have had. What should I do?
Many thanks.

Don't worry if anything you've under filled it. When cold all the oil will have drained back to the sump, when hot there will still be oil in the engine that has yet to drain back. I would therefore expect the cold reading to be higher than the hot.

 

[altvic]

Don't worry if anything you've under filled it. When cold all the oil will have drained back to the sump, when hot there will still be oil in the engine that has yet to drain back. I would therefore expect the cold reading to be higher than the hot.

Thanks. I am getting reassured

 

[Ch1pbutty]

Hot oil will expand by about 7% in volume at 100c.

Would take a guess that the dipstick markings have some tolerance to allow for such a mistake, traditionally people measured with a cold engine on the assumption that max amount of oil would be in the bottom of the engine / sump.

If it was me I wouldn’t worry too much unless you see a cloud of black smoke behind you!

 

[Ocean Spirit]

Don't worry if anything you've under filled it. When cold all the oil will have drained back to the sump, when hot there will still be oil in the engine that has yet to drain back. I would therefore expect the cold reading to be higher than the hot.

I don't think thats the case Andy.
I agree that more oil will have drained to the sump from the moving parts but the reason VW state to do it at operating temperature is because of the expansion. The same amount of oil in your engine shows higher on the dipstick when at operating temperature.

 

[andyinluton]

Fag packet calculation using typical expansion coefficient of oil would suggest 7l of oil would expand by 368ml when changing from 15 to 100 degrees C

Anyone want to work out how much the volume of the sump has increased as it expanded, or indeed the amount the dipstick has lengthened by.

The real risk of overfilling is when there is so much put in that the bottom of the cylinder hits the top of the oil on the downward stroke. If you had put in an extra 5 litre can I would be worried. At a guess you may have put in an extra 100-200ml which should be fine

If you are worried - I wouldn’t be, run the engine up to temperature at idle speed on the drive & recheck when hot

 

[Ocean Spirit]

Fag packet calculation using typical expansion coefficient of oil would suggest 7l of oil would expand by 368ml when changing from 15 to 100 degrees C

If your fag packet calculations are accurate(ish) thats good.. It means there is less for @altvic to worry about.
Though all anyone reading this needs to remember is that an operating temp dipstick reading will be the higher reading if rechecked when cold.

 

[altvic]

An update: vacuum pump £30 came today and a 10 minute job to remove 250ml through the dipstick tube (good call @BJG ). The oil level is now below maximum, albeit a cold engine measure. Driving to Brighton area Saturday so will recheck when the engine running temperature is reached before setting off.
Perhaps I have needlessly stressed over this but feeling more confident that the Euro 6 complex engine will be fine.
My motto is clear: read the bloody manual as it’s obviously stated to check and top up oil at running temperature c.90/100 deg C
Thanks, all, good advice

 

[Borris]

You can get an Oil Vacuum pump which has various tubes to fit down the dipstick hole to extract some oil.
Simple clean process. An example which I have.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07P5WYGGD/?tag=eliteelect-21

I've got one and it's brilliant.

You have to pre warm the engine oil with a short run until it's up to working temperature. Then you feed a thin plastic pipe down the dipstick tube and then connect it to the pipe from the pump. Then you give the pump half a dozen strokes on the handle and go for a cup of tea. Those half a dozen strokes create a vacuum in the collection container which draws the oil out of the sump into this container. You can see exactly how much has been recovered through the clear calibrated container wall. It will remove almost everything from the sump.
I don't use it every time but it's very useful for a quick home oil change. There's no mess and no need to remove the under tray. They aren't that expensive and would easily remove your excess oil in a flash.