Technical Oil Quantity

[redcheck]

Good evening,

I changed my oil today and ran in to a strange problem. I hope someone here can point me in the right direction for my 2002 Stilo 1.6.

My dipstick indicates that I've got far too much oil in the engine (well above the max line). I changed my oil and filter, which my manual says should require 3.9 liters to replace. I put in 4 qts (~ 3.8 liters), but this was apparently too much. I had given the engine ample time to drain & there has been plenty of time for it to settle. I don't want to waste the oil I just put in there (and especially don't want to drive 40 mins back to my shop to do the work) & this seems like it can't possibly be right.

Anyone else had a problem like this?

Cheers

 

[Muppet1]

I guess you have run the engine after filling with oil???
Dont forget the filter will take a little to fill.

I would run it for 5 to 10 mins then leave it for a hour or over night then check it.

 

[redcheck]

Yes - I drove the car home (~ 45 mins) from the shop. No smoke, no warnings, no other obvious problems. I gave it about 2 hrs to settle after I got home and it is still indicating high. I can't figure out what might have gone wrong, or if I should even be concerned.

 

[Yellow Peril]

The dipstick doesn't lie. Somehow you've overfilled it. And that's not good and something you need to rectify. You'll have to drain some out, then refill slowly, taking frequent dips until you get the correct level...

 

[phil pdp]

I put in 4 qts (~ 3.8 liters), but this was apparently too much. I had given the engine ample time to drain & there has been plenty of time for it to settle. I don't want to waste the oil I just put in there (and especially don't want to drive 40 mins back to my shop to do the work) & this seems like it can't possibly be right.

4 quarts = 1 gallon. 1 gallon = about 4.55 litres.

It's been overfilled.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

The dipstick doesn't lie .

unless is been incorrectly replaced by the previous owner

 

[redcheck]

4 quarts = 1 gallon. 1 gallon = about 4.55 litres.

It's been overfilled.

US quarts.

1 quart = 946 milliliters
4 quarts = 3.79 liters

 

[redcheck]

unless is been incorrectly replaced by the previous owner

Which is entirely possible ....

So - is there any way to tell other than the dipstick?

 

[redcheck]

...and, if there was going to be a problem resulting from this, wouldn't it have happened already? She's been driven 45 mins / 45 km after the oil change with no issues.

 

[schumraid]

Fully draining the system would be the only way to be sure if you suspect the dipstick is giving a false reading. How bad was the old oil? If it was really cruddy and sticky and you didn't flush the engine through there could be a lot of crap in there causing the overfill.

 

[neonglow]

Good evening,

I changed my oil today and ran in to a strange problem. I hope someone here can point me in the right direction for my 2002 Stilo 1.6.

My dipstick indicates that I've got far too much oil in the engine (well above the max line). I changed my oil and filter, which my manual says should require 3.9 liters to replace. I put in 4 qts (~ 3.8 liters), but this was apparently too much. I had given the engine ample time to drain & there has been plenty of time for it to settle. I don't want to waste the oil I just put in there (and especially don't want to drive 40 mins back to my shop to do the work) & this seems like it can't possibly be right.

Anyone else had a problem like this?

Cheers

Mine stays always above the max mark. I put in 3.8 liters and don't care about the dip stick. I've been driving like this forever 75000km. I doubt it that my dipstick is changed cause I bought the Stilo just 3 years old.. I don't think someone bothered enough to change it for some reason

 

[redcheck]

Thanks for all the responses. I drained out about 700 ml this morning and now I'm at the high mark. Never got any complications (warnings, smoke, etc).

That means I only put in about 3.1 liters, though the manual says it should have been 3.9 liters. Still not sure what went wrong, but I suppose that is irrelevant now. I've got the extra oil ready in case I need it.

Thanks again for the assistance.

 

[phil pdp]

US quarts.

1 quart = 946 milliliters
4 quarts = 3.79 liters

Perhaps you thought you were using US quarts/gallons but you weren't? UK/Ireland use a different measure (about 4.55 litres = 1 gallon). So you could've made a mistake even if you don't think you have. I'd suggest that's what you've done as you don't live in the US.

 

[redcheck]

Perhaps you thought you were using US quarts/gallons but you weren't? UK/Ireland use a different measure (about 4.55 litres = 1 gallon). So you could've made a mistake even if you don't think you have. I'd suggest that's what you've done as you don't live in the US.

I sort of wish that was the case - because then I'd have a logical explanation! But, I've got the bottle sitting on my desk right now. 946 ml each.... 1 US quart.

 

[neonglow]

I sort of wish that was the case - because then I'd have a logical explanation! But, I've got the bottle sitting on my desk right now. 946 ml each.... 1 US quart.

Are you sure your sump's not dented?

 

[redcheck]

No - didn't notice anything when I was poking around down there to drain it...

 

[phil pdp]

I sort of wish that was the case - because then I'd have a logical explanation! But, I've got the bottle sitting on my desk right now. 946 ml each.... 1 US quart.

Ah. Sorry I couldn't help then but at least it made you make sure/double check

 

[redcheck]

Ah. Sorry I couldn't help then but at least it made you make sure/double check

No - I'm glad you mentioned it. I didn't even know there was a different "quart"

I'm going to do the next oil change early to see if I can make sense of it ... for now, though, the mystery remains.