Is it bad to overfill oil?
12-09-2002, 04:51 AM
#1
Is it bad to overfill oil? My 2000 is suppose to take 5.5 qts of oil. When it got low I added some for a total of about 6 qts. and was too lazy to drain out the excess. I did that about 150 miles ago and have gotten on it quite a but since (redline). Oil pressure seems a 'little' bit higher but nothing out of the ordinary has happened. Am I in danger of flooding something or does the engine have somewhere to store this extra oil? Hey it could happen. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Razz]" src="gr_tounge.gif" />
12-09-2002, 05:47 AM
#3
TECH Senior Member
Re: Is it bad to overfill oil? The LS1 has a lot of leeway when it comes to filling it up with oil. Many autocrossers run as much as 7 quarts of oil with no ill effects, and GM engineers say it's safe to do this.
The more oil you run the better, as long as it's not beyond the point where the crank is frothing the oil into a frenzy. I know a few people who always try to push their oil level as high as they can, by continuing to add oil over capacity a little bit at a time until they start seeing bubbles in the oil (which would indicate the oil is being whipped about by the crank) then they back it off.
In my LT1, the manual calls for about 4.5 quarts, most others say they put in 5.0, but I have found I need to put in 5.5 to show full on the stick, and have seen no evidence of problems running this high. And in my wife's Honda, it calls for 3.8 qts but I add 4.2 with no problems.
By having more oil you reduce the overall stress on it, so it stays in good condition much longer.
So to sum it up, 6 quarts is definitely safe, without a doubt.
The more oil you run the better, as long as it's not beyond the point where the crank is frothing the oil into a frenzy. I know a few people who always try to push their oil level as high as they can, by continuing to add oil over capacity a little bit at a time until they start seeing bubbles in the oil (which would indicate the oil is being whipped about by the crank) then they back it off.
In my LT1, the manual calls for about 4.5 quarts, most others say they put in 5.0, but I have found I need to put in 5.5 to show full on the stick, and have seen no evidence of problems running this high. And in my wife's Honda, it calls for 3.8 qts but I add 4.2 with no problems.
By having more oil you reduce the overall stress on it, so it stays in good condition much longer.
So to sum it up, 6 quarts is definitely safe, without a doubt.
12-09-2002, 01:47 PM
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Re: Is it bad to overfill oil? OK, so lets flip this around. How low is too low as far as oil in the engine goes. At what point does the low oil light come on? Just curious
12-09-2002, 02:02 PM
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Re: Is it bad to overfill oil? Zee- I think that the low oil light comes on somewhere near 3 qts <i>remaining</i>, but I could well be wrong.
I think that's the number that I read when people were having serious oil consumption issues and were surprised to see the low oil light come on... (i.e., "I know I filled the crankcase when I changed the oil, but after a night at the street races and a day at the track, my low oil light came on... I had to add 3 quarts before the dipstick showed full again!!") Like I said, though... it's been awhile since I've followed any of those threads, so I could easily be mistaken.
All I know for sure is that I don't want to find out the hard way... <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="gr_eek2.gif" />
I think that's the number that I read when people were having serious oil consumption issues and were surprised to see the low oil light come on... (i.e., "I know I filled the crankcase when I changed the oil, but after a night at the street races and a day at the track, my low oil light came on... I had to add 3 quarts before the dipstick showed full again!!") Like I said, though... it's been awhile since I've followed any of those threads, so I could easily be mistaken.
All I know for sure is that I don't want to find out the hard way... <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="gr_eek2.gif" />
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12-09-2002, 03:21 PM
#8
Re: Is it bad to overfill oil? Since it says twice, once on the dipstick, and once in the manual...i wouldnt do it. If your car is still under warrenty, and it starts to malfunction, + if you do your own oil changes- it might void the warrenty and now ur stuck with a $$$ repair <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="gr_eek2.gif" /> <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="gr_eek2.gif" />
12-09-2002, 07:02 PM
#9
TECH Senior Member
Re: Is it bad to overfill oil? </font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by Pro Stock John:
<strong>Pat, where do folks see the bubbles, on the dipstick?
</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yep. I've never tried it myself, but the technique is that you fill it so it shows full on the stick, then add a little bit at a time, and each time you go out and drive the car hard, then shut it off and immediately check the dipstick. Supposedly the bubbles are pretty noticeable. Once you've determined where the bubbles show up, then you go just slightly under this level.
<strong>Pat, where do folks see the bubbles, on the dipstick?
</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Yep. I've never tried it myself, but the technique is that you fill it so it shows full on the stick, then add a little bit at a time, and each time you go out and drive the car hard, then shut it off and immediately check the dipstick. Supposedly the bubbles are pretty noticeable. Once you've determined where the bubbles show up, then you go just slightly under this level.
