Have you been adding oil to your car’s engine? That’s not necessarily a bad idea, but you can easily go overboard. Here’s what Louisville Automotive Shop wants you to know about having too much oil in your car’s engine.
The Oil Reservoir Only Holds So Much Oil
Your car’s oil reservoir is designed to hold a set amount of oil according to the engine’s needs. Some of that oil is constantly circulating through the engine, cooling and lubricating parts as it goes. Then the oil is filtered and goes back through the process. Having some oil in the reservoir ensures that the engine has what it needs even if some oil is lost to a leak. Typically, a car’s engine is going to hold anywhere between four and six quarts of oil total.
Overfilling a Little Isn’t Scary
Overfilling the car’s oil reservoir by a little bit is probably no big deal. Anywhere around a quart of oil more than the engine can hold is not likely to do anything terrible. The best way to know how much oil is in the car is to use the dipstick and to check the oil when the car’s engine is cold. If the oil is over the maximum fill line, look a little closer to see how much oil is in the car.
Way Too Much Oil Is Different
The answer is a little different if you’ve got way more oil in the car’s engine than needs to be there. Anything more than a quart of extra oil is likely to cause leaks throughout the engine. There might not be enough room for all of that extra oil, and it can start to force its way through seals that were in good condition before this happened.
What Should You Do if You Overfill the Oil?
If you’re concerned that your car may have too much oil in it, make sure to check the oil using the dipstick. Next, make sure that you take the car in and have it checked out fully. If you were topping up the oil to buy time in between oil changes, you might have done more harm than good because the old oil is still circulating. Getting an oil change and replacing the oil with the right amount gets you back on the right track.
Suspect your car’s engine is too full of oil? Louisville Automotive Shop in Louisville, KY can help. Just give us a call today and set up an appointment.