Overfilling oil: Just let it be, or take it back?

I think the problem is the curvy tube the dipstick is on. When you pull it out, it smears oil on the sides of the tube, which then smear the dipstick when you put it back in.

I park mine in the garage when warm, then read it the next day after everything has drained back into the pan. Just take it out and read it, usually pretty easy to read then.

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Yep, that's what I do. Sounds simple. But it just looks like a smear of oil. Can't see a clear-cut oil level. I'll have to try and take a picture of it.
(In the old days, they said to pull out the stick, wipe it, reinsert it, pull it out again and then read it. 1972 Auto Shop class. )

 

You could shine the light from a flashlight on the dip stick to see where the oil is.
Slight overfilling is not a problem. But I would say a quart(or more) is not good.
You may blow out the rear main seal and possibly the front.

 

My car takes 4.3? 4.6? Four point something... The dealer probably just pours in 5 full quarts. But I don't know. I can barely see the friggin oil on the stick! My Toyota dealer uses Pennzoil Ultra Platinum.

"By using PurePlus Technology™, the revolutionary process of converting natural gas into a 99.5% pure base oil and combining it with high performance additives, Pennzoil Ultra Platinum™ Full Synthetic motor oil delivers complete protection without compromise."

Maybe that's why I can't see it.

Pennzoil Ultra Platinum - Our Best Full Synthetic Oil | Canada English

 

Yeah the best solution I found (as you mentioned) is to pull and wipe the dipstick, wait at least 5 minutes. This lets oil in the dipstick tube drain down (I gather), and when you then insert/remove the dipstick it should have a relatively distinct level. Flip it over; often one side is easier to read than the other.

I think too, it helps that I'm very myopic (short sighted), looking over the top of my glasses I have "macro" focus, about 4" distance from my eyes, lol.

I'm using Toyota 0W20, pretty cheap up here, and I bring my own bottle (~9 liter heavy-duty gas can), buy it from the dealership's bulk dispenser. It's cheaper than bottled, and avoids adding used oil bottles to the recycle stream, or landfill.

 

Thanks Mendel. I'm going outside to check it right now. The 5-Minute Rule. Then going for a nice leisurely Sunday morning drive... before it gets up to 110 degrees!

 

Assuming you're south of us in California.

It's been a mixed bag weather wise here. When the sun's out it heats up real fast, but no where near as hot as you. It'll hit 29~30 Celsius on "suffering" days, which is only mid-eighties Fahrenheit. And then the "marine air" or something rolls in, with maybe a bit of rain, and it's back to long pants and a light coat.

 

Oil checks perfect. Thanks for the great tip, Mendel. Pulled out the dipstick, wiped it, let it sit for about 10 minutes while I was raking leaves. Reinserted it, pulled it out... And I don't believe it but it's right at the maximum level, and not overfilled. I could see the level on the stick much better. It wasn't smeared.

And yes, I am in Southern California. I added that to my details. Have a nice day up there in beautiful Canada! Boy is it hot down here!

What is that picture on your avatar? Satellite image?

 

I just arrived at the beach. Trying to cool off. This is my view. Way off in the background Is the huge port complex out of Long Beach/Los Angeles. Our Prii were probably unloaded there.

 

Yeah, I got a coffee table book: Earth From Space, and every so often I'll just take a pic with my cell phone, change my avatar. It's New York this one, last was an ice floe in Antarctica.

 

It's amazing how a blue filter can make this 2nd pic look so much better.




That's way off topic, Sorry. Hey guys, my oil is NOT overfilled! Thanks to Mendel and his simple tip. I can now see the oil level with my old eyes.

 

If the oil is hard to visually see on the stick, hold a paper towel in your palm and place the flat part of the dipstick onto the paper towel, note where the full dot is. Youll see the paper towel absorbing the oil, and where the wet spot ends is the amount of oil, hopefully next to the full dot.

 

I thought I knew all the tricks about reading fluid levels and yours makes a lot of sense, thanks.

I will give it a try. I have an automatic transmission that give me fits reading.

 

You can mostly avoid the smearing by inserting the dipstick some measured distance "x" short of fully seated. (x is arbitrary, preferably enough to matter, but less than the distance between full and low marks.) Then you'll see the unsmeared oil level exactly x distance below where it was supposed to be. If the level is very low, that obviously won't work, but in that case smearing is not a problem, anyway.

One contributing factor is that synthetic oil (at least the three brands I've used so far) is clear and almost colorless when fresh.

 

Yeah, the Pennzoil Ultra Platinum seems to be very clear for the first few months. My dealer uses Pennzoil or Mobil 1. Whichever company gives him the best deal, I guess. (I believe both of them sponsor his racing cars, Penske Racing Group. And he owns the dealership.)