[Amack]

Hey Guys,

If i have over filled my oil will i get an engine light? Or will it just die?
I had a oil low warning and it was at the MIN level, I proceeded to put 5ltrs in, I then realized i was only ment to put in a few ltrs and not 5.

I have driven maybe 50-80kms already but after hearing some nightmare stories I have stopped driving it. Nothing bad has happened yet, but should I see a warning to High? I did a test level and its sitting at MAX but no further.

Im worried it could cause some serious damage.

[Joe240]

It could increase crank pressure which MAY blow a seal. Most likely though it will vent into the intake and burn off. I don't think it's too excessive, but then again the 235-240 only requires 6ish ltrs to begin with so who knows.

Safe bet would be to use a clean oil pan and drain the oil and re-add to the appropriate level.

[Amack]

I was planning on draining the oil tomoz. Do I need to drop the shroud under the car to get to the plug or is there a door flap?

[overcoil]

Originally Posted by Amack

I was planning on draining the oil tomoz. Do I need to drop the shroud under the car to get to the plug or is there a door flap?

There's a flap - no need to drop belly pan.


Anyone know - can you hydrolock an engine by putting in too much oil ?
Would the oil have to be filled up into the cylinder bore?
4 or 5 extra liters (quarts) seems like a lot of extra oil, how high to or above the crank centerline do you think that amount extra is ?

[XutvJet]

You need to stop driving the car immediately and empty some oil. That's the simple answer. Yes, serious damage can occur from significant overfilling of oil. The oil could be so high that the entire crank is under oil, worse, oil could be into the cylinder bores. None of this is good at all.

[fbsm]

Originally Posted by Amack

Hey Guys,

If i have over filled my oil will i get an engine light? Or will it just die?
I had a oil low warning and it was at the MIN level, I proceeded to put 5ltrs in, I then realized i was only ment to put in a few ltrs and not 5.

I have driven maybe 50-80kms already but after hearing some nightmare stories I have stopped driving it. Nothing bad has happened yet, but should I see a warning to High? I did a test level and its sitting at MAX but no further.

Im worried it could cause some serious damage.

Here's something to consider

Are liquids compressible?

Damage will depend on how much you over filled.....

If you over filled to a point where oil is coming over the top of a piston then bad things will happen even for one stroke of the piston

Google "Slugging" an engine/compressor

[Amack]

when I realised I could cause damage I had the car towed. so I'm not driving it till I drop the oil. I do have a feeling tho Ive prob filled it to the Max level as I'm sure if a problem was going to happened it should have done so by now.

thanks for the feedback about the oil flap!

[doccyber]

All of this could have been avoided If Bmw didn't get rid of the dipstick.

[Amack]

lol. yea 100% agree. also could have been avoided if BMW service did an oil change at the first service instead of telling me the oil change doesn't happen till 30 000 or 2 years.

I even asked them to do an oil change and they wouldn't.

[pikcachu]

Originally Posted by Amack

lol. yea 100% agree. also could have been avoided if BMW service did an oil change at the first service instead of telling me the oil change doesn't happen till 30 000 or 2 years.

I even asked them to do an oil change and they wouldn't.

You should at most add 1L and then re-measure the level.

5L extra is about double what the engine takes

[amw896]

Something doesn't add up, there's an oil light that pops up when you hit minimum which indicates you need 1L of additional oil which brings you back to max. Putting in 5L when ur already at around 5L of the max 6.5 means you're at like 10L which is incredibly dangerous. Personally, I would bring into a shop for an oil service and to check if permanent damage hasn't been done already.

[Amack]

Alright so i drained 5ltrs bringing me to just above MIN. Hoping no permanent damage has been caused. I did get bmw roadside to come out and asses it last night so if something bad happens Im sure BMW will now know and wont warrant any damage... unless roadside is separate from Service?

how stupid of me in the first place to put a full 5er in oh man...

What would a service center check if I were to take it in? how would they determine if permanent damage has been caused?

[pikcachu]

Originally Posted by Amack

Alright so i drained 5ltrs bringing me to just above MIN. Hoping no permanent damage has been caused. I did get bmw roadside to come out and asses it last night so if something bad happens Im sure BMW will now know and wont warrant any damage... unless roadside is separate from Service?

how stupid of me in the first place to put a full 5er in oh man...

What would a service center check if I were to take it in? how would they determine if permanent damage has been caused?

Not really sure. Probably if it doesn't throw any code it might be ok. But they won't disassemble the engine just to check if anything is wrong.

Also I would and just "one" extra liter to bring it to the max mark. You really don't want to drive with oil at min

[pikcachu]

Originally Posted by pikcachu

Not really sure. Probably if it doesn't throw any code it might be ok. But they won't disassemble the engine just to check if anything is wrong.

Also I would and just "one" extra liter to bring it to the max mark. You really don't want to drive with oil at min

Hopefully you were 1.5 low if you were below the min so probably overfilled by only 3.5

[overcoil]

Originally Posted by Amack

Alright so i drained 5ltrs bringing me to just above MIN. Hoping no permanent damage has been caused. I did get bmw roadside to come out and asses it last night so if something bad happens Im sure BMW will now know and wont warrant any damage... unless roadside is separate from Service?

how stupid of me in the first place to put a full 5er in oh man...

What would a service center check if I were to take it in? how would they determine if permanent damage has been caused?

Most of the time issues from excessive oil occur at high speed where the counter balance weights of the crank hit and foam the oil - not really sure how that effects lubrication and why remaining liquid oil wouldn't just do its job, but I guess at the incredibly speeds those parts move, foam could be an issue and foam has increased volume - and that increased volume may be the problem: crankcase ventilation, or saturating gaskets, but I think most gaskets now are semi-metalic? so not like on older cars.

Windage is another issue from oil foaming, the foam acts as a resistance to moving parts or causes vacuum vortex's near small lubication channels around piston bearings - but I think again that is all issues when racing, and not even sure I know what I'm talking

[Amack]

It would be nice to know what MIN/MAX actually equals.

If MIN = 1ltrs
and MAX = 6ltrs

that would make sense. then if you get a warning @ MIN you can put a full 5ltrs in as thats what they sell...

I dont understand why MIN would equal anything less then what the name means - Minimum. It would be strange if MIN = anything above 1 right??

[pikcachu]

Originally Posted by Amack

It would be nice to know what MIN/MAX actually equals.

If MIN = 1ltrs
and MAX = 6ltrs

that would make sense. then if you get a warning @ MIN you can put a full 5ltrs in as thats what they sell...

I dont understand why MIN would equal anything less then what the name means - Minimum. It would be strange if MIN = anything above 1 right??

Difference between MIN and MAX is 1L so you shouldn't add more than 1L if you are at MIN

[Amack]

Sigh,

Thats not MIN then is it lol, thats basically full.

And there is no dipstick to check it either.

Im not going to ever put more then 1ltr in without running the check after. Lesson learned!

[pikcachu]

Originally Posted by Amack

Sigh,

Thats not MIN then is it lol, thats basically full.

And there is no dipstick to check it either.

Im not going to ever put more then 1ltr in without running the check after. Lesson learned!

It is.... it's the Minimum oil for the engine to work....
If MIN where to mean when it's empty your engine is already blown....

Message is pretty clear...

[Anthony235]

5 Ltrs?! stop driving the car immediately.

[Dylan86]

6.5L is what I used for my last oil change, had a bit left over for future top up.

[Amack]

Originally Posted by Anthony235

5 Ltrs?! stop driving the car immediately.

yea I did. got it towed home and drained 5liters. it's sitting just above min now. waiting for it to throw a warning and I'll put 1liter in