Oil overfilled on truck, engine damage?

[kenimpzoom]

For the first time in my life I took the truck in to get the oil changed while I was having a recall item fixed.

About a week later, the oil light (low oil pressure) started coming on when the truck was at idle.

I checked the oil level and it was way too high. I know this aint good and will cause foamy oil. I drained a quart out to bring it to the proper level and the oil light still comes on at idle. Either my engine is toast, they put 0w oil in it, or the put the wrong oil filter on.

Either way, I am going back tommorow in the morn to raise some he!!.

Has anyone else ever seen actual engine damage due to overfilling the crankcase with oil?

Ken

 

[Boomyal]

Re: Oil overfilled on truck, engine damage?

For the first time in my life I took the truck in to get the oil changed while I was having a recall item fixed.

About a week later, the oil light (low oil pressure) started coming on when the truck was at idle.

I checked the oil level and it was way too high. I know this aint good and will cause foamy oil. I drained a quart out to bring it to the proper level and the oil light still comes on at idle. Either my engine is toast, they put 0w oil in it, or the put the wrong oil filter on.

Either way, I am going back tommorow in the morn to raise some he!!.

Has anyone else ever seen actual engine damage due to overfilling the crankcase with oil?

Ken

IMHO, not likely KZ. Foaming oil would most likely only be an issue at speed and other than that, it could be hard on oil seals that are old and brittle. I think a pressure verification is in order. If your truck is an older, high miler, then lightweight oil could be an issue at idle. Otherwise, not likely.

Overfilling, by a quart, would certainly not cause any permenant issues.

 

[rwise]

Re: Oil overfilled on truck, engine damage?

I agree with Boomyal, never had a (serious) problem over filling an engine with oil.

Sent a truck in for its oil change just before it was to go on an out of state trip. The driver got it out on the highway and the engine locked up, yep they left the plug out! And yes they replaced the engine.

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: Oil overfilled on truck, engine damage?

I took it in the morning and they drained some oil out (after I put it back in). They saw the oil pressure light and believe it is a pressure sender problem. I'm gonna leave it with them for a few days and we'll see. I only hope that it is the sender.

It is a 2004 Chevrolet Colorado 3.5L inline 5 with 54000 miles on it.

Never had a oil pressure problem before.

Ken

 

[whywhyzed]

Re: Oil overfilled on truck, engine damage?

My Caterpillar bearing failure analysis book has full colour pics of a Cat 3412 engine failure due to an overfilled crankcase --> crank dipping --> foaming oil --> loss of pressure --> rod bearing failure. If you need the pics for court I'll scan 'em for you. Let's hope it's the sender.

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: Oil overfilled on truck, engine damage?

Also, I only drive it on the freeway at 60-70 mph and commute 80 miles/day, so the oil gets churned up a bit.

I agree at low speeds overfilling probably wont hurt, but at sustained 2500 rpm speeds, seems like the crank could froth things up a bit.

Ken

 

[Skinnywater]

Re: Oil overfilled on truck, engine damage?

There are two problems, oil foaming and excessive crankcase pressure.

It's an extreme situation for the oil to foam to the point of damage.
Not so extreme for excessive crankcase pressure and for damage to occur.

The first symptom is the engine ingesting oil saturated gasses through the PCV system.
On todays gas powered engines the airfilter and MAF sensor would have trouble coping as would the sparkplugs. By the time you're aware of something amiss in the way of sluggishness and misfire, is about the time a weak crankshaft seal bypasses the pressures. However, the largest oil leak is probably from the airfilter housing or intake plumbing.

On a Diesel it's a little bit different. They have the potential to generate a considerable greater amount of crankcase pressure so the amount of oil fed into the intake is greater. The problem intensifys as the Diesel actually starts to run on the injested oil, even to the point of runaway. Since the oil isn't being regulated the engine picks up speed creating more pressure and more oil into the intake. Catastrophic damage is usually the outcome.

Almost all newer designed 4strokes have small crankcase and overhead cam compartments. Proper oil levels are more critical these days since oil occupies space within these compartments they share with internal gasses.

From my experience this is one of the reasons for complaints with new/low hour (blowby unseated rings) 4stroke outboards to smoke on startups.
On my own personal engines and with all the services I perform on customer's rides I fill shy of the max. mark, approx. 2/3 of the safe zone.

I tend to think less crankcase pressure will create less gasses (oil vapor) to collect EGR particles and stick to the intake manifold and build up and cook onto the backside of the intake valves.

Ken, you're probably OK, but I think it's strange that an oil press. sensor chooses this time to act up.

 

[wiboatergile]

Re: Oil overfilled on truck, engine damage?

Lost engine in a jeep grand cherokee due to overfill of oil.. drove it 7 miles and stopped because light came on and had it checked.. about 1 1/2 quarts over.. Drained her down to normal and within 10 miles she locked up.. Got a new engine and they had to pay for rental suv while waiting on engine replacement.. Oil change chain stores and some dealers need to make sure that their employees can read specs on data sheets in my opinion.. WOuldnt think a oil change is that hard. I do my own now...
mark

 

[kenimpzoom]

Re: Oil overfilled on truck, engine damage?

They replaced the oil pressure sensor cause it was leaking and now everything seems fine.

I really hope that did the trick, but there is a small worry in my head that they filled up the crankcase with 50w oil. I just dont trust dealerships, never should have had the oil changed there in the first place.

Ken

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Oil overfilled on truck, engine damage?

Either change the oil yourself or have it changed and make sure you have the right oil in it. Unfortunatly you cannot trust anyone these days. It wouldn't be above even a dealership to put in a higher viscosity oil to save having to eat an engine.

Foaming oil can indeed cause engine damge and it very much depends on the individual engine. An inline would be worse as it has more crank in the oil if overfilled.

 

[KBADC]

Re: Oil overfilled on truck, engine damage?

I just dont trust dealerships

TRUST ME ...... They are all the same to some degree.