Home Heating It will be if you pour oil on the car. What happens if you accidentally or intentionally pour oil into the engine? Troubleshooting methods, what and how to do

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It will be if you pour oil on the car. What happens if you accidentally or intentionally pour oil into the engine? Troubleshooting methods, what and how to do

Motorists are more likely to encounter the consequences of underfilling engine oil than with an overabundance. However, one should not expect a positive outcome from the excess volume. In this article, we will explain what happens if you pour oil into the engine, and how to return the normal level of this fluid.

Excessive volume affects the performance of the engine, disabling some systems, deregulating sensors and increasing oil consumption. Especially if there is a significant excess of the norm.

The oil level is checked using a special dipstick. It is fixed on a sealed plug permanently inserted into the cylinder block bore. For accurate verification it is necessary to start the car and warm it up at idle speed about 10 minutes to obtain the desired fluid viscosity.

Measuring the oil level in the engine

After that, you need to turn off the engine and wait a few minutes for the bulk of the oil to flow into the oil pan. We take out the dipstick and wipe its lower part with the “min” and “max” marks dry, without leaving any oil or residues of rags on the dipstick. Next, we return the meter to the hole, inserting it all the way, and carefully remove it again.

If this metal bar is smeared into the engine oil above the minimum and below the maximum level, then the level of this fluid in the system is correct. If the bar is smeared significantly above the “max” mark, then this indicates that the engine has overflowed.

Reasons for exceeding the level

The most common reason is banal absent-mindedness when replacing or refilling fluid. So, during an independent replacement, the driver does not completely get rid of working off. Most often, 0.2-0.25 liters do not have time to completely drain out of the system. Such an excess can lead to undesirable consequences.

However, the owner of the car, without waiting for the complete release of the liquid, pours in a new one. When replacing at a station, they can also make a similar mistake in a hurry. But for a quality replacement in car services, the driver can inquire about the presence of vacuum pumping... This method will minimize the risk of the working balance as much as possible.

Overflow consequences

Liquids expand with increasing temperature. Due to this process, the pressure on the seals, gaskets, gaskets increases, up to the deformation of the sealing elements. After that, they cannot do their job and leaks begin, while the pressure in the system decreases, and the oil consumption increases.

The butter is whipped into a foam.

During a critical increase in pressure, impulse surges occur. Plugs and ignition problems, loss of power, increased fuel consumption are also possible. The same symptoms occur during pulsed emissions when the MAF sensor is flooded. He begins to give false readings, which leads to additional cost overruns.

With a significant excess of lubricating fluid in the system, the crankshaft is in this volume almost all the time. By their with counterweights, he whips everything into a foam during work. Air bubbles form, reducing uniformity. Such consequences of oil overflow into the engine lead to the airing of the hydraulic lifters and their malfunction. Shock loads arise on other nodes of the gas distribution system, leading to the speedy depletion of parts.

Also if the structure of the airborne unit is non-separable, then it will have to be replaced... However, the cost of this element is quite high.

The pressure build-up in the lubrication system places a significant load on the oil pump. Its gears are subject to unnecessarily high wear. In addition, air bubbles can carry dirt particles from the oil pan further through the system. This process fills the oil filter more quickly.

You need to know that the consequences of overflow are manifested to a greater extent on vehicles with a significantly depleted resource.

Motors with high output almost immediately react to overflow in the form of a few millimeters of excess over the dipstick with leaks from under the oil seals. A strategy of waiting for excess oil to burn out on its own is ineffective. During this period, other, sometimes more serious, injuries may occur.

Removing the filter

For new cars, a small overflow does not have such sad consequences as for old cars. But if the problem is not solved for a long time, then troubles can arise. Therefore, you should quickly get rid of a significant excess of oil.

Ways to remove excess engine oil

To drain off a small amount of excess lubricant, you can briefly unscrew the oil filter. Place a container under the hole. After waiting a little, when a sufficient amount has drained, you need to screw the filter back. If the level is exceeded significantly, then the excess will have to be removed through the drain plug by unscrewing it for a short period or through the hole in the dipstick to check the level.

Traditionally, a medical syringe for several cubes and a flexible tube from a dropper are used. Having firmly connected one end of the hoses to the syringe, we lower the other into the hole. Having pumped out some of the oil, you can check and, if necessary, repeat the operation. This procedure must be carried out with a cooled engine.

Extraction of excess oil from the system

If a larger than expected volume of oil has been taken, then it can always be topped up back into the system to the required level.

Conclusion

Now you know what the danger of oil overflow in the engine is, and it's time to summarize:

the engine oil level should be checked regularly. It is necessary that it be within the interval specified by the manufacturer (look at the risks on the dipstick);
the optimal level is considered to be 3/4 of the maximum reading;
an excess or lack of oil in the system can lead to engine breakdowns, this is especially true for cars with high mileage;
if a deviation of the level from the norm is detected, it should be eliminated as soon as possible by adding or pumping out liquid.

September 27, 2017

The vast majority of motorists are well aware of the effects of oil starvation on powertrain parts. But what if the engine oil level is too high? Judging by the lively discussion of the problem in various automotive forums, such a situation is not at all uncommon. To answer this question, you should refer to the long-term practice of drivers who independently serve "iron horses" in their garage.

How does an increased lubrication level occur?

There are several reasons why the amount of oil in the crankcase of the power unit exceeds the norm:

Banal overflow in the process of replacement. Such mistakes are made by unscrupulous service station personnel and careless car owners.
Malfunctions in the fuel supply system, emergency operation.
In old car models, there are problems with a mechanical gas pump.

The first situation is clear - as a result of haste or carelessness, lubricant is poured into the engine above the MAX mark, then the car engine is operated in this state. The second case is more complicated: the level in the crankcase gradually rises as a result of the addition of unburned fuel. The process looks like this:

The lambda probe or other sensor fails, the electronic control unit goes into emergency mode and greatly enriches the air-fuel mixture.
Getting into the cylinders, a large amount of fuel does not burn completely and part of the gasoline flows down the walls into the crankcase. The owner of the car does not pay attention and drives on.
After 4–6 thousand km of run, the amount of grease in the pallet is added, the candles fail, the car smokes and does not pull.

Note. Old unusable spark plugs contribute to the dilution of the oil with fuel, giving a flash every other time. The portions of gasoline not burnt in the chamber increase.

Experienced drivers are well aware of the problem with a hidden malfunction of a mechanical fuel pump found on old cars, for example, VAZ 2101–07 "Classic". The rupture of the lower membrane of the unit is invisible from the outside and the pump continues to work, but part of the fuel is pumped directly into the crankcase through the hole in the drive mechanism. The result is the same - an increased level, and the engine literally "suffocates" from re-enrichment with gasoline vapor through the crankcase ventilation channel.

About the consequences of overflow

Engineers - car designers knowingly came up with 2 marks on the dipstick - MIN and MAX. If the upper limit did not matter, then the manufacturer would not put the second risk. If you pour motor lubricant in excess of the norm, then sooner or later the following consequences will come:

a one-time excess of the level up to 5 mm above the upper risk is not critical, but at the next change, the oil must be filled in according to the operating instructions;
constant overflow by the same amount reduces the resource of the main oil seals, especially in winter, when the lubricant thickens;
when pouring 1 cm or more above the maximum mark, there is a risk of extrusion of the crankshaft oil seals;
if the amount of grease to be poured is one third more than the norm, then it protrudes from under all gaskets, including the valve cover and the upper oil plug.

Since Soviet times, there have been cases when novice drivers poured oil twice the level. Having mixed up the drain plugs, they emptied the gearbox, and the crankcase was supplemented with a second portion.

Adherents of topping up "in reserve" argue their position as follows: the oil pump is designed for a certain capacity, which cannot be exceeded. This means that the extrusion of the gaskets is a myth, and the excess lubricant will still burn out.

In reality, performance and pressure are two different things.... Any experienced driver who has serviced cars with an oil pressure indicator instead of a light on the dashboard knows that the more lubricant in the crankcase, the higher the pressure is shown on the pressure gauge. Hence the extruded oil seals.

If the high lubrication level is caused by the addition of fuel, the consequences are:

the material liquefies and loses its lubricating properties;
due to heating, gasoline evaporates and enters through the crankcase ventilation pipe into the carburetor or the throttle valve of the injector together with air, the engine "suffocates";
the fuel washes off the oil film from the cylinder walls.

Although the situation with thinning motor lubricant is quite rare, it is best to avoid it. Monitor the performance of the spark plugs, oxygen sensors and mass air flow sensor, and on old cars, regularly check the carburetor and mechanical fuel pump.

What to do with excess oil?

As mentioned in the previous section, a one-time overflow 3–5 mm higher than the MAX risk will not lead to catastrophic consequences. In other cases, the excess oil must be drained in one of the following ways:

through the plug in the oil pan;
empty the oil filter;
suck through the hole where the probe is inserted.

There is a simple paid method: visit a car service with specialized equipment. There, the excess lubricant is quickly pumped out using a pump.

It is normal to drain some of the oil through the plug - it is unrealistic. Trying to block the jet from the hole, spray half the garage and splash yourself. The method is applied as follows:

Take a clean, wide container, unscrew the crankcase cover and drain the grease from the cold engine. When the spray turns into drops, screw the cap back on.
Separate excess oil. If you have no idea how to calculate it, pour 1 liter.
Refill the crankcase with the remaining material, wait 10 minutes and measure the level. Add grease in small increments as needed.

Reference. Practical observations show that in passenger cars with an engine volume of up to 2 thousand cm 3, about 1 liter of oil is placed between the MIN and MAX marks on the dipstick. From here, you can calculate the excess that needs to be removed from the motor.

The second method will take less time and labor. The technology is as follows: spread a rag on the bottom of the engine compartment, turn out the oil filter, empty it and screw it back in place, remembering to lubricate the rubber ring. If the drained volume is not enough, run the engine for 1-2 minutes (to fill the filter) and repeat the operation. Sometimes a difficulty arises: the filter element does not want to unscrew, it is necessary to look for a puller.

Suction of excess grease is done as follows:

Buy a 20 ml (or larger) disposable syringe and dropper from your local pharmacy.
Cut off the tube from the dropper and put it on the syringe nozzle.
Warm up the engine to a temperature of 30–40 ° C in order to thin the lubricant and not burn yourself during operation.
Remove the dipstick, insert a tube into the hole and push it to the bottom of the crankcase. Draw in the oil, disconnect the syringe and empty. Repeat the operation and read the evacuated volume.

The latter method requires painstaking work, but you will not pour grease on the cylinder block. You can control the level immediately, without waiting for the oil to drain into the sump.

When the engine lubricant level has risen due to the addition of gasoline, there is only one option: complete replacement... If you are not sure about the diagnosis, check for fuel vapor as follows: warm up the engine and at idle, remove the crankcase exhaust pipe. If the engine runs smoothly, be sure to change the oil. Before filling in a new lubricant, it is advisable to rinse the power unit with a special compound in order to remove fuel residues as much as possible. Also, do not forget to eliminate the reason why fuel has entered the engine oil compartment.

During the operation of the vehicle, owners are most often faced with a decrease in the oil level in the engine. There are many reasons for this. But when the oil level in the engine is higher - this is a more rare occurrence. It is important to take into account that the increase in the amount itself (for example, under the influence of temperature) can be only insignificant. Otherwise, we are talking about a rather serious malfunction.

What is the danger of exceeding the maximum oil level

Car manufacturers specifically indicate the minimum and maximum values on the oil dipstick. The gap between the marks is about a liter and is optimal for the correct operation of the power unit. But there are motorists who believe that an overabundance of lubricant will only be beneficial. But this is a serious misconception that threatens to damage the engine.

The purpose of the engine oil is to lubricate the working surfaces that are in contact with each other. Thus, the resistance force is reduced during the operation of the pistons, the rotation of gears and crankshafts, while keeping the elements from wear. If there is too much lubricant, then the pressure increases, and the resistance of the parts during movement increases. In fact, in addition to the parts themselves, you need to push a rather viscous lubricant, and this will be very noticeable even at speeds over a thousand.

As a result, the greater the resistance during operation of the power unit, the less its power and the higher the fuel consumption. It should be noted that increased fuel consumption is an early stage. And it is unlikely that this problem alone can be avoided.

Consequences of engine oil overflow:

Thick blue smoke from the exhaust pipe due to oil entering the combustion chamber.
An increased amount of harmful substances in the exhaust of a car and pollution of the exhaust system as a whole.
Breakage of oil seals in the motor. They may be squeezed out by the increased pressure, or they may start to leak due to carbon build-up.
Heavy contamination of spark plugs, which reduces performance and life.
The cost of car maintenance and repair - will increase

Why does oil overflow in the engine

Most often, the main reason for an increased oil level in the engine is its overflow during replacement or when topping up the system. This can happen either through the owner's carelessness or because of an annoying mistake. That is why, it is important to study the operating manual before replacing or topping up the oil fluid, and also always monitor the oil level in the engine.

Another reason could be the ingress of third-party liquid material - coolant, water, or fuel - into the system. The reason for this may be a broken tightness of the gaskets between mechanisms and parts, or a mechanical failure of the engine block.

It is worth saying that if the excess of the lubricant level was noticed immediately or in the shortest possible time, then nothing terrible could have happened yet. In this case, an urgent need to start removing excess lubricant. There are several ways to do this. But if a change in the consistency or viscosity of the oil was noticed, or the appearance of any foreign inclusions, then you need to contact the inspection station as soon as possible. Since these are the first symptoms of foreign liquid ingress.

If the oil was filled in the correct amount, but during the next check, an excess is visible on the oil dipstick, then the reasons may be as follows:

Compression problems. Usually, a decrease in compression in the engine is observed when carbon deposits appear in it or when various "debris" gets in. Then it is necessary to carry out the so-called "decoking" of the engine. If after this procedure the problem is not solved, then you should check the tightness of the valves and their clearances. In the event that everything is in order with them, then you should contact the service center.
Heavy wear of the oil seals. They should be replaced if they are severely worn. A clear sign of a problem with the oil seals is the exhaust with a blue tint during the operation of the internal combustion engine.
Valve clogged.

Signs of engine oil overflow

It is not very difficult to determine the first sign that the consumption of the mixture in the engine has increased in your car. This can be seen by the following factors:

So, the factors are:

Car exhaust with a strong smell of burnt oil.
The exhaust is blue.

If any of these symptoms appear, you should immediately check the oil level using the car dipstick.

How to remove excess oil through a hose

To quickly remove excess oil in this way, you must have a long hose and a small container. And you can do it like this:

Take a rubber hose and a container into which excess grease will be pumped out.
Suck up some oil with a pump or syringe. Of course, you can do it with your mouth, but the oil is quite toxic, which has a very bad effect on health. Check the oil level using the dipstick.
Typically, this procedure is carried out several times until the oil level is within normal limits.

How to remove excess oil through the drain hole

At its core, this method is a conventional oil change. But with one difference: the oil that is drained is not used. That is, the principle is as follows: the oil material is completely drained into a certain container, and then it is poured back, only in the correct amount.

This option for removing excess is best done in a pit or on an overpass. It is imperative that the car be allowed to cool completely. As the oil is very hot (operating temperature 90 °) and can cause severe burns. Before the procedure, stock up on a container where the transmission fluid will be drained and a spanner wrench to unscrew the plug.

When the vehicle has cooled down, you can proceed directly to the removal of the oil. For this you need:
Open the hood of the car and unscrew the filler cap.
Find the drain plug on the underside of the motor.
Before unscrewing the drain plug, we substitute the container for the oil liquid.
Using a spanner wrench (can be replaced with a wrench), slowly and gradually unscrew the plug. In the end, you can usually tighten it with your hands, but carefully so as not to splash with oil.

Now you need to leave the car for about 30 minutes for the glass transmission fluid to drain.

When the engine oil is full, the drain plug must be screwed on. This must be done quite tightly, but without undue zeal. If possible, it is better to use a torque wrench. In this case, the maximum tightening force should be no more than 25nm.

Now all that remains is to pour the lubricant back. But carefully monitor the level so that there is no overflow again.

About the consequences of overflow

It is not for nothing that an automobile dipstick for checking the oil level has two marks - a minimum and a maximum. If, in fact, the maximum limit was not important, then the mark was not there either. It is naive to believe that an overabundance of lubricant will do without consequences. And they can be like this:

In case of a single excess of the oil level by 5 mm of the "max" mark, nothing critical may happen. But the next time the grease is changed, it is imperative to fill it in accordance with the instruction manual.

If there is a constant overflow in this size (5mm), then this reduces the resource of the main oil seals. And even more so in winter, when the lubricant is thicker.
If the oil level is 1 cm higher than the mark on the dipstick, then there is a great risk of the crankshaft oil seals being squeezed out.
When the engine lubricant level is more than a third of the maximum mark, it begins to protrude from under all gaskets, including from under the valve cover and the upper oil plug.

There are also supporters of the opinion that "the more, the better." They refer to the fact that the oil pump has a certain capacity, which it cannot possibly exceed. This means that it is simply impossible to squeeze out the gasket in this way, and the excess grease itself will simply burn out over time. But this is a big mistake.

In the event that the exceeded lubricant level is caused by the addition of fuel or antifreeze, then the outcome is:

The oil becomes thinner and, as a result, loses its lubricating properties. In addition, the grease becomes discolored and may smell bad.
When heated, gasoline begins to evaporate, entering, together with air, through the crankcase ventilation pipe into the carburetor or into the throttle valve of the injector. At the same time, the engine begins, so to speak, to "suffocate".
The engine starts to smoke, and the color of the smoke can be gray, gray or white.
Fuel consumption increases and the level of antifreeze in the expansion tank decreases.
An emulsion or yellowish foam will be visible under the oil filler cap.

Summing up all of the above, it can be noted that overflowing the mixture is a rather dangerous situation for the engine. If there is even one symptom of excess oil, then it is better to take action immediately. In addition, it is important not to forget to regularly check the lubricant level with a dipstick.

The internal combustion engine is designed in such a way that for its normal operation, a constant supply of lubricant to rubbing and loaded parts is required. The working fluid is engine oil. Each engine has a strictly defined volume of oil that is poured into the system. The engine oil level in the engine helps to control the amount of oil added.

In most vehicles, the oil level is measured using a special oil dipstick, which has special marks for "minimum" and "maximum" ("min" and "max"). There are also engines in which the oil dipstick is structurally absent. The oil level in these is determined electronically and displayed on the dashboard. The second option may be the complete absence of the oil level scale and the illumination of a separate indicator, which indicates the need to add oil only when the lubricant level drops.

Read in this article

What is the danger of overflowing oil into the engine

Today, the overwhelming majority of motorists are well aware that the proper operation and service life of the power unit directly depends on the quality and level of oil in the crankcase. Immediately, we note that the operation of the motor is affected by both a low level of lubrication and a high one. For this reason, the oil level must not fall below the "min" mark. In parallel with this, it is not allowed to raise the level above "max".

Let's start with a well-known fact. The consequences of engine oil starvation, that is, operating the engine with low oil levels, can be catastrophic. As a result, each driver is obliged to constantly and carefully monitor the quality and quantity of lubricant in the engine. Such control is usually aimed at ensuring that the oil is fresh, meets all tolerances, and its level in the engine does not fall below a critical mark.

If the oil level in the engine drops sharply below the "minimum", then there is a malfunction that must be eliminated immediately. Remember, driving a car with a low engine oil level is prohibited!

The oil must be refilled urgently, after which the nature of the breakdown must be determined immediately. Operating an engine with a low level of lubrication or without oil is unsafe and will quickly destroy the power unit, after which costly complex repairs or engine replacement will be required.

Why does oil overflow

As for the issue of overflowing oil into the engine, much less attention is paid to this aspect on the part of car owners. The fact is that the consequences of oil overflow may not appear immediately or be invisible in the early stages of the development of the problem.

A common cause of oil overflow is insufficient drainage of used lubricant during a scheduled change. A common situation is that during an oil change, the engine is not warmed up enough before draining the waste, a vacuum suction is not used, etc. With this approach, 250 to 500 grams of old oil can remain in the system. Then fresh oil is poured, and in full, which is recommended by the manufacturer for this type of engine.

Another nuance is that some drivers deliberately pour oil into the engine. The basis for such actions is the misconception that if little is bad, then the more oil, the better. This practice is especially common among those owners whose motors, constructively or as a result of wear, consume engine oil for waste, as well as due to oil leaks. From such a driver, you can hear that he poured oil into the engine a little on purpose, since after a short time or active driving, the level will still drop. Next, we will talk about what will happen if you pour oil into the engine and what the risk of overflowing oil into the engine if the permissible level is exceeded.

Signs of engine oil overflow

The simplest way to determine if the engine is overflowing is to use a dipstick. To do this, the car is installed on a flat surface, after which the engine needs to cool down for 15-30 minutes. This is necessary to completely drain the grease into the sump and more accurately determine the amount of oil. We add that it is optimal to check the oil level after overnight parking on a cold engine. If it is noticed that the oil level is above the "max" mark on the dipstick, then an overflow is evident.

The consequence is that it becomes more difficult to turn, less torque is transmitted to the wheels. The car accelerates worse, the reactions to pressing the gas pedal become less distinct, especially at the bottom. To compensate for losses and obtain the usual acceleration dynamics, the driver presses the accelerator harder, as a result of which fuel consumption increases.

The consequences of overflowing oil into the engine

Oil overflow affects more than just fuel consumption. Any liquid with heating tends to expand in volume. As the engine oil operates at high temperatures, the result of an overflow is an increase in pressure on the rubber seals and other sealing elements.

Gradually, the efficiency of the seals decreases, the oil begins to flow. Such consequences of oil overflow into the engine cause increased lubricant consumption, contamination of the engine compartment and may lead to the need to replace the oil seals.

Also, experts identify a group of malfunctions that arise due to a high oil level in the engine:

Difficulty starting the engine, especially in cold weather;
increased carbon formation in engine cylinders, the appearance of coke and deposits;
increased loads on the oil pump and a reduction in its resource;
foaming of the oil, as a result of which the operation of the hydraulic lifters is disrupted and the lubrication of other loaded elements deteriorates;

increased smoke, excess oil entering the exhaust system, catalyst contamination;
increasing the level of toxicity of exhaust gases;
malfunctions due to oiling, quick failure of the candles themselves;

It must be added that as a result of certain engine malfunctions, working fluids from other engine systems can enter the lubrication system (breakdown or, defects and wear of piston rings, etc.)

In this case, the oil level will rise as the grease can be heavily diluted with antifreeze or fuel. An immediate engine diagnosis is required to determine the cause of the oil level rise. The simplest method is to analyze the viscosity of the oil and its smell, as well as to identify the presence of an emulsion.

What to do if oil is accidentally poured into the engine

Overflowing oil into the engine is the most dangerous when the unit is no longer new and the lubrication level significantly exceeds the maximum allowable. The fact is that on a worn out engine, the oil seals can quickly squeeze out, and there is also a high probability of strong leaks.

As for new motors, the problem may not appear visually, but this does not mean that it does not exist. In this case, the oil level must be returned to normal as soon as possible. Next, we will look at how to quickly drain the engine oil from the engine yourself.

You can use the following methods to drain excess oil from the engine:

Pump off or drain off excess oil on your own. To drain, it is enough to slightly unscrew the drain plug on the oil pan. This method is the most difficult, since it is desirable to have an overpass, pit or lift. Additionally, you will need a wrench to unscrew the drain plug, remove the engine protection (if any), as well as a container to drain excess oil.

When unscrewing the oil drain plug on a hot engine, be careful not to get hot oil on the skin or eyes, as there is a risk of burns and other injuries!

If there is no way to get to the drain plug, then you can pump out some of the excess oil through the oil filler neck. To do this, you will need a special pumping syringe (can be replaced with a medical one) and an ordinary rubber tube (a tube from a dropper is suitable). You can also pump out oil using a pump or simply by mouth. Note that in the latter case, it is necessary to avoid getting the lubricant into the oral cavity. After performing the procedure and removing excess, check the oil level on the dipstick.
You can also use the services of a service station or contact an express oil change station, which is usually located next to large gas stations. Specialists will quickly pump out excess oil using a vacuum for a nominal fee.

How to remove excess oil

Let's start with the most difficult method, but you don't need to have a viewing hole, flyover or lift to implement it. It consists in the forced removal of excess from the system and its components through the oil dipstick tube.

For this, we use the following algorithm of actions:

We screw the lid off the tank.
We lower the integral rubber hose inside (medical dropper).
We take a large 20 cc syringe and put it on the opposite end of the hose.
We begin to draw out the oil using a syringe, pour it into a suitable container prepared for this. It is necessary to take into account, depending on the amount of oil poured, it is necessary to pump out 10, 20, and maybe all 30 syringes.