Oil level

Ya know, a half inch I might let slide - but this seems like an issue where i'd probably take it back. Sounds like it's 3/4 to over 1 qt. too much. yeah, I'd take it back. At MINIMUM, call them, make them write up a ticket, enter it in the system, send you a copy - so IF there were any claim in the future related to lubrication you'd have some ammo on your side.

Check when hot but after it has sat for awhile with the engine turned off for the oil to drain back down into the pan. The level should be no higher than the top end of the "hot" range on the dipstick. Oil expands when hot and contracts when cold, so different temperatures will give you different readings. "Cold" readings are unreliable since just when is cold really cold? Get the engine up to normal operating temperature, turn off, let sit to drain, then check. Some dipsticks simply have a crosshatch marked range where the level should be at the midpoint.

When too much oil is in the engine, pressure in the crankcase may get too high and you'll get leakages through the oil pan gasket and other seals. Mileage might be reduced when the oil level is too high with the crankshaft having to splash through the oil. The splashing could foam up the oil which makes the oil pressure drop and might cause premature engine wear or even damage. However, usually too much oil just ends up making a mess.

With gas prices these days, you don't need too much oil reducing your mileage, and too much oil can cause other problems, like seals that the dealer tells you a year from now need to be replaced because they're leaking. I'd take it back and have them get the level right.

yep - sure is! Out of curiosity, did you check it again when warm?

He clearly said it's an INCH over Full, first thing in the morning. That's WAY over filled.

Go with what the other poster said, about calling it in, etc.

Hi,

Sounds WAY high to me at first... but I think you've been given good advice on checking warm as well as cold. IME, most engines I've worked with showed about 1/4" difference between hot and cold measurements (hot being higher.) But, once in a while, I've found one that DID register rather high when cold as a lot of oil drained down, then showed "normal" when hot, though that hasn't been my Subie experience.

Good luck!

Rick

I have had what appear to be bad oil level readings on my 2005 Forester X. I recently changed the oil. Drained oil completely; new filter; put in 4.2 quarts; ran the engine for a few minutes and then let it sit for

15 minutes. Checked the oil level and it was just at the bottom of the full mark as expected. Next day drove it and then let it sit for several hours and then checked the oil level again after it had cooled. It appeared to be well above the full level.

Anyone else see anything like this?

Took it back to the dealer. They let it sit 10 minutes and checked it. Service manager said it was 2/10 qt too high. When I spoke to tech after completion, he said 1/2 qt too high. He then stated that he corrected it right to the full line. Drove home, let it sit for 20 minutes, now it is about 1/2 inch (rather than 1 inch) over full mark, which puts it at the "nick" on the dipstick. What the heck is going on?

Anyone know what the significance of this nick on the stick ?

Glad it is not only me. The first time I was ready to drain the oil and start over even though I was sure of how much oil I put in. I tried the pre-fill of the filter this time to see if it made a difference (I did not pre-fill on the other changes) but no improvement.

With every other car I've used, I could check the oil after the car sat overnight by just pulling and checking the dip stick -- no need to even wipe since the oil had sufficient time to drain down completely.

I suspect it is oil in the dip stick tube since even when I get a good reading, I can see some oil along one edge or side of the stick well above the level. The SLOW pulling and replacing helps, but should not be necessary.

This can obviously cause some problems as some folks will be blaming a mechanic for overfilling, or even worse, thinking they have sufficient oil when they are actually low. Have many other folks seen this, too?

See my post elsewhere in this thread. I have seen the same thing when I knew how much oil was put in. Try pulling and re-inserting the dip stick slowly and see if you get a different reading. This has been bothering me through all 3 of my 2005's oil changes.

It is suppose to be the high-high level for a hot engine, i.e. when hot it should be between the full mark and the notch but not above the notch. A cold engine should be at the full mark. (It is also good at catching fibers as you try to wipe the dipstick.)