overfilled is overhyped

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I think it is. My Buick 3800 has 5 holes on the dipstick between the ADD line and the FULL line. The other day, only 4 holes were covered up with oil. So mathematically, I'd have to add 6.4 ounces to get the 5th hole covered up. The heck with that, in a another full quart it went. So now I'm probably a little less than a full quart overfilled. I've noticed NO difference in the way the car acts. Fuel mileage is the exact same 18.7mpg that it's always been.

Acceleration is the same as before too. No sluggishness to report. The only difference is maybe a slight improvement in smoothness, but I don't see how an extra quart is gonna do that. Most guys would just simply wait until the oil is down to the ADD line before adding the other quart, but I can't do that. I gotta have plenty of oil in the engine for piece of mind.

I don't think the Buick engine is the only engine out there unaffected by the extra quart. I think there's plenty of other engines out there that would be unaffected too. Maybe even some of those fragile Hondas.
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If you did that on a Gen 2 Prius, the car won't start. There's a TSB out on that "issue."

So, gorilla mechanics beware...
 
What year is your buick? Mine gets 28-31 highway (90% of my driving)

18.7mpg just seems pretty low to me, however my old Firebird and Bonneville (specifically the Bonneville) got roughly the. Both a series 2 (non supercharged).
 
Years ago it wouldn't matter with MOST vehicles but today it really depends on which model it is. Some suffer NO ill effects while others can have SERIOUS operating issues or even serious
damage to components in the engine or seals.
 
I just had me a brilliant idea:

I could go rent me a 2015 Honda Accord - drive it home - put it up on Rhino Ramps - drain all the 0W-20 out of it - fill it up with 6 quarts of 10W-30 - drive it around see if it blows up!
crackmeup2.gif
 
I don't add unless the oil is .5 qt low. I check it often enough that it will never get below that. Most recently it need a half a quart but I added just shy of 3/4 and it's 1/4 over. (Either 3800 vehicle)

No sleep loss here... I see cars with nothing on the dipstick driving all over the place with not a single care in the owner's head.
 
the low mark is the add line. I would have just continued on without adding for thousands more miles.. then changed the oil or added.
 
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
I just had me a brilliant idea:

I could go rent me a 2015 Honda Accord - drive it home - put it up on Rhino Ramps - drain all the 0W-20 out of it - fill it up with 6 quarts of 10W-30 - drive it around see if it blows up.
crackmeup2.gif



Don't worry. My buddy works at a shop that installs 10w30 into every single car, truck, doesn't matter. 0w---what??

LOL!

And don't even get me started at what is done with various rental car company vehicles......
---

No problems I have seen from the shear penny pinchers.
 
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
I think it is. My Buick 3800 has 5 holes on the dipstick between the ADD line and the FULL line. The other day, only 4 holes were covered up with oil. So mathematically, I'd have to add 6.4 ounces to get the 5th hole covered up. The heck with that, in a another full quart it went. So now I'm probably a little less than a full quart overfilled. I've noticed NO difference in the way the car acts. Fuel mileage is the exact same 18.7mpg that it's always been.



Your engine was better off being six ounces low of oil, rather than 26 ounces overfilled.
 
Originally Posted By: Triple_Se7en
Your engine was better off being six ounces low of oil, rather than 26 ounces overfilled.


Why's that?
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Originally Posted By: Dallas69
It's not too hard just to add a half qt ,ya know.

If half a quart is all that is needed a whole qt is better !!!!
 
"I think it is. My Buick 3800 has 5 holes on the dipstick between the ADD line and the FULL line. The other day, only 4 holes were covered up with oil. So mathematically, I'd have to add 6.4 ounces to get the 5th hole covered up."

What says your dipstick has a linear calibration as you assume?
 
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Originally Posted By: CT8
[/quote]If half a quart is all that is needed a whole qt is better !!!!


Haha you reminded me of a funny story. Years back,I fertilized my dad's yard one spring. I bought too much and had a ton left over. Hmmmmmm,so I was thinking,if a little fertilizer is good,then alot MUST be better. So I dumped the rest of the fertilizer onto his pristine thick St Augustine yard,watered it in really well,then went on about my business. The next day the entire yard was brown and dead!! Man he was [censored]-off at me!! Haha!!
 
Originally Posted By: user52165
What says your dipstick has a linear calibration as you assume?


The 5 holes on the dipstick are spaced exactly 6.4 ounces apart.
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Thing that matters is the oil won't froth when going up a steep incline with turn in first gear at 20 mph and 4000 rpm.

I suspect that they design to something like that.

However, oil pan and dipstick commonality and cost to service likely prevents any further commentary or need for more oil, especially if wear, longevity and uoa says it's good.

So not much to see here, IMO..
 
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Originally Posted By: user52165
What says your dipstick has a linear calibration as you assume?


The 5 holes on the dipstick are spaced exactly 6.4 ounces apart.
grin2.gif



So what? You are assuming your oil pan has an even, consistent shape. Maybe it does, but more often not. There may be baffles or other considerations which alter the volume.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Originally Posted By: user52165
What says your dipstick has a linear calibration as you assume?


The 5 holes on the dipstick are spaced exactly 6.4 ounces apart.
grin2.gif



I wouldn't bet on that, the higher the oil level, the farther up it is in the wider regions of the pan...

One of my Grand Marquis isn't quite full with the recommended 5qt change, shows maybe 1/5 qt low(no dots so I'm guessing)... When I add at quart low mark, it'll be maybe 1/5 qt over full... I never worry worry about it either way, currently at around 3/5 quart low(checked it this afternoon), I'll dump in a quart when it's below the add mark(probably six weeks to two months from now)...

If it's more than 1/2 quart low, my 1969 428 Cobra Jet Torino will drop oil pressure on hard acceleration(front sump oil pan), that one I keep a pint over full... No light has never illuminated, but the mechanical gauge takes a dip so I'll back out of it...
 
Originally Posted By: TFB1
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
Originally Posted By: user52165
What says your dipstick has a linear calibration as you assume?


The 5 holes on the dipstick are spaced exactly 6.4 ounces apart.
grin2.gif



I wouldn't bet on that, the higher the oil level, the farther up it is in the wider regions of the pan...



+1 This
 
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