overfilled my crankcase by 3/10 of a liter - problem?

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Jul 6, 2003
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137
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Boise, ID
Changed the oil for the first time on our 2019 VW GTI yesterday. Capacity is 5.7L. I had a senior moment and put in 6L. Any opinions on whether I should try to drain the extra 3/10L out of there or not worry about it.
 
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It's fine. If it bothers you, I'd drain it but it won't cause any harm.
 
I do not see a problem. If engines were damaged by a little over or a little under the roads would be littered with broken down vehicles.

If I have a little left in a oil container I often just add it even if it will make it a little over. Don't want a cup of oil left in a 5 QT container.

In my Powerstroke which takes 14 QTs, I doubt an extra QT would matter.
 
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you are in the USA so you probably got quarts rather than liters. A quart is less than one liter. 6 quarts would actually be pretty close to 5.7 Liters. Drive and enjoy.

In any case. an extra .3 liter will not cause a problem, even on a picky German car.

Rod
 
Originally Posted by ragtoplvr
you are in the USA so you probably got quarts rather than liters. A quart is less than one liter. 6 quarts would actually be pretty close to 5.7 Liters. Drive and enjoy.

In any case. an extra .3 liter will not cause a problem, even on a picky German car.

Rod


Yes, but in this case, since VW is so picky on the oils, the bottles are in liters. Anyway, at that point, my thoughts are to leave it alone as the 5% overfill probably falls in the tolerance range of the dipstick and oil pan any way.
 
.3L over on 5.7L is about 5% so likely not an issue.

Originally Posted by tom in boise
Changed the oil for the first time on our 2019 VW GTI yesterday. Capacity is 5.7L. I had a senior moment and put in 6L. Any opinions on whether I should try to drain the extra 3/10L out of there or not worry about it.
 
Just ran out and checked the dipstick and it basically is at the full mark anyway. So I am going to leave it and resolve to do better next time.
 
I normally round like this on my vehicles. I wouldn't worry about it.
 
I think I would cause more harm trying to resolve the non issue than if I just leave it alone.
 
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Originally Posted by tom in boise
I think I would cause more harm trying to resolve the non issue than if I just leave it alone.

Depends--how would you resolve? Way back when, when I had my VW, I did topside oil changes. If you are doing likewise you could pull out 0.3L and make it whole. Unless if the tubing was dirty I don't see a problem with this.

But to reiterate, I don't see the need to do so... No harm, no foul, either way.
 
It's just a pot of oil with a pickup tube in it. As long as it doesn't come up where the crankshaft spinning starts to pull oil up from the pot of oil it has no brain to know the difference higher or lower. Not the best to overfill past the top mark, because it's just the rule. What happens when we bounce up and down on roads, corner, or go up and down steep hills? The oil doesn't stay level.
 
The bozos at my local oil change shops typically add around 1/2 qt. too much, but that's better than not adding enough. Still, it pi$$es me off.
 
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Originally Posted by mbres2000
The bozos at my local oil change shops typically add around 1/2 qt. too much, but that's better than not adding enough. Still, it pi$$es me off.

It is better to be pi$$ed off than Pi$$ed on.
 
My Ranger is supposed to take 5 quarts with filter change but it doesn't. It's always overfilled. I dump in the 5 quarts and drive on.
 
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