Member Since: 27 May 2021
Location: ROMFORD
Posts: 6
Engine oil overfill?
Hi all, I've been reading these forums for a few issues on my Disco 3 but wanted to ask this question.
I did an oil and filter change yesterday and followed the many guides on the subject. My question is this. After refilling the oil I looked at the dipstick and it seems to be overfilled (I can see slight amounts of oil on the top ball but none on the wire, there seems to be more thicker oil on the lower balls right up to the max one)
That would be that, except that I only put 5 litres of oil back into the car?
I could accept that its overfilled if I could trust the dipstick reading but with only putting 5 litres in it's got me thinking. The car runs fine, no smoke or warning lights.
I am checking the level on a bit of a sloped driveway and I also live on a hill. Going to take it somewhere to do a level dipstick check but I wouldn't have thought it would make THAT much difference?
Could it be a dodgy reading from the dipstick with some residue oil getting on the top ball, the slope or some other reason it only took 5 litres? I let it drain for quite a while.
Any help would be appreciated. If it's overfilled can I remove the oil filter to get rid of some oil or would I need to go via the drain plug? I would be worried about getting the plug back in to only let a little out.
Cheers
27th May 2021 12:54 pm
lynalldiscovery
Member Since: 22 Dec 2009
Location: Maidstone
Posts: 7274
Go dind a carpark, have a coffee then recheck the oil, mine runs pretty much at the top of the stick/balls at all times, tbh the dipstick like so many is just rubbish.
5 litres is about right, never ever ever put back in the quoted amounts, as they are for a dry engine.
27th May 2021 12:57 pm
discoljd
Member Since: 27 May 2021
Location: ROMFORD
Posts: 6
Thanks, yeah I'm going to do that now. How much would it need to be overfilled to start causing problems do you know. I really can't of put that much in. Only thing I can think of is doing it on a slop the old oil didn't completely drain away.
27th May 2021 1:03 pm
Pete K
Member Since: 15 Jan 2016
Location: GL
Posts: 10685
5 litres of oil is not an overfil. In fact it is minimum.
I would blame this on poor dipstick design. Check both sides have oil.
5.25l of oil is what I try and fill to. And is between min and max
27th May 2021 1:17 pm
discoljd
Member Since: 27 May 2021
Location: ROMFORD
Posts: 6
Thats what is throwing me.
After driving to my local petrol station and leaving it 5-10 mins it seems that most of the oil is around the first to second ball now. So taking into consideration more oil settling in the sump it seems about right. The dipstick reading still isn't clear though as some residue oil around the top ball. Anyway I'm happy it's not overfilled, might need to stick a little more in if anything.
27th May 2021 1:56 pm
Pete K
Member Since: 15 Jan 2016
Location: GL
Posts: 10685
yeah you want more than 5l in it.
If you buy a 1 litre top up bottle, put 0.25 in, and that should do you 4 changes if your car doesn't use oil. / cheapscate
27th May 2021 2:00 pm
discoljd
Member Since: 27 May 2021
Location: ROMFORD
Posts: 6
I've got 1ltr left over from the 6 I bought for the change
Only recently bought the car and it had 150k on the clock, knew I was going to have to spend some money on it getting stuff fixed. So far thats been 2.5k so I need to start saving money
New gearbox sump, double flush, brake discs all round, rear brake calipers (seized rear), pads all round, new tracking rods and ball joints, intercooler pipe, oil filter, air filter, new tyres.
Changing the oil every 5k to try and ring as much of the engine out as possible
27th May 2021 2:06 pm
lynalldiscovery
Member Since: 22 Dec 2009
Location: Maidstone
Posts: 7274
5k for oil changes is spot on, done this for decades, and never had an engine blow/fail yet.
I was told by an old guy many years ago, oil cheap, engnes and gearboxes not!
27th May 2021 3:32 pm
JordsDisco
Member Since: 22 May 2020
Location: Newcastle
Posts: 1616
27th May 2021 3:50 pm
discoljd
Member Since: 27 May 2021
Location: ROMFORD
Posts: 6
lynalldiscovery wrote:
5k for oil changes is spot on, done this for decades, and never had an engine blow/fail yet.
I was told by an old guy many years ago, oil cheap, engnes and gearboxes not!
Exactly, and it's not that hard to take an hour or two out your day to do it.
Just done my wife's Focus Ecoboost, plugs filters and oil and my Ducati Monster. With the Discovery was probably 5 hours of my time. £300 spent and probably saved £1000 in service costs going to a garage.
27th May 2021 4:09 pm
aja4x4
Member Since: 14 Apr 2019
Location: Westbury
Posts: 2463
The D3 must have the worst dipstick ever, i can never see the new oil.
I always put a measured amount in when i do an oil changeAndrew
D3 2.7tdv6 2005
D4 3.0 SDV6 Commercial died and gone to LR heaven
D5 3.0 SDV6 HSE
27th May 2021 6:08 pm
M3DPO
Member Since: 22 Sep 2010
Location: Notts.
Posts: 8230
lynalldiscovery wrote:
5k for oil changes is spot on, done this for decades, and never had an engine blow/fail yet.
I was told by an old guy many years ago, oil cheap, engnes and gearboxes not!
I never ever put cheap oil in mine , even “cheap” ain’t cheap anymore, certainly not if you’ve got an engine with a DPF.It can when others can't,
It will when others won't,
It goes where others don't.
27th May 2021 6:39 pm
Stevepd
Member Since: 06 Mar 2018
Location: Wiltshire
Posts: 392
The stick is a deceptive design. Many a time I’ve thought about cutting them off bar the top n bottom one.visiting from www.rrsport.co.uk
28th May 2021 5:50 am
M3DPO
Member Since: 22 Sep 2010
Location: Notts.
Posts: 8230
aja4x4 wrote:
The D3 must have the worst dipstick ever, i can never see the new oil.
I always put a measured amount in when i do an oil change
Not so, it’s better than a D4 it even hasn’t even got one!It can when others can't,
It will when others won't,
It goes where others don't.
28th May 2021 8:08 am
aja4x4
Member Since: 14 Apr 2019
Location: Westbury
Posts: 2463
True Andrew
D3 2.7tdv6 2005
D4 3.0 SDV6 Commercial died and gone to LR heaven
D5 3.0 SDV6 HSE
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