overfilled the DODGE 2003 GRAND CARAVAN during oil change

The original overfill under discussion is 1 to 1-1/2 quarts..........

 

True enough, but then you chose to question another poster regarding
his experience with a 3 quart overfill on his Honda.

 

Why would you picture damaged seals? It does not matter how much you
overfill the system... the oil pressure will not go up. Think of a
gas pump at the gas station. There could be 300 gallons of gas in the
underground tank or 3000 gallons of gas in that tank. It makes no
difference in the amount of gas coming out of the nozzle at your pump
until the level gets low enough that the pump starts sucking air.

With a 3 quart overfill you should picture bearings destroyed by a
lack of lubrication. With that much overfill the crank will whip the
oil in to a froth and the oil pump can't pump froth effectively so
your oil pressure goes down until you stop or the engine stops.

The seals aren't subjected to any serious pressure. They mostly just
keep the splashing oil from leaking out. Worst case scenario is a
seal would be sitting in oil and might leak a little until the oil
level drops back under it.

Steve B.

 

BTW,

I was the original poster. and after a few days, I took it to WALMART
and got the oil changed for 18$. As I did not have the time/energy to
try to drain out accurately I quart.

My van works fine, I hope so.

I think I drove only 20-30 miles with the extra quart... I hope I did
not cause any damage.

 

Exactly!

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

Never heard of him, but a Google search shows him as the apparent
inventor of the joke.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

I suspect if you put enough oil in most engines and rev. them high
enough some seal or gasket will let loose from dynamic localized
pressure (I just snuck the word gasket in there).

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

Seems to me that if you filled an engine right up to the top and started
it up there would be some increase of pressure. I have never actually
tried filling an engine until it was full, but I would be extremely
surprised if all the oil stayed contained inside the engine when it was
started up.

But that is not what he said happened. He said he got a new engine and
that the service rep explained that Hydraulic Lock was the cause of the
engine failure. This sounds believable (why would they lie). What he
probably got confused about is what valve was involved. It probably
wasn't the engine valves but the PCV valve that caused the failure. I
can imagine, under the circumstances described, a geyser of oil being
sucked into the engine thru the PCV valve.

-jim

 

Are you sure you had an extra quart in the crankcase? I typically see
an overfill on the dipstick after changing oil and filter. I add the
exact amount specified in the manual and it always looks overfilled.
I've noticed the same thing on several cars I've owned and never had a
problem.

 

.....who was posting that one could experience a hydraulic lock due to
pressurized oil getting past his valve seals and locking up the piston -
which is what I questioned.


The poster discussing the 3 quart overfill never uttered a word about
blowing out seals.

He just claimed that Jiffy Lube replaced the engine after I questioned him
about hydraulic lock caused by pressurized oil bypassing the valve seals
into the cylinder.

Yet another poster posed the theory of a large overfill generating enough
pressure to blow seals - not necessarily blow the engine - but I would
think the standard crankcase ventilation system would absorb any pressure
developed.

 

Hi...

Does it still check over-full after running it long enough to fill
the filter?

Take care.

Ken

 

| > Are you sure you had an extra quart in the crankcase? I typically
see
| > an overfill on the dipstick after changing oil and filter. I add
the
| > exact amount specified in the manual and it always looks overfilled.
| > I've noticed the same thing on several cars I've owned and never had
a
| > problem.
|
| Hi...
| Does it still check over-full after running it long enough to fill
| the filter?
| Take care.
| Ken

Good question Ken . Yes it does. I always start the engine and run it
for a few minutes at idle just to make sure there are no leaks. Then I
check the old level and it usually reads high by at least a half quart,
maybe more. I don't even wait for oil to drain back into the crankcase,
I just check the level to make sure it's okay and I didn't do something
stupid. I like to see the nice clean oil on the dip stick.

 

Well, I read all that after the thread got hijacked. What I didn't
find was your advice to the OP and who seems to have resolved his
problem.

Things do get lost though. I offered a wild theory to sort of support
the idea of a hydrostatic lock in the bottom end of the Honda engine
that may have blown some end seals but it didn't appear in this group
thread. Instead it ended up as a cross post into the group that the OP
included in his original post.

 

You are probably wondering how to get the oil out.

I suggest you buy one of those pumps that are driven by an electric
drill. They usually have threaded ends to accept a normal hose fitting.
By rummaging around at your local hardware store, you can find adapters
that couple these fittings to plastic tubing (also sold by your hardware
store).

Slide the tubing from the inlet side into the dipstick hole and stick
the other in a suitable container. Run the drill motor until you have
removed enough oil to satisfy the "full" condition.

I did this when my friendly Audi dealer could not figure out how to
avoid overfilling my A4.

Good luck,

Ken

 

The OP posted yesterday that he took care of it by having WalMart change
the oil again since he couldn't figure out how to drain only a qt.

Here's what I would do: Remove the oil filter, dump the oil that's in
it, reinstall it. Start the engine, let the filter fill again, turn
engine off, then remove the filter again, dump it, reinstall it.
Re-start engine, run long enough to re-fill filter, turn engine off.
Recheck oil level. Depending on size of filter, that should have
removed approx. 1 qt. of oil.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

Ah yes, but you are overly endowed with a measure of common sense.

 

?!?

Why not just unscrew the drain plug with your fingers until you can
fell the threads are completely disengaged, quickly pull it away, then
quickly put it back, tighten it back in, measure oil level on the
dipstick, and add whatever partial quart is needed, if you let too much out?

Ted

 

Hi...

Wouldn't it be easier (and cleaner) to just drain it all into a nicely
cleaned pan, then put back what you need? And then, if dollars and the
environment count, put the left-over into another jug to save for
top-ups and the next change?

I particularly don't like the oil filter emptying trick. Grit my teeth
everytime a motor starts with an empty filter, and runs for even a
few seconds with no pressure. Hate it so much that I don't let it
happen. With a vertical filter I fill 'er up as much as I can before
installing it. And with any filter I disable the ignition and crank it
for 15 seconds or so before I let it start. Dunno if it helps much or
not, but I feel better

Take care.

Ken

 

I'm obsessive-compulsive too, Ken - just in different areas! Of
course some would claim that being concerned about overfilling the
crankcase means we worry too much.

Bill Putney
(To reply by e-mail, replace the last letter of the alphabet in my
address with the letter 'x')

 

Was that all? An extra quart? I thought it was more than that!

I fill my Toyotas (and my GR Vger when I had it) with the proper amount of
oil, less one-half quart; then I put in a quart of Marvel Mystery Oil. No
probs, until I did this on the Honda (same one with the blown engine...I
started doing my own oil changes after that!) and the car wouldn't start!
1/2 Quart over? Maybe it has something to do with the way Hondas move oil...?