03 Camry XLE 4-cylinder - Oil Overfilled by 1qt - How bad is it?

[SIrMack]

I just took the car in for an oil change yesterday and I realized today that they had used 5-quarts of oil instead of 4 quarts.

Is this something that I need to be overly concerned about? Can I wait a few days to get the 1-qt drained?

I just want to ensure that there isn't any damage from it. The mechanic said it was no big deal as there is plenty of crankshift clearance and a pressure/relief valve s it won't overheat, froth, etc.

I have only driven like 15 miles on it with that and will need to drive another 45 tomorrow before I can get back to have them drain it.

I did a search but didn't find anything about overfilling in a newer Camry.

Will it be alright? The guy said I could drive around with 5qt until my next oil change but I don't know.

[warpedrotor]

The bigger jugs of oil here in Canada are 4.4 lites or about 155 fluid oz. I usually put the whole thing in at my oil change. I have not had any issues. You have 5 quarts or 160 oz. in your engine so I doubt you will have a problem.

[BlackCamSe]

only thing id worry about is the crank stirring up the oil, aerating it and causing it to provide less protection. TO be save id drain some out. An engine overfilled is worse then an engine under filled.

[CamrySExxx]

check your dipstick ... and go from there

[Dave-o]

i overfilled by probably 3/4 of a quart, i do oil changes all the time but it was odd how i kept checking then forgot how much i put in during my last few bits

gas mileage is down for sure, i took 2 300 miles trips, could barely get 30mpg...i think its related to the oil... plan on changing it all later this week

[Syzman]

From what I have learned in shop class, its as bad as if you had no oil. With extra oil in the engine, you run the risk of blowing your gasket from all the extra pressure. Drain it

[SIrMack]

Thanks for all the input.

When I get home I'll put the car up on ramps and drain out a quart.

The temperature was normal and it didn't sound any different.

Hopefully things are alright.

[gdanaher]

BEFORE you drain out the oil, check the dipstick. How do you know they put in 5 quarts? Did they charge you for it or did they say they put in 5 quarts??? Could be that the level on the dip stick is just fine and you were overcharged. In any event, if it has 5 in it, drain off a pint perhaps. The capacity is not a black and white thing. The engine tilts with the road and oil sloshes around. The capacity just isn't that precise. 4,5 quarts would be just fine and allow the oil to work longer, better.

[snake07]

Overfill is the reason why I never take my car to a quick lube shop. In the past, everytime I took my car out for an oil changed, I checked the dipstick once I got home and they're always above the highest level on the dipstick. I end up doing my own oil change ever since.

[SIrMack]

Originally Posted by gdanaher

BEFORE you drain out the oil, check the dipstick. How do you know they put in 5 quarts? Did they charge you for it or did they say they put in 5 quarts??? Could be that the level on the dip stick is just fine and you were overcharged. In any event, if it has 5 in it, drain off a pint perhaps. The capacity is not a black and white thing. The engine tilts with the road and oil sloshes around. The capacity just isn't that precise. 4,5 quarts would be just fine and allow the oil to work longer, better.

Well I brought in a case of 6-quarts, they used 5-quarts. I asked them how much they used and they said 5-quarts. I checked the level and it looked high, although I always have trouble reading the dipstick on the Camry.

I drained out 1-quart and the engine seemed to run quieter (less "Rattling" like sound) at acceleration.

[islandboy57]

Originally Posted by SIrMack

Well I brought in a case of 6-quarts, they used 5-quarts. I asked them how much they used and they said 5-quarts. I checked the level and it looked high, although I always have trouble reading the dipstick on the Camry.

I drained out 1-quart and the engine seemed to run quieter (less "Rattling" like sound) at acceleration.

How come you didn't just bring them 4 quarts?

My aunt brings her '04 Accord w/ the 2.4L I4 to a local garage and I noticed the owner wrote "5 QTS" in yellow chalk on her oil cap. I think it's supposed to take 4.5 quarts. I did her last two oil changes with exactly 4.5 quarts and switched over to 5W-30 synthetic (from 5W-20 dino) and the car definitely runs better. A combination of the two factors I guess. Sure it's only half a quart over but there's probably a reason why car manufacturers specify exact capacities.

As others have said, I feel more comfortable changing my own oil but I know that's not practical for everyone.

[JohnGD]

That happens often at the dealer too.

I think if possible the best is still to do own oil changes.

Originally Posted by snake07

Overfill is the reason why I never take my car to a quick lube shop. In the past, everytime I took my car out for an oil changed, I checked the dipstick once I got home and they're always above the highest level on the dipstick. I end up doing my own oil change ever since.

[deadrx7conv]

Originally Posted by Syzman

From what I have learned in shop class, its as bad as if you had no oil. With extra oil in the engine, you run the risk of blowing your gasket from all the extra pressure. Drain it

Pressure from what? Shop class ever hear of a PCV?

Originally Posted by SIrMack

Thanks for all the input.
When I get home I'll put the car up on ramps and drain out a quart.
The temperature was normal and it didn't sound any different.
Hopefully things are alright.

Things are alright and nothing to worry about.

A quart is excessive. A pint isn't so bad. There's plenty of real estate, and once the engine is running, much oil is up top.

I think the biggest issue is that you're wasting resources! Don't let the hippy-greenie crowd find out that you have an extra ounce of precious oil in your engine.

The hearsay overfilled oil issue is with those ol' domestic engines where a the overfilled oil would give the crankshaft something to belly flop into, because of the oil pan's dimensions sacrificed for clearance. A little braking or acceleration would cause the oil to tsunami into the crankshaft.

I usually overfill by about 8-12 ounces to make up for the oil consumption over the year. Less worry for the yearly oil change. Never have to top off.

Aerating the oil isn't going to happen. Bubbles float. The oil pump pickup has plenty of head. And, oil has anti-foam additives to prevent the issue.

If you're worried about dropping the drain plug and wasting too much oil, simply unscrew the filter and drain the filter. Another method is to mityvac excess oil out of the dipstick.

[tekdemon]

You're fine. I think I've been overfilling it a bit for 7 years and my motor runs like new. I think the shops all put in 5 quarts and at some point I forgot it was supposed to be 4 so I starting just putting in the whole jug. To be honest if you're putting in a new filter it's probably holding much of that extra quart anyway. Even at 5 quarts if you drained the old oil properly you should see on the dipstick that it's only barely over the max.
Anyways if you're really worried just drain some out but I wouldn't lose sleep over it. I think you just solved the mystery of why my oil dipstick is always on the high side though-can't believe I've been overfilling it for the last few years. Doh.

Apparently the official oil capacity is 4.8quarts counting the filter so I wouldn't worry too much.