# Adding oil **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** toyota, tercel\ **Created:** [July 22, 2010, 7:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/adding-oil/52296 "2010-07-22T19:13:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![10Ohio10](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/8797f3/32.png) [@10Ohio10](https://community.cartalk.com/u/10Ohio10)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 7:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/adding-oil/52296/1 "2010-07-22T19:13:33Z")
When I start my care, the oil warning light comes on. I have not added oil for a long time and I usually need to add about a quart every two months. However, before adding oil, when I check the dip stick, THE OIL LEVEL IS WAY ABOVE THE FULL LINE! This is a recent occurance. ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 7:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/adding-oil/52296/2 "2010-07-22T19:17:34Z")
Is this an oil-level light or an oil-pressure light? Check your owner’s manual. If it’s an oil-pressure light, as I suspect, you shouldn’t drive the car unless you want to risk serious engine damage. Also, I’m not sure how the level got so high. Is this because you’ve been adding oil even though it’s full? If that’s not the explanation, possibly coolant is getting into the oil, which is bad. Regardless, you need to get the level down or that can also cause serious engine damage. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 7:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/adding-oil/52296/3 "2010-07-22T19:33:12Z")
Do you take lots of short trips, without the engine getting really warmed up? It’s an older car, right? How many miles? It could be accumulated water and gasoline condensation making the oil read high. I’d get the oil changed, and make sure it get fully warmed up at least once a week. ---
**Author:** ![10Ohio10](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/1/8797f3/32.png) [@10Ohio10](https://community.cartalk.com/u/10Ohio10)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 7:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/adding-oil/52296/4 "2010-07-22T19:58:48Z")
It’s a 1994 w/ 125,000 miles. I’ll get the oil changed and will be very curious to see what happens. ---
**Author:** ![ignoramus9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/d07c76/32.png) [@ignoramus9](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ignoramus9)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 8:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/adding-oil/52296/5 "2010-07-22T20:10:30Z")
good idea to get the oil changed, but you may also want to check the coolant level. If it is low, or if the oil is milky looking, you will want to take it to a mechanic and have the head gasket checked. ---
**Author:** ![geeaea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@geeaea](https://community.cartalk.com/u/geeaea)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 8:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/adding-oil/52296/6 "2010-07-22T20:39:48Z")
You sorta indicate that this is not within the 2 month window that you would normally expect to add oil. This could mean that the last oil change event never drained it and ended up adding a full sump’s worth of oil. This would take an obscure set of oddball circumstances to align themselves properly to occur, but has happened. The oil pressure light would be from aeration and reduced pressure. I would think that you would hear the effects first. I’d also expect you to perceive a way over filled sump. ---
**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 8:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/adding-oil/52296/7 "2010-07-22T20:48:39Z")
I’m pretty sure Tercels never had an oil level light, so it’s a pressure light, and it means disaster is right around the corner. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 8:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/adding-oil/52296/8 "2010-07-22T20:59:38Z")
I’m with Geesses on this one. I suspect you might have lost pressure due to foaming of the oil, that having been due to the level being so high that he crankshaft whipped it into a frappe. Since you haven’t herad any knocking sounds, you should be fine by draining and refilling the oil to the proper level. In future check your oil immediately after it being changed. ---
**Author:** ![ignoramus9](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/d07c76/32.png) [@ignoramus9](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ignoramus9)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 9:26pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/adding-oil/52296/9 "2010-07-22T21:26:52Z")
the oddball mentioned here most likely works for jiffy lube. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2010, 9:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/adding-oil/52296/10 "2010-07-22T21:33:56Z")
Which make me want to suggest to the OP… If this is an automatic, check your tranny fluid level. Skippy Lube has been known to drain the tranny and add 4 quarts to the oil…