Car is 2000 corolla CE (50k miles). On the dipstick, from what I understand, there is 1 mark for Low and 1 mark for Full. I should keep it at the Full level.
When I checked (early morning before starting), the oil level is at Full and a half a mark.
Isn’t this too much oil?
Was the car on totally level ground?
How far (in fractions of an inch) was the oil above the full mark?
Yeah, car was on level ground, it was 3/4 of an inch above the full.
It takes 4 quarts for an oil and filter change. If he is only putting in 4 qts, then the dipstick may be incorrect.
You should check the oil with the engine off once it is warmed up. Checking it cold in the morning can give inaccurate readings. Oil can drain down from the bearings and out of the filter, making it look like there’s too much oil.
BustedKnuckles makes a good point, but I do prefer to check my oil in the morning before starting the engine. I would suggest that you do check it after it is warmed up within a minute or two of shutdown and if it is normal, you may want to discuss the type of oil filter your mechanic is installing.
A good oil filter will have an anti-drain back valve in it. The best ones are made of silicone. This should keep the oil from draining back into your pan after being shutdown overnight. The big advantage to a good filter with a good anti-drain back valve is that oil pressure will build up in the engine much quicker when you start it in the morning, reducing that dry start wear and tear. It can make a difference in the life of the engine.
Oops, you can disregard what I said about the oil filter, I just realized you have a Corolla. The oil filter in your car is mounted vertically with the opening at the top, it cannot drain back oil into your engine, valve or no valve. Most other vehicles mount the oil filter horizontally so it is an issue for them.
Your engine requires 3.2 quarts with a new oil filter. Your mechanic is probably putting in four quarts.
This isn’t a problem unless the oil level gets too high where it comes in contact with the rotating crankshaft causing the oil to aerate or turn to foam. And if this were to happen the oil light would come on. So as long as the oil light never comes on, I wouldn’t worry about it.
Tester
I have often used 4 quarts and mistakenly overfilled Toyota 1.5 and 1.8L engines on various models and never had a problem but 4 quarts never raised the indicated level on the dipstick 3/4 inch.
The factory specification for a 2013 Toyota Yaris with the 1.5L engine is 3.9 quarts, as a matter of fact.
I think it is a good idea in general to not go over the top fill mark. After all some guy at Toyota’s was paid a good salary to consider all the issues affecting the engine wear, the oil seals, mpg , then decide where to put that mark, and he put it at that spot for a reason. Why ignore all that work he did? After all , when you wrote the check to buy your car, you paid him to do it.
I think there is a one quart difference between the low mark and the high mark, so you may be 1/2 quart overfilled. I guess what I’d do is drive it to the grocery store, do my shopping, and check it in the grocery store parking when I came out. Be sure to remove the dipstick, clean it, re-insert for 30 seconds, then pull it out carefully. Look at both sides of the dipstick. The correct reading is the lower of the two. If it remains 1/2 quart overfilled, ask your mechanic to drain 1/2 quart out.
Tester, where did you get that information. My daughter has a 2003 Corolla, it has the same engine and it takes 4 quarts.
I looked the up the oil capacity on Mitchel On Demand, and on Identifix.
Tester
Guys, I went straight to the source
http://www.toyota.com/t3Portal/document/om/OM12718U/pdf/omsource/2000om/00coroll/8.pdf
3.9qts with filter
3.7qts w/o filter
Don’t take my word for it. Look on page 231
The Toyota factory owners manual for the 2000 Corolla 4-cyl engine states an oil capacity of 3.9 quarts with filter, and 3.7 quarts without filter.
But I agree with those saying that overfilling the oil in the 1/2 quart range should not cause alarm.
Some guys dump in 5 qts without checking the owners manual,had an oilchange done at Merchants on a Nissan PU one time-checked it later it was way over full and one evening about dark I decided to make things right,so even though the engine was hot(a mistake)I bravely held onto the drain plug and after the scalding oil had burnt a blister on my finger,jammed it back in-checked the oil(perfect) it was a gallon overfull-evidently forgot to drain the sump-Kevin
There is a buffer range in the crank case for oil capacity. Too much is better then not enough as long as it’s within that accepted range. Also, 3/4 of an inch is very little if the range between low, add a quart, and full is two inches. I know people who obsess with having the oil fill at the mark exactly, often forgetting that it may read over if the car has sat for a while and there is some condensation. Count me in with the “not to worry bunch”.
It’s kind of funny, my daughter was up for a visit this morning, so I looked in her owners manual. It stated the capacity was 1.3l, 1.4 qts. I have always put in 4 qts and it fills it to the line. 03 Corolla.