# Is too much oil bad?

**URL:** <https://community.cartalk.com/t/is-too-much-oil-bad/42951>\
**Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\
**Tags:** civic, honda\
**Created:** [January 21, 2010, 4:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/is-too-much-oil-bad/42951 "2010-01-21T16:32:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![hondacivic22](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/9de0a6/32.png) [@hondacivic22](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hondacivic22)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2010, 4:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/is-too-much-oil-bad/42951/1 "2010-01-21T16:32:09Z")

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I have a 2002 honda civic 1.7 liter engine. I just got my oil changed yesterday and I checked it today to make sure they put enough in, and it was overfilled. If the difference between the low and the full mark on the dipstick is one quart, then it’s almost a quart overfull. Is that bad?

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**Author:** ![Docnick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Docnick](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Docnick)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2010, 4:41pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/is-too-much-oil-bad/42951/2 "2010-01-21T16:41:21Z")

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It’s not a disaster, but it is not good. Often, if your car takes 3 1/2 quarts, they will it up with four 1 quart bottles, and overfill by 1/2 quart. I would not worry about that.

I would take the car back and have the drain out that extra quart.

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**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2010, 5:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/is-too-much-oil-bad/42951/3 "2010-01-21T17:01:38Z")

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As long as the crank-shaft isn’t sitting in the oil it’s ok. The problem is you really don’t know if it is. Try to drain out a quart.

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**Author:** ![hondacivic22](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/9de0a6/32.png) [@hondacivic22](https://community.cartalk.com/u/hondacivic22)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2010, 5:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/is-too-much-oil-bad/42951/4 "2010-01-21T17:02:58Z")

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Thanks for the responses. I just called and they said they’d drain out the extra oil.

Joe

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**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:** [January 21, 2010, 5:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/is-too-much-oil-bad/42951/5 "2010-01-21T17:35:52Z")

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We hear these sort of things often from quickie lube places. If yours was done by one, let me suggest you find a reliable local independantly owned and operated shop for your future work.

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**Author:** ![realbinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a87d85/32.png) [@realbinky](https://community.cartalk.com/u/realbinky)\
**Post date:** [January 21, 2010, 6:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/is-too-much-oil-bad/42951/6 "2010-01-21T18:21:14Z")

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Make sure you wiped the stick and looked again. Sorry if you did so. If you just yank it and look, it may be from recent driving splattering the stick.