# Oil level rising suddenly? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [October 19, 2016, 4:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-rising-suddenly/96153 "2016-10-19T04:05:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![matt357](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@matt357](https://community.cartalk.com/u/matt357)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2016, 8:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-rising-suddenly/96153/21 "2016-10-19T20:55:28Z")
Can the gasket become dry and crack from not driving it often? I have heard that can happen to radiator hoses not sure if it’s true or not. ---
**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:** [October 20, 2016, 12:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-rising-suddenly/96153/22 "2016-10-20T00:45:00Z")
Nope. Nothing you could do would affect it. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 1:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-rising-suddenly/96153/23 "2016-10-20T01:08:44Z")
I guess I’m with Volvo. A person that considers checking oil to be “getting into fixing cars” is not going to determine if there is a problem or not from a web site. ---
**Author:** ![matt357](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@matt357](https://community.cartalk.com/u/matt357)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 3:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-rising-suddenly/96153/24 "2016-10-20T03:10:21Z")
Is the gasket rubber or metal? ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 3:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-rising-suddenly/96153/25 "2016-10-20T03:15:05Z")
Suggest you monitor the dipstick once a week. If it keeps going up, post back. Check it under the same conditions all the time. I check mine first thing in the morning, car parked overnight on a level surface, before the car has been driven. Be sure to remove & wipe the dipstick clean, then reinsert and hold it there for 15 seconds, then remove the dipstick and take the measurement. I expect you’ll find it either stays where it is, or starts going down. ---
**Author:** ![Mustangman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mustangman/32/44130_2.png) [@Mustangman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Mustangman)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 1:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-rising-suddenly/96153/26 "2016-10-20T13:17:45Z")
Yes. Likely a composite head gasket with polymers, not rubber, and steel or copper. ---
**Author:** ![OldcarsRbest](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/oldcarsrbest/32/4812_2.png) [@OldcarsRbest](https://community.cartalk.com/u/OldcarsRbest)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 1:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-rising-suddenly/96153/27 "2016-10-20T13:49:18Z")
I sometimes take for granted how fortunate I was to be the son of a mechanic. I applaud you for beginning to take an interest in your vehicles. For now, I have to agree with @VOLVO_V70. Take the car in and tell them you want an oil change, and since you noticed the coolant level is down, a pressure test. DON’T say you think you have a blown head gasket, or the mechanic may lean back, look at your wallet, and say “Ayup, sure 'nuff”. Always give them the facts or symptoms, but no guesswork. In the future, pick up some books on car maintenance at the library; check with some of your friends and see if you can find someone who will let you watch them change oil or do light maintenance on their own cars. Before long, you’ll be able to tackle some of these light jobs. And check all your fluids tires etc. at least once a week. Please. ---
**Author:** ![matt357](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@matt357](https://community.cartalk.com/u/matt357)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 5:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-rising-suddenly/96153/28 "2016-10-20T17:07:57Z")
Can I tell them that I think the coolant might be leaking into the oil? Or that the oil level has risen? ---
**Author:** ![eddo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/eddo/32/2594_2.png) [@eddo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/eddo)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 5:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-rising-suddenly/96153/29 "2016-10-20T17:38:27Z")
nope. because you have no idea that it is, other than your paranoia. a crooked mechanic will test it, find nothing wrong, and then send you out the door with a bill for new head gaskets, and a blinker fluid flush. as OldcarsRbest said, Take the car in and tell them you want an oil change, and since you noticed the coolant level is down, a pressure test. I may even stick with the dealer on this since it is so close to warranty. ---
**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:** [October 20, 2016, 5:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-rising-suddenly/96153/30 "2016-10-20T17:43:52Z")
I disagree. How is the mechanic going to check if coolant is in the oil if he just drains it? ---
**Author:** ![matt357](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ecd19e/32.png) [@matt357](https://community.cartalk.com/u/matt357)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2016, 11:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-rising-suddenly/96153/31 "2016-10-20T23:07:02Z")
I took it to the dealer for an oil change today. They didn’t have time for a pressure test but drained the oil and showed it to me, it was not milky. Since their is no coolant on the driveway, where is it going? ---
**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:** [October 21, 2016, 1:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-rising-suddenly/96153/32 "2016-10-21T01:03:54Z")
No more guesses - get the cooling system pressure checked. ---
**Author:** ![insightful](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/insightful/32/2732_2.png) [@insightful](https://community.cartalk.com/u/insightful)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2016, 1:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-rising-suddenly/96153/33 "2016-10-21T01:04:46Z")
> [@matt357](#): > > Since their is no coolant on the driveway, where is it going? Take a deep breath. Then fill the coolant to the full line in the reservoir and watch it over a few months. Report when you see it go down. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [October 21, 2016, 1:27am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-rising-suddenly/96153/34 "2016-10-21T01:27:07Z")
> [@matt357](#): > > where is [coolant] going? I expect you have a small external leak somewhere. So little that it evaporates from the engine heat before dripping on the pavement. Monitor the coolant level and top it off as necessary. As long as you aren’t needing to reload with a cup of new coolant week, and there’s no coolant dripping on the ground, me, I’d just live w/it. Eventually it’ll get worse then you can find where the leak is and fix it. Another idea, inspect the weep hole in the water pump. There should be a small hole, like 1-2 mm in diameter, on the top of the WP housing, usually on the pulley side. Use a flashlight to look into the hole. There shouldn’t be any water in there. If there is, expect to be replacing the water pump in the not too distant future. A third idea, open the hood and smell the engine compartment area after a drive. Any sweet-smelling odors are usually caused by small coolant leaks. ---
**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:** [October 21, 2016, 1:32am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-rising-suddenly/96153/35 "2016-10-21T01:32:51Z")
It could still be a head gasket leak, into the combustion chamber. Test needed. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-rising-suddenly/96153.md?page=1)