# Overfill Engine Oil By One Quart - Problem? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** civic, oil, honda\ **Created:** [December 31, 2009, 3:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/overfill-engine-oil-by-one-quart-problem/41574 "2009-12-31T15:40:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MikeSoper87](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9c0ed/32.png) [@MikeSoper87](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeSoper87)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 3:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/overfill-engine-oil-by-one-quart-problem/41574/1 "2009-12-31T15:40:16Z")
I just discovered that my daughter’s 2005 Honda Civic engine oil was overfilled by the service station. On the dipstick, it is over by about 3/4". The viscosity appears okay vs. frothed. Should I be concerned? ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 4:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/overfill-engine-oil-by-one-quart-problem/41574/2 "2009-12-31T16:21:35Z")
It won’t hurt anything but some of it could be drained for peace of mind if nothing else. A couple or three quarts over is a different story. ---
**Author:** ![rocketman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eada6e/32.png) [@rocketman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/rocketman)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2009, 5:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/overfill-engine-oil-by-one-quart-problem/41574/3 "2009-12-31T17:08:42Z")
Hey OK. . . Happy Holidays! I knew that about the engine, what about an automatic transmission? Is an overfill on an automatic fatal? Just wondering. Rocketman ---
**Author:** ![pleasedodgevan2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ad7895/32.png) [@pleasedodgevan2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/pleasedodgevan2)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2010, 3:40am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/overfill-engine-oil-by-one-quart-problem/41574/4 "2010-01-01T03:40:02Z")
Maybe not these days, but a turbo 350 GM on a 1976 Impala would not upshift in cold weather 15 degrees F, due to interference with the modulator valve which was just above the fill level. Just remove the modulator valve and don’t be in the way of the fluid. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 12:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/overfill-engine-oil-by-one-quart-problem/41574/5 "2010-01-02T00:37:55Z")
Happy Holidays and New Year to you also! No, overfilling the automatic transmission by a small amount will not hurt anything. (no more than a quart anyway) I’ve been routinely overfilling my vehicles for about 40 years and all of my family members vehicles in the same manner for as long as they’ve been driving with never a problem or frothing involved. I would certainly never overfill an engine or transmission by 2 quarts or more but a .5 to 1 quart will not hurt anything. In my opinion, it’s insurance. Better too much than too little. ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2010, 1:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/overfill-engine-oil-by-one-quart-problem/41574/6 "2010-01-02T01:44:02Z")
At the very least, I would be very reluctant to use that service station for anything, and I’d recommend that my friends not use them either. To be fair to them, I would confront the service station manager about why this happened and how it will be avoided in the future. If he comes up with a VERY good answer to both questions, I might use them again, but I’d check their work very closely for awhile.