Dipstick says no oil, car seems fine.

but I make that 100% so far

I've just asked three of the family_oab.
All three said "when you do it"...
But all three also said they have checked tyre pressures and all have filled screenwash, and one said she had checked the oil once in our 27 years of car ownership...

So your 100% is looking shoogly.

Yeah too much oil is also bad.
Mates Alfa 73 cloverleaf 3.0 V6 left parts of the engine along a mile or so of the M6 when he overfilled ot

Your engine has almost certainly sustained some damage unfortunately.

As said, it possibly hasn't depending how far below the dipstick it actually is.

Another good example is “I think a headlight bulb is out” all four blubs are blown!

CANBUS should have all but eliminated this problem.

Some people worry too much. I've a focus that's on 114k miles, I last checked the dipstick at 72k when I swapped the oil and filter.

Doing an experiment! And I'm an agri service engineer and get very upset with customers that miss the 500hr service schedule.

Also, check your brakes- this was my mate's car, we were on track at the weekend, he stopped the day early because his pads were getting low but found this when he got home

https://imgur.com/Fz5Vtth

Has it gone rusty yet or is it one of those plastic ones that doesn't warn you how bad it's got? 🤣

Many years ago I owned a 1954 split-screen Morris Minor. One of the things I particularly liked, apart from the fact that the old side-valve engine had been replaced with a 1275 A-Series, was instead of the circular speedo in the centre of the dash, it had a small instrument cluster directly in front of the driver, a speedo, with a small rectangular gauge either side - oil pressure on the left, petrol on the right. I always knew when the oil needed checking and topping up because the needle would start to flicker slightly when the level dropped, usually by about half a pint/litre. Much better than a light.

One of my friends wife bought a used Rover mini.
He checked the oil after she picked it up.
The dipstick was spotless apart from a bit of tissue stuck on the end where it had been checked and presumably forgotten about the last time.

Luckily the car dissolved faster than it drank oil. A shame it didn't leak or it might have lived longer

I suppose it must be down to pumping losses in the crank

Probably windage. The crank will create a mini-tornado in the crankcase which will pick up oil and fling it around the crankcase. Having a lower oil level should reduce that.

So there is a sensor on the bonnetcatch which controls the oil light

No, there isn’t. I can say that with certainty as it’d be f*cking stupid.

thats the minimum oil level light

when you think of the number of people that put 3 extra litres oil in, because of this light, its really realy 'king stupid
would all the extra oil cause a turbo overboost situation?
asking for a friend)

would all the extra oil cause a turbo overboost situation?

More likely the crankshaft splashing about in the overfilled sump will add some extra resistance and heating.

Used to take my Passat to a main dealer for servicing. Every time I'd get about 100 miles and the low level light would come on.
When I started to check they'd put enough in that it'd tickle the low level line on the dipstick.
Standard procedure sir.

Probably windage. The crank will create a mini-tornado in the crankcase which will pick up oil and fling it around the crankcase. Having a lower oil level should reduce that.

One of the benefits of a dry sumped car.

would all the extra oil cause a turbo overboost situation?
(asking for a friend)

It could, if the piston seals start to let a *lot* of oil mist through, cause the engine to start running all on it's own. This was sort of a problem with early DPF equipped diesels cleaning the filter, they'd add extra fuel, which wouldn't always burn off (especially with colder engines and lower loads) this would then run down the cylinder walls and dilute the oil, and eventually over fill the sump. Which would eventually cause the issue.
Or, you'd get so much diesel in the oil that it'd run past various seals if the fit wasn't perfect. THEN you could get the turbo issue (overboost doesn't really describe it well).

There were several recalls for this (change the oil, better software to determine when to inject extra fuel).
I've heard that the oil that came out of the sump was, in some cases, more than 50% diesel.

The air line at the garage near me has gone up from 50p to a pound.

Suppose that’s inflation for you.

You are Tim Vine and I claim my £5...🙃

I’ve heard that the oil that came out of the sump was, in some cases, more than 50% diesel.

I had a bike (suzuki vx800) that used to dribble petrol into the sump and consequently blow the resulting two stroke mix out of the crankcase breather & all over the back tyre, if ever there was a bike that tried to kill me...

Worthwhile reminder. My Uperb was ag the low end of the dipstick. Quarter litre added to get back to halfway.

First top up in 4500 miles so can't complain. My excuse for less regular checks is the road at the jouseslopes.

Need to get a into a routine of checking every time I fill up. 600 miles or so.

VW’s official stance is that using up to 1l of fuel per 1000 miles is within design tolerances

my 2.5L T5 drank about that much. Really riled me as my Peugeot didnt drink a drop.

I’m unaware of any cars that link the oil pressure light to the bonnet catch.

T5 had that too. It was to make sure you had actually topped it up before putting the light out, or something. My oil light got stuck on and it turned out to be a broken wire to the bonnet switch.
Im certain its there, cause i repaired the wire!

This was sort of a problem with early DPF equipped diesels cleaning the filter, they’d add extra fuel, which wouldn’t always burn off (especially with colder engines and lower loads) this would then run down the cylinder walls and dilute the oil

Also a problem if you wanted to use biodiesel because above a certain concentration it would cause the engine oil to polymerise, and the entire sump would be filled with jelly.

I guess this is what happens when the majority buy vehicles as a white-goods commodity to be disposed of every three years on PCP. Many modern downsized low cylinder count petrol engines that rely on their turbos to give their oomph can vaporise their engine oil fairly rapidly due to the turbo heat. Have had a couple of cars where 1Lt of oil every 1000 miles would be within normal range, same cars were known for lunching their engines if oil became low - which it did for many owners. I check every few weeks along with tyre pressures.

squirrelking
Free Member

More likely the crankshaft splashing about in the overfilled sump will add some extra resistance and heating.

You need a shitload of excess for this to happen with most cars.

You need a shitload of excess for this to happen with most cars.

Yeah of course, like tipping an entire 5l bottle in or brimming it?

People are stupid*, that was the first thing I learned as an engineer.

*or at least stupid enough not to RTFM

I guess this is what happens when the majority buy vehicles as a white-goods commodity to be disposed of every three years on PCP.

This.

An ex colleague with a car leased thru work had no dipped beams working and only one high beam. All 4 tyres visibly underinflated and just didn't care. When i suggested she get it sorted the answer was " its a lease car and being replaced after the winter"

I guess this is what happens when the majority buy vehicles as a white-goods commodity to be disposed of every three years on PCP.

We're in second gen of this pattern now. Cars have been pretty reliable since the 90s.
Couple of years ago, I pulled up at a motorway services to fill screenwash and found a 20-ish year old bloke whose car was running hot, so he had added water as coolant... via the oil filler cap.

You need a shitload of excess for this to happen with most cars.

Not really, some of the small highly strung engines (3 cylinders with turbos etc) a litre over max fill will have a measurable effect. Something like a biggish straight 6, you might need 3 or 4.
Essentially the crank shaft shouldn't touch the oil. There's usually less than 10mm clearance at max fill when the engine is running, obviously less when the oil all drains down.

People are stupid*, that was the first thing I learned as an engineer

Despite the fact people are advised/common knowledge (it's even part of the driving test) to keep oil topped up using the dipstick and when the oil light warning light comes on (if it's working) they still manage to damage/seize engines speaks volumes.

Idiots always find a way.

Not really, some of the small highly strung engines (3 cylinders with turbos etc) a litre over max fill will have a measurable effect.

That's quite a bit to be fair. I sometimes put a little extra in mine (biggish straight six) because it burns so much and will be back down within a week, but maybe half a litre max.

Have we still not heard whether the OP has put any oil in his car?

I need closure.

Have we still not heard whether the OP has put any oil in his car?

I need closure.

2 litres of oil has filled it up. I seem to have forgotten that our new car is now in fact 10 years old.
I shall check the oil weekly and seek stw redemption.

Good work. I will sleep better tonight.

It was pretty thirsty then.