Don't like the adverts?  Click here to remove them

Oil level too high

Rob

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 1, 2010
Messages
3,019
Garage
During my trip to Mongolia I have noticed that my engine seems to be gaining oil. The colour and smell of the oil is normal as far as I can tell. Before my trip I decided to fix my oil level warning light just after an oil change. It started to come on during long motorway drives, especially uphill and if you took your foot of the accelerator it would turn off. After say 2000 miles it would stay on once it turned on usually just after turning the engine on. I was runing Toyota 10w40 at the time. I checked the oil level every now and then in the morning and I noticed that the oil level was high. Just before changing it it was about 8mm above full this was after a 7000mile service interval. Since then I have changed to Fuchs TITAN SYN DIESEL 10W-40 and have done almost 8000 miles on it and I have the same issue, but it is only 5mm overfilled now. Now before you ask it wasn't overfilled and I did check the next morning after the service to confirm this. The same happened again with regard to the oil level warning light, was intermittent at first and now it is on all the time. The only difference is that the oil level has risen less than before and now the glow plug light sometimes stays on after turning the engine on (especially around town) but normally turns off at higher engine loads or when driving at say 70mph.

My initial thoughts is fuel dilution and I have heard that it could be worn piston rings or leaking injectors. When cold blue smoke comes out the exhaust but it goes away when the engine is warm. When I get to 10k miles I will change the oil and I intend to get it tested. Any thoughts on this one? What could it be? Has anyone else had a similar issue? Why does the glow plug light stay on? (remember its a 24v so no glow plugs)
 
what is your expansion tank level like? could be water getting into your oil through a leaky headgasket. mayo on the oil cap is a good give away.
 
Many years ago I had a friend who had an old Honda Black Bomber (motor bike).

He used to have to drain off engine oil every few weeks as the oil level used to rise.

It turned out to be worn inlet valve guide oil seals that was somehow letting fuel into the head/sump.

Not saying yours is the same problem and hopefully it is something more simple.
 
No mayo on the oil cap. The level in the coolant expansion tank has not changed at all since I replaced the coolant before the trip.
 
hi rob, Got the same issue with mine at the min. Well did have before the pump gave up. My engine said it was either the seal on the front of the pump allowing diesel into the gear caseing, or leaking injectors. Dont think you will be able to do either untill your back in the uk. Hope your enjoying your trip
karl
 
karl wester said:
Dont think you will be able to do either untill your back in the uk. Hope your enjoying your trip
Got back last week Karl, have a look in the trip report section ;)

Is it easy to check for a leaking injector or fuel pump seal on the front? That way I may not need to send the oil off for analysis if its easier.
 
Don't like the adverts?  Click here to remove them
Rob, as yours is a petrol. Take about a pint of oil out and see how easy it is to set fire to :shock: This will tell you if petrol is getting into the oil. As this sounds the case.

Paul
 
I will have to have a look tonight. didnt think you were back. Think the only way to check injectors is to take them to be tested as they leak and not spray when they are faulty. Someone will have more of a idea than me on here though.
karl
 
Rob said:
Its a diesel ;)


Oh well, still soulds like diesel getting into the oil. Just watch out if it is, as the engine can draw the oil/mix back past the rings and you will not stop the engine till it blows up, unless it is a manual. Then put it in 5th, foot on the break and drop the clutch :shock:
 
Good tip as I happen to have a manual, but now you've scared me :shock: I may actually get this sorted sooner rather than later now
 
Not nice when it happens. A friend and myself did a few "tests" for fun when I was younger and he had a good supply of cars. The best was when the head left the block, taking the bonnet with it :thumbup: It was fun at the time, but that is how I learnt to stop them if it happens. Only problem is my 80 is an auto. So it is head off or a big hole in the block!!

Paul
 
Rob said:
No mayo on the oil cap. The level in the coolant expansion tank has not changed at all since I replaced the coolant before the trip.


well that's good news at least. you might want to drain a bit of the oil into a pan, a litre or so, see how runny it is.
 
I have been draining my oil every 1000 miles recently as my level was way to high and very diluted. Not good. Paul, you can stall a auto. I had been told you could in the past but have yet had anyone who can tell me how. I stalled mine on ruby hill at the woods at lincomb. Dont know how, I was just flat out up the hill then it stoped.
karl
 
you can stall an auto by depriving it of air, good use for a snorkel, but just don't do it with your hand. i had to stall my land rover like that, with a board over the air intake. it was a manual, but the gearbox was not attached and the stop solenoid was faulty, so it was the only way to stop it.
 
callum said:
i had to stall my land rover like that, with a board over the air intake. it was a manual, but the gearbox was not attached and the stop solenoid was faulty, so it was the only way to stop it.
So if the gearbox was not attached when you tried to turn it off, is it reasonable to assume that it was attached when you turned in on otherwise there would be no point in turning it on in the first place, right? Sorry I had to ask...
 
callum, That would exlain it with my truck as my aftermarket filter had loads of clay type stuff all over it so that prob did it.
karl
 
Rob said:
callum said:
i had to stall my land rover like that, with a board over the air intake. it was a manual, but the gearbox was not attached and the stop solenoid was faulty, so it was the only way to stop it.
So if the gearbox was not attached when you tried to turn it off, is it reasonable to assume that it was attached when you turned in on otherwise there would be no point in turning it on in the first place, right? Sorry I had to ask...


haha, no, gearbox was on the ground being cleaned as it was removed to fit a new crank seal and other bits and bobs. we were testing the engine as the head had just been put back on after a timing belt slip. i had forgotten that i had removed the stop solenoid internals and when i went to turn it off after confirming the rebuild was ok. much head scratching followed. had considered disconnecting fuel, but the engine doesn't really like that, so a bit of chip board was placed over the air intake. wasn't very nice watching all the intercooler hoses collapse, but it did the job. surprisingly the engine in question was not from solihull, but an isuzu one. all good now though.

i think a heavy hit can stall an auto also. when doing a bit of extreme off roading (in a car park) i managed to catch a sign post with my front wheel when reversing out of a space. it was a fairly quick reverse and as such i ended up driving up the post until the sign part embedded in the wheel arch flare, stopping and stalling the car. had to drive back down the sign, bend it back up to almost upright and beat a hasty and very red faced retreat. i was fairly convinced an auto could not be stalled like that, but it seems i was wrong.
 
If you let it tick over facing up a steep enough slope an 80 will stall ;) The lift pump can't cope with the head if the front end is high enough. Doesn't work if you have a pusher pump of course.
 
As others have said, it sound like either the seal at the front of the injection pump has gone leaking fuel into the timing case or it could be that the bolts on the return line may be loose.

Have you had any work done to the injectors recently?

I think that the cheapest thing to do it so get some oil analysis done just to pin down the contaminant and then work from there.

The difficulty is that you won't be able to see the leak on the pump and it will be a messy job looking for leaks on the return line as the engine runs :)
 
Back
Top