Dipstick reading

[soupy1234]

Warm engine. Allowed oil to drain back into pan for 15 minutes. 2 readings showing both sides of the dip stick. For some reason one side always shows more (I assume because of engine camber).

I'd call that overfull (so does the owner's manual BTW). Don't know if I'd try to remove some or not but if the dealer kept doing that, I'd definitely just do my own. I just did a 5000 mi oil change and just 5 3/4 quarts put it about 2/3 of the way to the upper mark which is just the way I like it.

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[tacorancher]

I'd call that overfull (so does the owner's manual BTW). Don't know if I'd try to remove some or not but if the dealer kept doing that, I'd definitely just do my own. I just did a 5000 mi oil change and just 5 3/4 quarts put it about 2/3 of the way to the upper mark which is just the way I like it.

Exactly. The whole “oh it’s fine” no matter what you show them is just mind numbing.

 

[TacoFreak]

The pictures show why you are concerned - that is clearly overfilled, and by a good bit. I would probably either try to take some out or make them do it over correctly.

 

[tacorancher]

The pictures show why you are concerned - that is clearly overfilled, and by a good bit. I would probably either try to take some out or make them do it over correctly.

Exactly. I’m really not trying to split hairs. I want it to be within a range of normal. I’m wondering if the engine will just naturally burn off the excess over time if I should go back (again) to the dealer. I sent the photos by email and asked them to show to the master tech.

 

[TacoFreak]

I have never had to add any oil between changes on my Toyotas, so I would not count on it burning off. I guess as long as the dealer is fine with this they assume any responsibility if you have engine problems. I understand that along with already having transmission issues you don't want to worry about your engine as well.

The main concern of overfill is that the level in the crankcase can be high enough for the connecting rod big ends to be slightly into the oil in the sump. That should never happen and if it does it can whip up the oil, kind of like froth on a latte. If the oil pickup sucks up some of that foam, the pump can cavitate and make pressure drop. As long as you are not seeing low oil pressure you are probably fine.

If it were me I would probably want to make the dealer adjust the oil level. Most shops have oil fill nozzles that meter the oil amount as you fill it. A moment of distraction with an inexperienced tech could easily overfill your engine. You could also ask that they drain the oil into a pan, not the normal oil collection drums to see just how much was in there. It would be interesting to see how much oil did end up in there.

I do think it is safe to drive, particularly since you are watching the oil pressure and would know if it gets too low. Good luck and let us know how this turns out.

 

[tacorancher]

I have never had to add any oil between changes on my Toyotas, so I would not count on it burning off. I guess as long as the dealer is fine with this they assume any responsibility if you have engine problems. I understand that along with already having transmission issues you don't want to worry about your engine as well.

The main concern of overfill is that the level in the crankcase can be high enough for the connecting rod big ends to be slightly into the oil in the sump. That should never happen and it it does it can whip up the oil, kind of like froth on a latte. If the oil pickup sucks up some of that foam, the pump can cavitate and make pressure drop. As long as you are not seeing low oil pressure you are probably fine.

If it were me I would probably want to make the dealer adjust the oil level. Most shops have oil fill nozzles that meter the oil amount as you fill it. A moment of distraction with an inexperienced tech could easily overfill your engine. You could also ask that they drain the oil into a pan, not the normal oil collection drums to see just how much was in there. It would be interesting to see just how much ended up in there.

I do think it is safe to drive, particularly since you are watching the oil pressure and would know if it gets too low. Good luck and let us know how this turns out.

Appreciate that man. I ran it for 10 minute to get coffee, took it home shut it off for about 15 and it’s reading pretty close to normal now only barely above the line. No clue dude lol. Sigh. The curse of an OCD tacoma owner. Average person would never notice or care


Anyway it’s still high on one side of the stick

 

[Miqie]

The danger of overfilling is foaming of the oil caused by the crankshaft whipping up the oil. I think you would see that on the dipstick if it was happening or notice foam under the filler cap.

 

[Burgi]

for what its worth, when I did my first oil change 5.5 quarts put me right in the middle of the dipstick and I think the manual calls for 6. I always do half a quart less then the manual calls for and then adjust based on the dipstick because there will always be a little old oil throughout the motor.

 

[TacoFreak]

@Burgi That is exactly what I do too. I have found that the amount of oil needed is sometimes different than what the manual says. That method lets you get it right on the mark and learn how much needs to go in on your next change.

 

[tacorancher]

for what its worth, when I did my first oil change 5.5 quarts put me right in the middle of the dipstick and I think the manual calls for 6. I always do half a quart less then the manual calls for and then adjust based on the dipstick because there will always be a little old oil throughout the motor.

Ah that would make sense if the tech punched in 6 qt

 

[tacorancher]

Ah that would make sense if the tech punched in 6 qt

These trucks need to sit for 30 min to an hour after a drive so oil settles to get a clean read it seems.

 

[TacoFreak]

It is normal for synthetic oils to darken over time and then the level is much easier to read, so that's a plus. Mobile 1 would be super dark if you ran it for 10k miles. Not sure about the Toyota oil.

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