Nezz10

Just had an RAC inspection on the scooby (MY00) i am thinking of buying and in the report it says that the oil is right up to the top when it should be at the three quaters level.

I have heard and read some threads about this causing problems with some sensors.

Can anybody shed some light on the subject and set my mind at rest.

Neil.

SWRTWannabe

I had a feeling I had heard somewhere that too much oil can actually damage the engine (the head gasket rang a bell) so had a quick search on the internet to make sure I wasn't going to make a complete prat of myself

General opinion is that too much oil can damage the engine. One explanation was that too much oil will get in the workings more and "froth" reducing it's lubricant properties.

I'm not a mechanic (the most technical thing I do to my Scoob is top up the washer bottle) but it looks like too much oil is a bit of a no no.

chiark

Too much oil can mean that it gets sucked into the turbo control gubbins thingy pipework (that's the technical name) and can cause problems such as "overboosting", where the engine management abruptly shuts off the turbo when giving it full welly.

I think the inspection bloke is quite possibly covering his behind or trying to find something wrong with the car to prove that they've been worth the money you spent on them.

I can't think of any car that would be damaged by filling up with oil to the recommended fill level. This 3/4 full from Subaru is a workaround for the overboost problem. Overfilling beyond that maximum level (as opposed to 3/4 level) is definitely a nono as it can cause more problems than having too little oil!

If I'm wrong, please could someone with more mechanical clue correct me!!!!

Also, did the inspector read the level right? There's two holes in the dipstick, and a notch. It's the holes that you're looking at, not the notch...

Nick.

Nezz10

so the outlook does not look good.

chiark

Nazz, that isn't what I was trying to say! Sorry...

Overboost due to filling with oil is a simple problem to fix if (and only IF!) you ever encountered it. Clean the solenoid and all's good, apparently.

See the sidc faq for loads of information.

If the car's been filled with oil over the mark (as opposed to over 3/4s full) then that could stress the gubbins more.

If my car had this pointed out on an inspection then I'd take a bit of oil out and find the next punter if the original wasn't happy. This may have happened to the next car you look at.

Remember also that the inspector is trying to justify his fee!

Mike Tuckwood

Up to the full mark is not technically wrong, just can generate minor problems (which are easily fixed).

WRONG is the 8.5 litres of oil we drained from a customers car a couple of weeks ago.

Nezz10

Just spoken to Scoobysport and they said that they have never had any major problems with overfilling but all it does is let a bit run through the tubes which can be easily cleaned.

chiark

Nezz - believe it or not, that was what I was trying to say.

I must learn to write more concisely

NENO

Nezz,

I had a similiar dilemma over a car I looked at. It had a leak from the oil pump which the owner hadn't got around to fixing, instead he'd just kept it topped up. He topped it up with over two litres more than it needed with the result that it over boosted, which was exceedingly disconserting.

I bought the car and took the risk - at a knock down price. Once the pipe to the solinoid was cleaned out and the oil seal fixed it ran lovely. The head gasket has just gone, it could be related, but they are a little prone to it too...

Like others I don't think over filling is a problem on it's own, but you need to know why. Was he just stupid? Did the roadside repair guy know what he was talking about? Either way get some money off for the (potential) repairs.

Good luck
Mike

Nezz10

Thanks for all the input guys. I feel a lot better now i am 'in the know' as it where. The sale has alreay been done but i was just getting a bit worried about futre problems i may get, but with the price i am paying it will definatley be worth it.