oil levels...

[JamesL]

Checked my oil level as I do every so often and noticed it sitting higher than i'd usually have it. When cold, the level is sat just above the top bend of the dipstick on my mk1 leon. I turned the engine on and let it idle for 10 minutes or so just now, and re checked after. The level has gone down to just below the top bend. Obviously 10 minutes at idle means the oil isnt fully up to temp which means I've been driving around now for a while with an oil level which is likely to be somewhere around the top bend of the dipstick. The engine has felt a little less spritely recently, but with the warmer weather and a change to VW's own oil I put it down to those factors, but thinking now maybe its too much oil?

I realise I need to get some out of there, but my problem is that I am currently at my parents for the weekend, with no tools to hand and on a saturday afternoon no garages open. I need to drive the 100 or so miles back to mine on sunday evening, and need to drive down to south mimms (50 or so miles) at about 5-ish this evening.

Do I:

a) leave it until I get home - its been like this for a fair while so a couple miles more is going to be ok.

b) go and purchase a trolley jack, axle stands and wrench and get it out now. Only thing here is I already own all of the above, but they are at my house.

I thought about whether I could try and use an oil syringe with some piping to suck it out like a mini pela but no idea if the local halfrauds would be able to kit me out with it.

Opinions please guys?

 

[Muttley]

When the oil level is too high you get more oil out through the PCV system generating more soot. The major risk as far as I know is catalyst damage.

Another option might be to open the oil filter housing and try to get the oil out from there? Less tools to buy, if nothing else.

 

[JamesL]

AFAIK there is no soot or white smoke from my car, occaisionally seen a waft or 2 but only ever been if I catch a glimpse in someones headlights at night.

Urtter fail on attempts to get any out earlier, tried to use a small pump but its not powerful enough to get the suction going. Good call on the filter housing though, if I can work out a way of extracting any I'll try from there.

 

[Hobbiniho]

when did you do an oil change??? too much oil in an engine is not a good thing i would try to get it out as soon as possible, you could do a lot of damage to your engine if there is a lot more than there should be taking the oil filter lid off and using something to suck the oil out if there would be your best bet

 

[JamesL]

it was a little while ago I did the actual change, but then topped it up a little while ago.

Ended up attempting to get some oil out and failing, but have taken some out tonight. not quite sure how much yet, but oil level when warm fell from marginally over the top bend to marginally below the top of the hatched area.

sure it will feel nicer now too, will keep an eye on the level over the next few days.

 

[Hobbiniho]

you need to wait till the engine is cold to check the oil level to make sure that all the oil has settled into the sump or you are not measuring the oil that is dispersed around the engine, i know someone that checked his oil just after he had stopped and he put in 1litre too much oil and killed his engine

 

[JamesL]

indeed I was planning on checking it again when cold but forgot!

Thanks for the reminder

 

[glynnd]

AFAIK there is no soot or white smoke from my car, occaisionally seen a waft or 2 but only ever been if I catch a glimpse in someones headlights at night.

Urtter fail on attempts to get any out earlier, tried to use a small pump but its not powerful enough to get the suction going. Good call on the filter housing though, if I can work out a way of extracting any I'll try from there.

It wont bow up you know,it will just push it throught the exhaust.
Glynn