Oil Level too high?

[rene525d]

Hi all, this morning i acquired my new boxster s! I am really happy and the car has incredible acceleration. I wanted to check the oil level and i checked it in 2 different ways.

1) Digital gauge on the dash - All bars were lit
2) Dip Stick - the whole red part at the end of the stick was all wet of oil, way beyond the max mark.

Should I remove some oil as I am not sure that there really is a problem? I checked the oil level around 2 hours after the car was turned off. BTW its a 2004 model. Thanks

Some pics of the ride will follow!

[Overdrive]

Wait it out a bit longer to be sure the engine's totally cold and the oil has totally settled, then check the bars. My 97, if the system is still the same, is full when one bar is not lit at the very top (the gauge shows one bar above and one bar below the two arrows which indicate the safe operating range for the oil level). It does sound like between the gauge and the physical dipstick that there is too much oil, but don't take my word for gospel, wait until a few more people chime in.

Also, just as a dummy-proofing step, make sure the car is on as level a surface as possible. Any sort of tip in any direction will skew your results for both gauges.

[rene525d]

Yes i will wait all night and check tomorrow morning, and the strange thing is that the last oil change was 3000 miles ago, so I am still not convinced that the oil level is really high, but i guess how can i disagree with the dipstick being completely covered way more that the max part and the digital gauge having all bars lit?

[Ghostrider 310]

If all bars were lit on the digital display leaving it overnight will do nothing, letting the oil settle would be if it were reading low and the thought was it had not all drained out of the various places it goes yet. If you are truly concerned you could just drain some and top back off.

[schnellman]

The book my indie mechanic uses tells him to put in a half quart more than my owner's manual. (The owner's manual is the correct amount) The first time he over-filled the engine I had him take some out with a vacuum pump. Since then he has put in the amount shown in my owner's manual and everything is okay. Although a mechanic could over-fill the engine by using a manual with the wrong amount, I think he should also check using the dipstick.
And yes, you should not run the engine if it has too much oil.

[BYprodriver]

Originally Posted by rene525d

Yes i will wait all night and check tomorrow morning, and the strange thing is that the last oil change was 3000 miles ago, so I am still not convinced that the oil level is really high, but i guess how can i disagree with the dipstick being completely covered way more that the max part and the digital gauge having all bars lit?

1st thing I do with any used car I buy is change the oil & filter, then cut open the old filter to check for solid particles. It is not possible to drain every drop of oil out of the car so I add 8quarts & check the level with dipstick, if no oil on dipstick I add 1/2 quart. there is no need to try & have the oil perfectly full since overfilling is bad. I try to set the level 1/2 quart low. I believe this helps the AOS last longer too.

[tonycarreon]

Originally Posted by BYprodriver

... I add 8quarts & check the level with dipstick, if no oil on dipstick I add 1/2 quart. there is no need to try & have the oil perfectly full since overfilling is bad. I try to set the level 1/2 quart low. I believe this helps the AOS last longer too.

don't know about the AOS longevity / underfilling, but...

every other change i purchase 10 qts. when i change the oil i put in 9 qts, then check the level. inevitably i have to add "a little more." maybe 1/4 to nearly 1/2 qt.

that got me thinking, i believe the actual capacity is a little over 9 qts. checked the manual - 9.3 qts, with filter & housing.

[DenverSteve]

Just like BYprodriver, I take a new car to the dealership for inspection, bring the maintenance up to date for the mileage and have all necessary fluids changed. Then you have a baseline starting point for your records -and sanity.

[MileHighBoxster]

Sounds like it may be. Have it checked. Check it hot, on level surface.