Sc300 Oil Change, Overfill?
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
From: WA
Sc300 Oil Change, Overfill?
I posted this on a different lexus forum but i realized this one is _much_ more active so i'm hoping to get a good/quick response here. 
I bought my 200k lexus sc300 about a month ago and held off on changing the oil since the owner just replaced all the filters in the system herself and had jiffylube replace her oil a few hundred miles before i got on it. Now after 2k miles.. yeah i put it on quick! newly purchased cars are always fun to cruise around in.. for hours, i'm now changing my own oil/oil filter.
I'm using 5W-30 Castro GTX High Mileage oil and a mobil1 filter, i jacked up the front about a foot, drained it, jacked up the back about a foot, drained it some more, let it drain flat on the ground till it was a drip every 10 seconds, put the plug back in and then proceeded to fill it up with 5 quarts. i stopped at exactly 5 quarts, my SC300 manual on page 170 it says:
drain and refill, with filter, 5.1qt, without filter, 4.8qt.
I replaced the filter, but at exactly 5.0qt my dip-stick says ive overfilled it, it's a pretty marginal amount, about 1/8" above the full mark, is this worth getting down there, opening it up and draining a bit and quickly plugging it back up (causing a mess) just to get it to the full mark or is a little overfill not worrysome?
I'm sort of too afraid to drive it at the moment until i know more about slightly overfilling.
Just curious, thanks.
-Joe
I bought my 200k lexus sc300 about a month ago and held off on changing the oil since the owner just replaced all the filters in the system herself and had jiffylube replace her oil a few hundred miles before i got on it. Now after 2k miles.. yeah i put it on quick! newly purchased cars are always fun to cruise around in.. for hours, i'm now changing my own oil/oil filter.
I'm using 5W-30 Castro GTX High Mileage oil and a mobil1 filter, i jacked up the front about a foot, drained it, jacked up the back about a foot, drained it some more, let it drain flat on the ground till it was a drip every 10 seconds, put the plug back in and then proceeded to fill it up with 5 quarts. i stopped at exactly 5 quarts, my SC300 manual on page 170 it says:
drain and refill, with filter, 5.1qt, without filter, 4.8qt.
I replaced the filter, but at exactly 5.0qt my dip-stick says ive overfilled it, it's a pretty marginal amount, about 1/8" above the full mark, is this worth getting down there, opening it up and draining a bit and quickly plugging it back up (causing a mess) just to get it to the full mark or is a little overfill not worrysome?
I'm sort of too afraid to drive it at the moment until i know more about slightly overfilling.
Just curious, thanks.
-Joe
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 4,447
Likes: 5
From: I.E Southern California to SA,Texas
Yes it is well worth draining it a little more. over filling may do as much damage as having no oil at all, you will be risking it. im my opinion drain a little more to you get it to the right spot.
once you drive it, have it leveled for awhile check if you need a little more and just top it off.
once you drive it, have it leveled for awhile check if you need a little more and just top it off.
Last edited by Joey-E; Mar 9, 2008 at 11:53 PM.
for such a small amount i really wouldn't worry about it.
if you do want to take out just a little without the mess and don't mind spending a little, they make pumps that let you drain your oil from the dipstick tube, the mercedes dealer actually uses that do oil changes.
I wouldn't use one for a whole oil change but they are nice to have around for draining a little oil or trans sometimes..
i think you could probably find one at a local parts store for 20 to 30 bucks.
oh yeah "SC30096" had some good advice as well, let it run for a bit and check it again..
if you do want to take out just a little without the mess and don't mind spending a little, they make pumps that let you drain your oil from the dipstick tube, the mercedes dealer actually uses that do oil changes.
I wouldn't use one for a whole oil change but they are nice to have around for draining a little oil or trans sometimes..
i think you could probably find one at a local parts store for 20 to 30 bucks.
oh yeah "SC30096" had some good advice as well, let it run for a bit and check it again..
always start the engine after you fill it with oil.
wait for the oil pressure light to shut off.
its called a 'start-check' at toyota.
you installed the filter empty, so it'll always read high until you start the vehicle and fill that void in the engine.
wait for the oil pressure light to shut off.
its called a 'start-check' at toyota.
you installed the filter empty, so it'll always read high until you start the vehicle and fill that void in the engine.
^^^^what he said. fill with oil, start engine, run for 10-20sec, shut off, then check oil level and fill/drain accordingly. small amount over fill is not a big deal though.
EDITED: ITS MY 700th post
EDITED: ITS MY 700th post
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 913
Likes: 1
From: Wilmington, North Carolina
I put Royal Purple oil in mine and it was exactly 5qt with a K&N filter, after it ran for a bit, i checked it and it reads exactly at the full mark. This was 2 months ago, I checked it just today and it is still at the same mark. I dont know if thats bad/good/neither, but I hope theres isnt anything throwing your dipstick off the wack.
I would say drain a bit just to be safe, in most cases if you are unsure, something needs to be done. $0.02
I would say drain a bit just to be safe, in most cases if you are unsure, something needs to be done. $0.02
Trending Topics
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
From: FLORIDA
What happens when an engine is overfilled with oil?
So you topped up the engine when it was warm after getting a faulty dipstick reading, or you put too much oil in when you changed it yourself. What's the worst that could happen? Well the problem with this is that the next time the engine is run, the windage in the crankcase and other pressures generated by the oil pump, etc. place a great strain on the seal on the rear main bearing.
Eventually, often much sooner than the ordinary man in the street might expect, the rear main bearing seal ruptures, and the engine becomes a 'leaker'. If you've got a manual gearbox, this means one thing: this oil goes right onto the flywheel and the face of the clutch disc. A lubricated clutch is A Bad Thing. If this still goes unnoticed, the front seal is the next to go, and the engine then becomes a 'gusher' (or to be more colourful, it starts pissing oil all over the place). As well as smothering the clutch with oil from the rear, the oil now coming from the front leak will be neatly distributed about the engine bay as it hits the front pulley - often propelling it out as far as the brake discs. At the same time as this Hollywood disaster movie is unfolding outside the engine, things aren't working out any better on the inside. As you can see from the diagram, the correct oil level is really close to the rotating crank. Overfilling will mean the crank dips into the oil and churns it into a froth. Froth is good on certain types of coffee but not good in an engine. The mixture of aerated oil will be forced into the bearings and in case you didn't know, air is not a lubricant. Typically this means that bearing damage will follow quite rapidly, especially if you are driving on a motorway. You'll know bearing damage when you get it. The engine smells like a garage mechanic cooking over an open flame and the noise coming from the engine is the sort of thing you'd normally hear in vaudeville plays when a piano is pushed down a flight of stairs. As if that all wasn't bad enough, the excess oil gets thrown up into the piston bores where the piston rings have a hard time coping with the excess oil and pressure. It gets into the combustion chamber and some of it will get out into the exhaust system unburned resulting in a nice patina of oil all over the platinum surfaces of your catalytic converter. This renders it utterly useless for good.
Well, you did ask.
So you topped up the engine when it was warm after getting a faulty dipstick reading, or you put too much oil in when you changed it yourself. What's the worst that could happen? Well the problem with this is that the next time the engine is run, the windage in the crankcase and other pressures generated by the oil pump, etc. place a great strain on the seal on the rear main bearing.
Eventually, often much sooner than the ordinary man in the street might expect, the rear main bearing seal ruptures, and the engine becomes a 'leaker'. If you've got a manual gearbox, this means one thing: this oil goes right onto the flywheel and the face of the clutch disc. A lubricated clutch is A Bad Thing. If this still goes unnoticed, the front seal is the next to go, and the engine then becomes a 'gusher' (or to be more colourful, it starts pissing oil all over the place). As well as smothering the clutch with oil from the rear, the oil now coming from the front leak will be neatly distributed about the engine bay as it hits the front pulley - often propelling it out as far as the brake discs. At the same time as this Hollywood disaster movie is unfolding outside the engine, things aren't working out any better on the inside. As you can see from the diagram, the correct oil level is really close to the rotating crank. Overfilling will mean the crank dips into the oil and churns it into a froth. Froth is good on certain types of coffee but not good in an engine. The mixture of aerated oil will be forced into the bearings and in case you didn't know, air is not a lubricant. Typically this means that bearing damage will follow quite rapidly, especially if you are driving on a motorway. You'll know bearing damage when you get it. The engine smells like a garage mechanic cooking over an open flame and the noise coming from the engine is the sort of thing you'd normally hear in vaudeville plays when a piano is pushed down a flight of stairs. As if that all wasn't bad enough, the excess oil gets thrown up into the piston bores where the piston rings have a hard time coping with the excess oil and pressure. It gets into the combustion chamber and some of it will get out into the exhaust system unburned resulting in a nice patina of oil all over the platinum surfaces of your catalytic converter. This renders it utterly useless for good.
Well, you did ask.
What happens when an engine is overfilled with oil?
So you topped up the engine when it was warm after getting a faulty dipstick reading, or you put too much oil in when you changed it yourself. What's the worst that could happen? Well the problem with this is that the next time the engine is run, the windage in the crankcase and other pressures generated by the oil pump, etc. place a great strain on the seal on the rear main bearing.
Eventually, often much sooner than the ordinary man in the street might expect, the rear main bearing seal ruptures, and the engine becomes a 'leaker'. If you've got a manual gearbox, this means one thing: this oil goes right onto the flywheel and the face of the clutch disc. A lubricated clutch is A Bad Thing. If this still goes unnoticed, the front seal is the next to go, and the engine then becomes a 'gusher' (or to be more colourful, it starts pissing oil all over the place). As well as smothering the clutch with oil from the rear, the oil now coming from the front leak will be neatly distributed about the engine bay as it hits the front pulley - often propelling it out as far as the brake discs. At the same time as this Hollywood disaster movie is unfolding outside the engine, things aren't working out any better on the inside. As you can see from the diagram, the correct oil level is really close to the rotating crank. Overfilling will mean the crank dips into the oil and churns it into a froth. Froth is good on certain types of coffee but not good in an engine. The mixture of aerated oil will be forced into the bearings and in case you didn't know, air is not a lubricant. Typically this means that bearing damage will follow quite rapidly, especially if you are driving on a motorway. You'll know bearing damage when you get it. The engine smells like a garage mechanic cooking over an open flame and the noise coming from the engine is the sort of thing you'd normally hear in vaudeville plays when a piano is pushed down a flight of stairs. As if that all wasn't bad enough, the excess oil gets thrown up into the piston bores where the piston rings have a hard time coping with the excess oil and pressure. It gets into the combustion chamber and some of it will get out into the exhaust system unburned resulting in a nice patina of oil all over the platinum surfaces of your catalytic converter. This renders it utterly useless for good.
Well, you did ask.
So you topped up the engine when it was warm after getting a faulty dipstick reading, or you put too much oil in when you changed it yourself. What's the worst that could happen? Well the problem with this is that the next time the engine is run, the windage in the crankcase and other pressures generated by the oil pump, etc. place a great strain on the seal on the rear main bearing.
Eventually, often much sooner than the ordinary man in the street might expect, the rear main bearing seal ruptures, and the engine becomes a 'leaker'. If you've got a manual gearbox, this means one thing: this oil goes right onto the flywheel and the face of the clutch disc. A lubricated clutch is A Bad Thing. If this still goes unnoticed, the front seal is the next to go, and the engine then becomes a 'gusher' (or to be more colourful, it starts pissing oil all over the place). As well as smothering the clutch with oil from the rear, the oil now coming from the front leak will be neatly distributed about the engine bay as it hits the front pulley - often propelling it out as far as the brake discs. At the same time as this Hollywood disaster movie is unfolding outside the engine, things aren't working out any better on the inside. As you can see from the diagram, the correct oil level is really close to the rotating crank. Overfilling will mean the crank dips into the oil and churns it into a froth. Froth is good on certain types of coffee but not good in an engine. The mixture of aerated oil will be forced into the bearings and in case you didn't know, air is not a lubricant. Typically this means that bearing damage will follow quite rapidly, especially if you are driving on a motorway. You'll know bearing damage when you get it. The engine smells like a garage mechanic cooking over an open flame and the noise coming from the engine is the sort of thing you'd normally hear in vaudeville plays when a piano is pushed down a flight of stairs. As if that all wasn't bad enough, the excess oil gets thrown up into the piston bores where the piston rings have a hard time coping with the excess oil and pressure. It gets into the combustion chamber and some of it will get out into the exhaust system unburned resulting in a nice patina of oil all over the platinum surfaces of your catalytic converter. This renders it utterly useless for good.
Well, you did ask.
put your highschool auto class text book away.
Rookie
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 83
Likes: 0
From: Florida
What happens when an engine is overfilled with oil?
So you topped up the engine when it was warm after getting a faulty dipstick reading, or you put too much oil in when you changed it yourself. What's the worst that could happen? Well the problem with this is that the next time the engine is run, the windage in the crankcase and other pressures generated by the oil pump, etc. place a great strain on the seal on the rear main bearing.
Eventually, often much sooner than the ordinary man in the street might expect, the rear main bearing seal ruptures, and the engine becomes a 'leaker'. If you've got a manual gearbox, this means one thing: this oil goes right onto the flywheel and the face of the clutch disc. A lubricated clutch is A Bad Thing. If this still goes unnoticed, the front seal is the next to go, and the engine then becomes a 'gusher' (or to be more colourful, it starts pissing oil all over the place). As well as smothering the clutch with oil from the rear, the oil now coming from the front leak will be neatly distributed about the engine bay as it hits the front pulley - often propelling it out as far as the brake discs. At the same time as this Hollywood disaster movie is unfolding outside the engine, things aren't working out any better on the inside. As you can see from the diagram, the correct oil level is really close to the rotating crank. Overfilling will mean the crank dips into the oil and churns it into a froth. Froth is good on certain types of coffee but not good in an engine. The mixture of aerated oil will be forced into the bearings and in case you didn't know, air is not a lubricant. Typically this means that bearing damage will follow quite rapidly, especially if you are driving on a motorway. You'll know bearing damage when you get it. The engine smells like a garage mechanic cooking over an open flame and the noise coming from the engine is the sort of thing you'd normally hear in vaudeville plays when a piano is pushed down a flight of stairs. As if that all wasn't bad enough, the excess oil gets thrown up into the piston bores where the piston rings have a hard time coping with the excess oil and pressure. It gets into the combustion chamber and some of it will get out into the exhaust system unburned resulting in a nice patina of oil all over the platinum surfaces of your catalytic converter. This renders it utterly useless for good.
Well, you did ask.
So you topped up the engine when it was warm after getting a faulty dipstick reading, or you put too much oil in when you changed it yourself. What's the worst that could happen? Well the problem with this is that the next time the engine is run, the windage in the crankcase and other pressures generated by the oil pump, etc. place a great strain on the seal on the rear main bearing.
Eventually, often much sooner than the ordinary man in the street might expect, the rear main bearing seal ruptures, and the engine becomes a 'leaker'. If you've got a manual gearbox, this means one thing: this oil goes right onto the flywheel and the face of the clutch disc. A lubricated clutch is A Bad Thing. If this still goes unnoticed, the front seal is the next to go, and the engine then becomes a 'gusher' (or to be more colourful, it starts pissing oil all over the place). As well as smothering the clutch with oil from the rear, the oil now coming from the front leak will be neatly distributed about the engine bay as it hits the front pulley - often propelling it out as far as the brake discs. At the same time as this Hollywood disaster movie is unfolding outside the engine, things aren't working out any better on the inside. As you can see from the diagram, the correct oil level is really close to the rotating crank. Overfilling will mean the crank dips into the oil and churns it into a froth. Froth is good on certain types of coffee but not good in an engine. The mixture of aerated oil will be forced into the bearings and in case you didn't know, air is not a lubricant. Typically this means that bearing damage will follow quite rapidly, especially if you are driving on a motorway. You'll know bearing damage when you get it. The engine smells like a garage mechanic cooking over an open flame and the noise coming from the engine is the sort of thing you'd normally hear in vaudeville plays when a piano is pushed down a flight of stairs. As if that all wasn't bad enough, the excess oil gets thrown up into the piston bores where the piston rings have a hard time coping with the excess oil and pressure. It gets into the combustion chamber and some of it will get out into the exhaust system unburned resulting in a nice patina of oil all over the platinum surfaces of your catalytic converter. This renders it utterly useless for good.
Well, you did ask.
this happened to me and my clutch started to slip just like stated above
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 1,021
Likes: 0
From: Palm Harbor ,Fl
Damn I would never write something that long lol. Especially if it was just for oil . I would have to get ice for my hands. Took him about 15 minutes to right that thing up. HAHA spooled "tool". That sounds like textbook passage to me. Whatever he got the point across.
I've seen that paragraph before. I'm certain it was on carbibles.com, but I will say that anazario picked the best "worst-case-scenario" explanation for overfilling I've ever read. I recommend carbibles.com and bobistheoilguy.com as required reading for anyone who changes their own oil. Keep in mind though that THAT scenario could and would happen if you topped off your already full oil system with at least another quart.
Yes it is well worth draining it a little more. over filling may do as much damage as having no oil at all, you will be risking it. im my opinion drain a little more to you get it to the right spot.
once you drive it, have it leveled for awhile check if you need a little more and just top it off.
once you drive it, have it leveled for awhile check if you need a little more and just top it off.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
