Rookie question, but is the oil overfilled to the point where I should be worried? 0w20 full synthetic on a 2010 RX350. The measurement is early morning before car had been driven and engine is cold. Sorry for the blurry

pic, phone had trouble focusing. Level marked with red line.

 

A little bit of detail is missing ... the vehicle must be close to level when oil level is checked and the the first draw of the level stick must be wiped off and reinserted and checked on the second draw.

Oil above max is not good and should be remedied. If you paid for the service, take the vehicle back.

For DIYers, clean suction tube down the level stick hole is the best way to address an over fill situation.

Salim

 

Salim, thanks for the response. The car was leveled. The photo was taken after second pull. To check the oil, I usually take out dip stick overnight and reinsert in the morning before engine start. I’ve noticed that since the oil is so thin, even after a few hours of sitting it still streaks and runs down the dipstick. So I guess I’ll take it back to the dealer. Thank you

 

Just take it back to the dealership to have them sort it out or like mentioned above; you can use a suction device to pull the extra oil out of the dip stick tube.

The engine has been overfilled and it could cause engine damage if the oil foam up and not flow into the oil pickup.

 

It’s fine. Not by much.

 

Went back to Lexus. They assured me level was corrected and all should be OK. Measured next day with similar results.

A) I am doing something wrong when checking.
B) They’re doing something wrong when adding.
C) They did not correct the level.

Lexus is about half an hour away, so I hate having to drive back and forth for something like this. Again, checked on cold engine. Second pull. Leveled ground.

I’ve tried driving and letting car sit per Lexus, but synthetic 0w20 is so thin. The moment I pull the dipstick it runs or hits the wall coming out. Can only get reading on cold engine.

 

Not a big deal, its fine, probably why dealer didn't do anything...

 

What he said. Just drive on. It will not damage your engine.

 

The oil level should be between the two dots. Overfilling an engine could cause problems. However, it looks like the extra oil on the dipstick could be more from smearing that can occur when you pull out the dip stick than overfilling.

I would wait overnight and then check the level again after oil residue in the dipstick is less or gone for a more accurate read.


This video explains the concept of an overfilled engine. I am not sure about how much is too much overfill for a Toyota engine; it could be 1 quart or half a quart. I just keep my oil level between the two dots on the dipstick.

 

There are 3 possible next steps.

1. Ignore
2. If you are handy and have access to thin tube and suction device [turkey injection marinate syringe etc] just suck enough oil out,
3. Call service manager and say you are not happy by the statement from service advisor as the oil must be between max and min on the dipstick [why else would be those marks for?] Insist on getting it fixed. In theory Lexus dealership may send a driver tp pick up your vehicle and fix it, wash it and bring it back to you BUT I would still drive it to them, enjoy the snacks and drive it back. There are too many horror stories about drivers getting in wreck with owners permission to drive.

Personally I would do 2 or 3. You need to decide what you feel comfortable in doing.

Salim
PS: Total speculation on my part is ... there is chance that the oil filter was not replaced. Tech just filled metered amount of , resulting in 1/2 of qt of excess oil.. Please do not accuse the service manager, but you can pose a question like ... how does the tech know how much to fill? Is the level checked repeatedly or they go by fixed amount? If you get a reply that they go by predetermined fixed amount then bring up casually that what happens when by accident the mechanic fails to replace oil filter.

 

Thank you all. I wish I was more mechanically inclined so I could be the master of my own destiny.

 

It's possible you're not checking it correctly. Try this; pull the dipstick out, wipe it and set aside for 10 minutes (don't put it back in) This time is needed for the oil that sticks to the insides of the dipstick tube to clear.
After about 10 minutes put the dipstick in all the way, pull out and check the level.
Oil level should be checked when the engine is warm.

 

I think the problem here is the fact that oil is checked after sitting overnight.
After sitting so long, a properly filled engine will always show higher than expected.

User manual indicates (see photo below from owners manual) oil should be checked on warm engine, waiting 5 minutes after shutting off.

This makes perfect sense since no garage checks your engine after oil change the “next morning”.
plus most folks will check oil after filling up on gas since most gas stations are pretty level and have free paper towels, plus about 5 minutes pass after you fill with gas (works perfectly with the process as spelled out in the owners manual)

New, clean oil is very hard to see on the dipstick, I agree that’s true, what I usually do is check my dipstick after inserting it but not inserting it that last 1-2cm. , the plastic part that you need to push inside the oil dipstick I leave out. That way when I check the dipstick, I find it easier to see the oil line about 1-2 cm below the max level line.

Based on your photos, looks like it was properly filled and the dealership merely entertained your complaint as nicely as they could.

 

 

Instructions like this is a contraindication. It states that the engine should be at operating temperature to check the oil level; but also states that you must let the engine sit for more than 5 minutes not running for all (or most of) the oil to drain back into the oil pan to get an accurate read. The engine will not be at the operating temperature(about 190F) after 5 minutes(or longer) of cooling. If you wait only 5 minutes then you may not have an accurate read of how much engine is present in the engine that has not drained back into the oil pan.

I was taught years ago to just check the engine oil level cold after the engine have sat all night to get an accurate idea of how much oil is in the engine that have drained back into the pan.

I have found a couple mechanics that thinks that checking the engine oil cold is the best way to get an accurate engine oil level read as I was told. One mentions checking the oil hot, but prefers a cold reading. The other just recommends a cold reading.