Skip to main content
Gerry | Vanagon
Checking account...
← vanagon.com home · Continue the discussion in the forum
Subject:oil fill level.....
From:Tim Smith
Date:Thu, 31 May 2001 15:08:08 -0300

Subject: Re: Splitting Hairs on Adding Oil

Phaedra,
Hi All,

in reply to oil fill question....

Owners with temp gauges installed in their WBX'rs have reported that
their lowest oil temps occurred when they filled the oil HALFWAY
between the marks on the stick.  This has come from at least 3 people.
Theory is 'extra' oil gets whipped by the crank more and boosts the
heat dumped into the oil. Performance cars run dry sumps to avoid this,
it adds heat and robs power. You choose what you do, I just keep mine
between the lines, half qt. at a time.

Try over filling your oil about 1/2 qt and see what happens!!! It isn't
pretty, that oil gets into barrels and you lay a hellish oil cloud out
the exhaust. Done this a couple of times, in both cases it was upon a
highspeed downshift to third on the highway.  You ought to see how fast
a trailing car will drop back when they think you've blown an engine in
front of them. ;)

Been getting a dormant bus alive, it smoked like hell, until I drained the
50/50 oil+gasoline mix out of the case, about 1/2 mark over the top line.
Must have had starting probs to flood that badly, should've seen the oil
smoke when I drove that one up a long hill before I dumped the gas-o-oil.
Don't overfill, just don't. bye, Tim

<snip>
-----------------------
Who was this Madman?

It doesn't make one iota of a difference !

Even if you did overfill it by 1/2 of a  quart, it wouldn't do any
damage.

Just another yarn, conjured up by a rocket scientist.

  ______________
---------------------------------------------------------------------------