Easiest way to lower oil level is to remove the filter, pout oil out and re-install. If you drained the oil and the replaced the filter 4.5 liters should be real close to the ideal fill. Having the oil cooler can make checking oil tricky especially after a change if the system allows some oil to drain from the cooler and hoses. It will take time for the cooler to completely refill. I would leave as is and check after driving with the oil getting hot enough to open the oil t-stat and really fill the cooler. 

Dennis
  

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of Rocket J Squirrel
Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2015 2:18 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Oil overfill -- now what?

1.9L engine, with 10centlife oil cooler addon which has Bosch 3300 size oil filter.

So my notes are to add 4 liters of 15-50W oil after draining the winter oil and changing the filter. But my notes are not always entirely accurate.

After putting in the 4 liters, the oil is just below the bottom notch on the dipstick. I checked this a few times, made sure the dipstick was fully-seated, and waited a bit to make sure that all the oil had settled in the pan.

Stood around, decided to add 1/2L additional oil. Now it's above the upper notch. Darn.

1/2 liter of additional sure brought up the oil level quickly. What's the range between the lower notch and the upper?

How do I get the excess out? I could try a three-handed unscrew the drain bolt, quickly swap in a new crush washer, then insert the bolt into the hole real fast . . . but I'm a bit clumsy at those sorts of things.

But my guess is that this is pretty much my option at this point.

--
Jack "Rocket j Squirrel" Elliott
1984 Westfalia, auto trans,
Bend, Ore.