Can too much oil in engine cause this?

[Barkie]

When i bought my wifes e46 323i i noticed that the oil level seem to be too high. I did not correct it for two reasons. 1st i was going to service it soon and i found out that the car is a 320 with a 323 engine (2.5l). As i do not have a lot of knowledge of these cars i was scared that they used the old engines dipstick. So to play save i serviced it and fill it with 6.5l of decent oil.

Why i tell you all of this is the next. The car was showing on the OBC 12l/100km in town for most of the time. Now it runs at 9 to 9.7l/100km.
Can the oil level do this or did something else happen while i was working on the vehicle?

 

[STREETRACER]

I doubt its from the oil level but ive heard if economy improvements when changing from mineral to synthetic oils!
PM mike Liquimoli he will have the ins and outs of that!

 

[zaleonardz]

Just be careful,

Too much oil is just as bad as too little..

What you can do is you can get the part number off of the dipstick, and hit it into www.realoem.com

That is going to tell you if the dipstick is wrong for the car, but if I am not mistaken, the 320 and the 323 is both the N54 motor, which means the dipstick should be the same (3 series experts help me out here)...

As for the consumption, I doubt thats oil related, but sort out that oil first, you can always bring the service forward a bit due to that reason, its important.

 

[Hellas]

Maybe the wife hasn't got that much of a heavy foot like her husband?

 

[Barkie]

Thanks for all your replies.

Hellas u'r right about the heavy foot, but the consumption was with her and she actualy mention it.
Zaleonardz, what i have done is the following. After i have drained the oil, i filled it with 6 litre and take it
off the ramp. It was then at the bottom mark of the dipstick. Adding the next 500ml took it to the upper mark of
the dipstick. At least i know now that between those two marks i have 6 and 6.5 litre. I can not say what oil was
in the engine, but i used Shell Helix Ultra 5w-40 fully synthetic. If i use that as a guide the engine was
overfilled with at least one litre. IMO that is a lot.

 

[zaleonardz]

That is alot.

What often happens (specially with woman, not generalizing here, but it is true), they would get to the garage, remember to check the oil, and the attendant will tell them they need a pint.

Meanwhile back at the ranch, all the oil is still in the motor, and has not drained back to the sump yet, and the car is standing at an angle, hence over filling of oil..

WHat you have done sounds perfect

 

[andrewbuch]

We have gotten cars back from dealers with the oil at least 1.5cm above the max mark on the dipstick

 

[Barkie]

Thanks zaleonardz. I am glad to hear i am doing it right. I serviced all my cars and bikes myself but was for some reason
not at ease doing the BM. I do have a workshop manual and that does help a lot.

---

andrewbuch, that is really scarry to hear stuff like this. You take your pride and joy to the dealer as you do not
trust yourself and they do more harm than good sometimes!

 

[zaleonardz]

Barkie,

You will get over that one soon man, just keep plugging at it...

I am not saying go rebuild the motor just yet, but you will figure out that BMW's are very logical and well built machines, and its actually quite easy to work on them, so the more you work, the more your convidence grows...

I was there too, now I take em apart for fun, although I havnt touched my E65 much... still to shite scared I guess

 

[Barkie]

zaleonardz, i still want to replace the pcv valve, but need a bit more time off for that.

 

[KutloM]

Thanks for the website: http://www.realoem.com. Found things on my car i didnt even know existed.