Oil Over Fill

[GasSavers_Scott]

For the last 40,000 miles I have been wrestling with non stop oil leaks on my Focus. It became so frustrating, I would just get in the car and drive my smoking leaking mess.

It's winter and I didn't feel like laying on 20 degree concrete, so I took it to the Ford dealer, with a 19 dollar coupon to change my oil.

My dipstick reads in pints. I noticed when I got it back from the dealer, the oil level was almost 2 inches above full. I took my brake bleeder and sucked out almost a quart out of the dip stick tube.

I checked back at Ford and they said they were sorry and if it happens again, they'll suck out the oil for me. While I was there I checked the records of the previous owner, who took it in for rutine oil changes.

My car has a PCV can inbetween the engine and the catalytic converter, that sepparates oil and vacuum. It was solid with coked crystalized oil. I didn't feel like doing it, but I pulled off the cat and removed the PCV can.

I used a combination of a coat hanger and a can of carb cleaner to break up the solid coked oil. The coking was so bad, it ran all the way up the steel line to the intake manifold. I also noticed I could see lines inside the can, of previous over fills. It seems the heat in the can baked the oil.

I cleaned out the can, put it all back together, and got vacuum flowing throught the engine. The majority of the 15 oil leaks stopped, it runs and idles better, and recently got 31 mpg.

So in todays modern fast fill oil environment, check to see if the dip stick reads in pints or quarts. I just solved a 40,000 mile head ache.

[Jay2TheRescue]

I used to take my truck to a place that routinely would try to overfill the oil, after they had to take the extra out a couple times they learned.

[kamesama980]

If they over fill it, take it back without doing anything yourself and have them fix it. especially at a dealership they should care. if they blow you off like that, call the manager, call the owner, call corporate. BUT call them all in order and talk to each until you get something out of it. IE: don't call corporate before talking to the manager or owner.

[silversol]

oil leaks with a pvc blockage is really common with nissans

[Jakins]

Hmm, I'm going to take a look at my PVC right now. Thanks.