Checked my oil for the first time and this happened

[subarubrzz]

Thank you all for your input. It really helped.

[guybo]

Don't worry about it. An inch over is nothing and a lot of times when you get an oil change they over fill a little.

Mine drinks a tiny bit of coolant too. You'll never save enough $$ on cheaper coolant than the cost of one coolant system repair. Use the Toyota coolant, you won't use much and 1 bottle should last you a long time. I've gone through maybe a quart in 30,000 miles. I bought a gallon almost a year ago and I have plenty left.

[extrashaky]

Originally Posted by subarubrzz

Here are some pictures of the dipstick when I pulled it out.

That's not overfilled. You read the level where it covers the stick from one side to the other. That point is well below the full mark.

[guybo]

Originally Posted by extrashaky

That's not overfilled. You read the level where it covers the stick from one side to the other. That point is well below the full mark.

@OP Now that I look again, I think you checked the dipstick wrong. Pull it out, wipe it off, fully insert it again then pull it out again and it's like extrashaky says, it's where the level covers the stick one side to the other.

Also, sniff your dipstick. If the oil smells like coolant, or burnt you have a problem. When you wipe the dipstick, check the rag and make sure there's no debris (esp. metal!) on it. It should be a nice oily smelling amber/brown color that is clean and clear. If it's too black, change that oil.

[Capt Spaulding]

My only suggestion is to check the oil a bit more frequently than 2500 mi / 3 months. One board member recently ran his car down to the last quart with painful results. I'd rather check it frequently, soil a few shop rags and find it overfull than let it go for a while and not find any on the dipsitck. It may be anal retentively oild school but an ounce of prevention ans all that.

Enjoy the car!

[Spuds]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

Have you replaced your radiator cap? If yes, do a leak test. I beat the piss out of mine and lose no coolant.

I haven't gotten down to that one on the 'crap I need to deal with' list yet since its really not that bad. Any reason not to go straight to a leak test?

Lol I was responding to this last night, but fell asleep mid-post.

[Ultramaroon]

Originally Posted by Spuds

I haven't gotten down to that one on the 'crap I need to deal with' list yet since its really not that bad. Any reason not to go straight to a leak test?

Lol I was responding to this last night, but fell asleep mid-post.

99.975% of the time, an otherwise good cooling system will fail to maintain pressure because of some shit causing a pinhole leak in either of the valves on the radiator cap. If it can't maintain pressure it'll start simmering somewhere on the engine. The bubbles collect at the top of the radiator and bleed out the cap instead of fluid. With each heating/cooling cycle a little more of the liquid coolant is pulled back into the system.

I wouldn't consider a leak check until after eliminating the radiator cap.

[noodlefish]

Originally Posted by Ultramaroon

OP will get thanks button sometime in 2019.

I've been looking for a thanks button for months. Now I know why

[NRXRaptor]

Originally Posted by HKz

this. if both sides of the stick are abnormally high then maybe there might be a overfill worry. otherwise i think OP is fine, as others have mentioned, the fa20's dipstick isn't the best indicator (I assume this is the case with most if not all boxer designs)

You gotta upgrade to a short throw dipstick

[mrg666]

Originally Posted by guybo

Pull it out, wipe it off, fully insert it again then pull it out again