Oil overfill warning??!!??

[MOzS90]

Curious issue today.

Car was last serviced in January - about 5000 miles ago.

Driven faultlessly all year - approx 400 miles a week commuting. Never really thrashed. Manage about 58 mpgs overall economy.

Drove the car to drop my daughter at swimming this afternoon, stayed watching and when I got back in the car, had an oil warning message.

Figure it’s low and obviously need topping up. When I interrogate the system, it reports the oil is “overfull” - not low.

It’s been fine for ever - I’ve not added to it. WTF is going on? Could the oil level sensor be knackered?

[nu11eaf]

There is a good chance that diesel has managed to get in your sump, you need to get it checked asap.
There are only two things that it could be, water or diesel, the usual suspect is the later.

[MOzS90]

How does diesel / water get in the sump? Gasket issues????

Any telltale signs??

[gaby]

Engine/piston blow-by?

[Zebster]

I've not yet heard of a VEA reporting a high oil level.

The actual sensor level (in mm) can be read using external diagnostic equipment, which might be a good start. My e-dipstick is very misleading but the low warning message I got a while back was correct when I checked the sensor level.

[nu11eaf]

What engine and year is your car, and does it use Ad-blue, head gasket leaks and oil cooler leaks can result in oil level rising under certain conditions but you would have other symptoms and you would notice a drop in coolant level.
Some cars have diesel injection into the exhaust to raise exhaust temperature for regeneration this can in rare instances get past the piston rings and into the sump. This is the most likely cause if the level sensor is correct and no loss of coolant or poor running.
You may not have this system but you still need to get your car checked as a high level alone can damage your engine as well as contaminated lubrication.

[MOzS90]

I will be calling Volvo assist first thing tomorrow morning.

It’s a 17MY S90 D4 - no adblue.

Not noticed any coolant issues. Still - rarely lift the bonnet.

What I don’t understand is the fact the warning has come on months after the oil was last changed with no oil added since. So - as you say, either there is enough of an addition to the sump contents to register an over-read, the sensor is faulty or there is something amiss.

Whatever the outcome, on a 20000 mile 28 month old engine, I’m not impressed.

[nu11eaf]

I read that using diesel with more than 5% bio fuel added can be a problem as a small amount of diesel in the oil will evaporate but the bio fuel does not and accumulates in the sump if you get slippage passed the piston rings.

http://www.stocksy.co.uk/articles/Ca..._consequences/

[Quacker]

Probably nothing to worry about. If it was filled to the max mark at service time it would take very little to show an overfill. I had it once or twice on a Mercedes, must be about eighteen years ago now. How overfull does it show on the graphic and does it consistently show overfull?

I doubt whether you have bore washing issues on the Volvo engine, which would be the result of many failed regeneration attempts. The DPF is so well placed on the engine and your mileage surely more than sufficient for reliable regeneration almost every time.

It could be due to a dodgy injector but economy seems ok and the engine presumably sounds ok? It’s worth visiting dealer to check and adjust as necessary

[MOzS90]

Originally Posted by Quacker

Probably nothing to worry about. If it was filled to the max mark at service time it would take very little to show an overfill. I had it once or twice on a Mercedes, must be about eighteen years ago now. How overfull does it show on the graphic and does it consistently show overfull?

I doubt whether you have bore washing issues on the Volvo engine, which would be the result of many failed regeneration attempts. The DPF is so well placed on the engine and your mileage surely more than sufficient for reliable regeneration almost every time.

It could be due to a dodgy injector but economy seems ok and the engine presumably sounds ok? It’s worth visiting dealer to check and adjust as necessary

Thanks Quacker. I was bought up to never fill an engine to the max mark with oil so why a dealer does is beyond me (unless it’s to be able to discover this exact problem). The oil contents graphic is red in colour and showing max. Engine sounds fine. This is the first time in six months the warning has come on since its service. It’s never come on before. This suggests to me it is due to an addition of something within the engine itself. The link above is nearly 10 years old. Surely a car built 6 years after that article was published should not be affected?