Bonehead me

[Pops1050]

Guys I need an opinion. My daughters volvo needed a little top off oil and as I was pouring I noticed it looked a little off color. A few months ago had filled an empty jug of M-1 5-30 with some old transmission fluid out of my truck. I had kept the jug, it had some mileages written on it and I pour used oil in em when I change oil. Anyway ~ 1/4 qt was poured in. Should I change the oil where it sits or would I hurt anything by moving the car into the garage or would it hurt to drive it somewhere to get it changed? (Wasn't planning on changing oil today) thoughts?
Thanks

 

[OneEyeJack]

It probably will not hurt anything but in my case I tend to keep vehicles and for the few dollars I'd change the oil and not the filter if the filter has not been there for nearly a full OCI.

Driving it to someplace to get it changed should be just fine.

For me cars are an expensive investment in transportation and I never flinch when it comes to maintenance.

 

[IndyIan]

In the Tracker I wouldn't even shorten my OCI for a cup of trans fluid, I really doubt it would matter much.
For a nicer car I'd still be good with driving it to get it changed.

 

[jrmason]

The problem is its used ATF and there's no way of telling just how much clutch material is in that 1/4 of a quart. Transmissions dont mind a little bit of material in he fluid, an engine with close bearing clearances is another matter. If its feasible I'd just drop the plug where it sits that way there's no doubt's.

 

[SilverSnake]

Why take any chances? Change the oil and filter where it sits.

 

[cptbarkey]

Originally Posted By: SilverSnake
Why take any chances? Change the oil and filter where it sits.


+1. could just drain out the filter and screw it back on.

 

[philipp10]

I'll be in the minority here but I don't see much of an issue. You filter will take out anything in there of any size. Now if I knew there were chunks in there, i would probably change it even though I doubt it would matter much.

 

[cashmoney]

If I had mistakenly put used oil/ATF from an old container into the car and it was a car I cared about, I'd do an immediate oil and filter change with some cheap oil and filter, then drive the car for a few minutes and do another oil and filter with my regular oil and filter. For me there would be no telling what crud when into the motor along with the old ATF from an old drain jug.

 

[SuperDave456]

I've stored heavily used, but not black, oil and used transmission fluid in the same 5 quart bottle before. I was surprised at how good looking it came out after sitting a few months (especially when its 100+ degrees outside and in your garage).
The heavier particles fall out of suspension given enough time. The lighter stuff on top is what pours out first.

It'll be fine.
Any clutch material would of fallen out of suspension in a week or two.
Even if he shook up the bottle really well, most of that clutch material would still be stuck to the bottom of the container.
The bottles that I have on hand have a layer of crud on the bottom of them, most is from used oil, some from used ATF. I have 5-6 5qt jugs and no matter how long they "drain" they always have that layer of black goo stuck to the bottom of the container.

Considering we are talking about 1 cup of fluid, in an engine with a filter, that has a 5+ quart capacity, I'd bet it's fine.

If he poured something with a handful of metal shavings I'd feel differently.

 

[robo339]

Change oil and filter nothing better than not having to worry about what if

 

[Kuato]

It's your daughter. If it were my daughter I'd change it.

 

[fdcg27]

The first boneheaded thing you did was to top up the sump when it was only 1/4 qt down.
The add line on the dipstick is there for a reason.
It's where you add oil during an OCI.
This is also the reason that oil comes in quart bottles.
They're for easily adding a quart when the level on the dipstick is down to the add line.
JMHO
For oil changes, most of us buy jugs.
In the case in question, I doubt that 8 oz of used ATF will cause any serious problems.
As others have noted, the oil filter will filter our any large particles that may have gotten poured in, and you probably didn't pour anything huge in, since as others have also noted, any large particles would have settled out.
If I were you, I'd probably just bite the bullet and change the Volvo's oil, even after the above. I'd hate to think that I was risking an engine due to a blunder when I could eliminate the risk for ~$25.00.
You probably wouldn't do any harm by leaving it be, though.
I've never quite managed what you've done here, so I'm not sure what I would do.
If it would bother me, I'd probably just go ahead and change it.
If you don't, you've probably cut 10 or 20 miles off this Volvo's 250K engine life.

 

[SilverSnake]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
The first boneheaded thing you did was to top up the sump when it was only 1/4 qt down.


So what is wrong with keeping the oil in your engine at the top of the safe zone? Nothing boneheaded about that. I check all the fluids in my vehicles frequently and keep everything filled to the max. In the case of oil, the more the better up to the top of the safe zone. Now for all those on this forum that think it is OK to add oil above the safe zone, that would be a bonehead move.

 

[Pops1050]

Thanks guys, the oil level was probably about .5 qt down but I stopped when I noticed the stupid thing I was doing. Went ahead and cranked it, took it to a buddy's shop had em change oil& filter. It had about 3,000 mi on that fill so it could have been worse.
SuperDave456 , I looked at the bottom of the jug of ATF and saw the same thing- trashy looking stuff on the bottom. Helped with the decision to drive it to the shop.
Thanks all.

 

[fdcg27]

There is no need to top up the engine oil as long as the level on the dipsticks remains above the lower line, at which point you'll add a quart or liter and all is well.
I know that some people consider this to be good practice, but I have at least one OM where it's specifically written that oil should not be added until the level reaches the lower line and that topping off on a regular basis may merely lead to higher consumption.
What other fluids are there to top off, other than the windshield washer bottle?
The brake fluid shouldn't be topped off unless you intend to syphon out the excess the next time you change the pads.
The coolant shouldn't require topping off unless you have a leak, nor should the ATF.

 

[SilverSnake]

I have never had a car or truck owner's guide that said specifically that oil should not be added until it reaches the low end of the safe zone (and I have owned 80+ vehicles in my lifetime). If the guide said that, it would probably be aimed at idiots who think if you add oil it has to be a full quart.

Some vehicles will lose a certain amount of coolant over time. If you have one with an overflow reservoir, a certain amount will evaporate through the overflow tube.

The trend with newer vehicles is no transmission dipstick so that is disappearing as an item you can check (easily). My 2015 Challenger, 2014 Ram, and 2011 BMW do not have transmission dipsticks.

Checking the battery is a good idea on some vehicles. Although many are considered "maintenance free," you can still check the electrolyte level on a lot of newer cars. Recent examples for me were my 2012 Mustang 5.0 and 2012 Shelby GT500. I had to add distilled water to both of them periodically to make sure the plates were covered.

 

[4wheeldog]

I am generally very anal when it comes to engine oil, but I have a different opinion from most here about how you should handle this.

First, when drain oil (And tranny fluid particularly) sits in a jug for any length of time, all the solids sink to the bottom, where it takes an act of congress to knock them loose. So concern about particles is not a real concern.

Second, back in the bad old days, I knew plenty of folks that used ATF as an additive, to clean the gunk out of their engines. Not a good idea, but there were no outright failures that I can remember. And they were adding a full quart, with maybe 4 quarts of oil. For what was a full OCI in those days.......Anywhere from 3k to 5k miles.

So.......What I would do (Because I am anal about engine oil) is drive the car to fully warm it up, as you should always do before you drain the oil. Then do an oil change as you would normally do. And it will all be good.

 

[HerrStig]

I'd rather lose a little due to some kind of below full level induced "higher oil consumption" than check afte a long high speed trip and find out the level is below add. The "full mark is on there for a reason and I see no difference between getting to "full" after an oil change and adding makeup oil to get to the same mark in between.

 

[SilverSnake]

+1 - Good thinking HerrStig. The reason you don't see a difference is that there is no difference. Why anyone would think otherwise defies common sense.

 

[virginoil]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
.......................this to be good practice, but I have at least one OM where it's specifically written that oil should not be added until the level reaches the lower line and that topping off on a regular basis may merely lead to higher consumption. ................................


Please confirm which OEM has made this statement and for what vehicle.

Never heard of this one after 12 years on this site.

I am a doubting Thomas on this until I see the evidence.