I changed the oil myself on my 2020 Tundra and it got me thinking.
Does the oil gauge measure oil pressure or the amount of oil in the engine?
The gauge's needle didn't quite reach the halfway mark after I added the recommended number of quarts so I added another quart. Now it reads a hair over half full on the gauge.
Also, I checked the oil on the dipstick while the engine was running one and it had bubbles in it.
Is this normal? Is there any possibility of damaging the engine if it has an extra quart in it?
Thanks.
Mike got it exactly right. Too much oil bad. Bubbles bad.
The oil pressure gauge is there to warn you of problems. If the pressure is too low, then the engine isn't getting the lubrication it needs. Some modern engines also need good oil pressure to activate certain parts (cam phasers etc.). Low pressure can be cause by things like low oil, incorrect oil, blocked oil passages, bad oil pump, worn out engine etc.
The gauge measures oil pressure not level. Those bubbles are from air being mixed into the oil by the crankshaft. Yes it can cause damage overfilling for a few reasons; among them: you’re introducing bubbles into the oil flowing through the engine reducing its ability to keep a barrier between the metallic moving parts. Another problem is it’s overfilled enough it’s going to interfere with the space the piston is retreating into on the down stroke.
Drain the extra quart.
