How to Drain Excess Oil from Car: 7 Ways to Do It!

A car is the materialized form of one big dream, and absolutely nothing beats the moment you first get your hands on one of your very own.

But there is more. It is extremely necessary to display proper care and maintenance to keep your car well for a long time. One such point is to change the engine oil from time to time.

Make sure to not overfill during the process to prevent oil waste and engine damage. Even if you accidentally do, figure out how to drain excess oil from the car.

Engine Oil Change: Why Should You?

A key point in car maintenance is to change the engine oil. Engine oil ensures the smooth operation of all the parts of the engine of a car so that they all harmoniously work together.

However, one batch of engine oil only lasts for so long. Once a certain period of time passes, there will be fluctuation in strength and durability. After some more time, there will only be a decrease.

And thus, the engine oil loses character and creates problems, i.e., easily heats the engine up, obscures the visibility of the engine, and lowers the overall performance of the car.

So, it is really important to change old engine oil with a new one.

Why Not Overfill Engine with Oil?

It is important to make sure not to overfill the engine with oil. If the question ‘Why?’ arises, the answer lies in the word ‘overfill’ itself. It does not fill the engine to the required level, but rather, above it.

If there is more oil than necessary, the extra bit not only goes to waste but also damages different parts of the engine.

Change occurs in the amount of pressure placed on the crankshaft, the part responsible for oil leak prevention, and leads to an oil spill.

Moreover, an extra load is placed on the engine, as there is an oil flood inside the exhaust pipe, which absorbs oil vapor and blocks the open pathway.

Circulation of excess oil back into the combustion chamber produces dense smoke, which destroys the catalytic converter.

An increase in engine heat, variation in air pressure, random breakdowns of the car is also frequent problems caused by an overfilled engine.

So, it is extremely crucial to make sure not to overfill the engine oil.

How to Drain Excess Oil from Car | Different Methods

Mistakes happen, so you may still somehow overfill your engine with oil. But there is no need to panic. All you need to do is figure out how to drain excess oil from the car, and you are set.

Want to learn more? Well, you have come to the right place. Read on to know all about how you can easily drain excess oil from your car.

1. Oil Plug

If the engine is overfilled with oil and a portion needs to be drained out, the best way to do so is to use the oil plug method. For this method, the required tools are a drain pan and a socket wrench.

First, crawl underneath the car and find the location of the oil plug. Place the drain pan directly below the oil plug to collect the drained oil.

Next, take the socket wrench and slowly unbolt the oil plug. Be really careful, or else the plug will completely detach, and all of the oil will spill out and go to waste. 

After a while, once a small amount of oil starts coming out, let the oil drain out. Constantly keep the oil level in check with a dipstick. Wait for the oil level to go down to normal. Then, bolt the oil plug to return the car to its original state. 

2. Dipstick Tube

An easy way to drain extra oil from the engine is to use a dipstick tube and follow the siphon process. Although it is a lengthy process due to the high viscosity of oil, it is not necessary to get below the car or loosen the oil drain bolt, so it is preferable.

Locate the dipstick and take it out to start. Get a vinyl tube and feed it down inside the dipstick tube. Make sure to feed the vinyl tube deep down into the engine. 

Place the free end of the tube inside your mouth, and suck hard until there is next to no air in the tube. Once the air is out, the oil comes up. Place the end into a container and allow the oil to drain.

Remove the tube from the engine once enough oil is drained out and the oil level is back to normal.

3. Suction Pipe

A suction pipe works just fine to take out excess oil from an overfilled engine. It is just like the dipstick tube process, except a suction pipe is used instead of a vinyl tube.

Feed the suction pipe into the dipstick tube and drain out oil till the oil level goes down to normal.

4. Oxygen Hose and Syringe

It is possible to drain excess oil from an engine with the help of an oxygen hose and a syringe.

Remove the dipstick and feed the hose down. Once it comes to a stop, slightly pull it back.

Attach the syringe to the hose and seal it so that it is nice and airtight.

Pull the syringe handle to suck the oil out. Wait for the syringe to fill up, then take the attachment apart and transfer the oil into an external container.

Repeat the process until enough oil is drained and the oil level is back to normal.

5. Vacuum Oil Extractor Pump

Vacuum oil extractor pumps are a fancy way of oil removal. They are expensive, but several good ones are available for under a hundred dollars. 

Assemble the extractor pump. Use the pump to pull oil out of the engine with the long straw attachment that goes down inside the dipstick tube. Extract until the oil level is normal.

A huge amount of time and effort is required to make the extractor work. It also requires space under the car to crawl in and drain. So, it is slightly troublesome. But make the most of it, and it will be a great investment and totally worth it.

6. Fresh Oil Change

One of the most precise ways to drain excess oil from an engine is to carry out a fresh oil change.

Find the oil drain plug placed on the lower part of the oil pan. Remove to thoroughly drain the engine of all oil, to the very last drop. Store the oil in a container to recycle or sell at an appropriate price to any auto parts store. 

Once there is no more oil left inside, find the oil filter, take it out, and dispose of it in favor of a brand new one. Replace the old oil filter with the new one.

Afterward, simply refill the engine with the proper amount of oil as instructed in the user manual guide.

7. Professional Service

If it is entirely too hard to drain excess oil from your engine at home, consult a professional.

Or just take the car to a repair shop and get the service done by a professional mechanic. Make sure to not drive the car. Tow the car to the shop to not cause any kind of damage to the engine on the way.

Conclusion

As is the case with every single thing you own, the euphoric feeling of getting them from the very first moment transforms into love and care. The same goes for your car.

And just like everything else, it is an absolute must to look after your car’s every need. One of the tasks is to replace the old oil with a new one, but it is entirely possible to make a mistake in the maintenance of the correct oil level and accidentally overfill.

It is completely okay, as there are several methods on how to drain excess oil from a car you can follow. Just figure out the one that works the best for you, do it well, and you can easily reverse the mistake. 

Once you get the hang of it all, carefully work your way forward to make your car fit to serve and go a long way together.