"Frank Boettcher" <fboettcher@comcast.net> wrote
> Son has 94 accord four cylinder VTEC. Was visiting for
the holidays.
> As he was warming up the car to start back I asked if he
had checked
> oil. He said, no good idea so we turned off the engine
waited about
> two minutes and then checked. Showed more than a quart
low. He was
> alarmed but had just driven over a thousand miles on a
high mileage
> engine and assumed he had burned some.

I assume he was alarmed about the oil consumption rate, but
not the low oil level.

As long as the low oil pressure light didn't come on, the
engine should be fine.

> Put a quart in and checked it
> again and it showed within the two dipstick holes about
three quarters
> of a way to the top hole.
>
> He called me on the road when he had stopped for lunch and
said the
> dipstick then showed about a quarter inch over the full
hole

Huh. That surprises me a little, based on everything you say
about warming the car up, etc.

Sounds like about half a quart too much.

> indicating probably a half quart or so too much. The
engine on this
> check had been off for about thirty minutes. We assumed
full drain
> back from the head and any other crevices in the engine.
>
> question:
>
> How long should you wait to get a reasonably accurate
reading on a
> fully warm engine after turning it off?

I don't wait. I turn it off; within five minutes, I check
the level. The manual says to check "a couple of minutes"
after turning the engine off.

> Is a half quart too much a problem. Should he drain it
back to
> protect the seals?

Is your son on the road as we speak?

I think, based on my reading, I'd let the extra half-quart
or so go until after the trip. Then I'd do a proper check
(warm up car with say at least twenty minues of driving;
turn off; check oil level). I'd drain to get it between 1/2
and 3/4 on the dipstick.

Too much oil causes frothing, IIRC, which of course cannot
result in optimal lubrication.

OTOH, if the car is consuming oil, it'll be in spec,
level-wise, by trip's end.

On the third hand, if your son is handy and fastidious about
not risking damage to his car, get some Latex gloves for a
few bucks at a drug store, let the car cool down somewhat,
get underneath and drain out the half-quart or so. It's
gonna be messy. Or stop at a Jiffy Lube or a Wal-Mart car
service center and pay them $10 or so to do it.