2014 2WD 2.0 Patriot with 196,000
So, I go in for a bit overdue oil change before heading out on a five hour trip the other day and run by my go-to non-Chrysler local dealership and get a young guy doing the change. While on the rack, he points out that I have an oil leak around the valve cover gasket. I see the leak and proceed to go by the parts place and pick up the gasket to replace it that evening, before leaving the next day.
I do the gasket install (first time replacing one) and do my best to examine for leaks. I don’t see any, and drive it fifteen or so miles to make sure. After parking, I notice the next morning that I have several drops of what looks like oil underneath, but also notice that I have a leak from a crack in the plastic housing in the radiator hose under the cap! So, I’m unsure whether the oil was excess left from the leak that has worked its way down and possibly some of the coolant which I also had leaking. I check my oil and oddly it seems a bit the top safe range line. I don’t think much of it, as my drive is not completely level. Using my usual risky decision making skills, I decide that I’m still heading on the trip and elect to simply install a new radiator hose that day before I leave. I replace the hose and verify no leaks, and I still don’t notice any leaks on the valve cover, at least on the front where I can see well. I head out on my trip. About 200 miles in, I stop for gas and check the oil with the engine probably not having much time to cool and drain down, dipstick is showing at the top line of safe. About this time, I throw a check engine code. Stop by an AutoZone and they say it is a catalytic converter code.
I make the round trip and check the oil a bit from time to time and the level stays the same, top line. Upon returning home, I am finally parked somewhere that I can see if any drips happen while parked. Sure enough, I probably have about a tablespoon or so of oil the next morning. I go by the dealership and they let me put it on the rack to get their opinion on the drip. Guy says it looks like it still has a bit of a leak around the cover where timing chain union to the block. After chatting with him, he asks if I used any silicone on the gasket at the corners of that area, which I did not. He advises taking it back off, cleaning the gasket and surface well, and then reinstalling with some silicone gasket maker at those two corner joints. That afternoon I do the reinstall very carefully. Take it for a spin and park. The next morning, I have less oil, but still maybe a few teaspoons worth under the oil pan access area of the plastic undercarriage cover. Now, I go back to the dealership and the guy there thinks it is probably just residual oil still dripping down.
Upon coming home, I check the oil again as I once again inspect the surface for signs of leaking around the cover. I use my own scanner to glance at the catalytic converter code (p0420) and clear it. The next morning, I have maybe a teaspoon of oil underneath in the same old area.
Through another code today. Get home and it’s once again the same p0420 catalytic converter code. I check the oil again, but still am at the top range of the full. Coincidentally I notice that with a chalk pen is fairly freshly written “5qt” near the air filter, but filter included my engine oil capacity is not even 4.5 quarts. So, I’m a bit slow on the uptake, but finally decide the new young guy doing the oil change overfilled me by at least half a quart. This should have been obvious, I guess, but it has never happened to me before. Sure enough my oil is still on the upper end of the safe range on the dipstick, as you can see in the pic. Since my understanding always was that if you overfill that oil has got to go somewhere. So, I’m figuring the oil was pushing out either around the valve gasket, at least after my first install and possibly around the oil pan gasket. After sitting four hours or so after today’s running, I once again have a small area of oil underneath on my concrete, pic also attached.
So, after writing this long dissertation, let me finally get to my questions:
1. Does this sound reasonable to you that perhaps my gasket install is fine, but the oil has been overfilled? Would it result in the excess oil being pushed out, so to speak? Would this damage the gaskets or stop once it equalized?
2. Are there any dangers from running the engine with .5 qt excess for this long? I assume it has to be close to getting to the right level by now.
3. Could such an overfill situation cause the p0420 code? Possibly causing the engine to “burn” the excess oil producing emission issues?
Any other input is appreciated!
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![Image]()
So, I go in for a bit overdue oil change before heading out on a five hour trip the other day and run by my go-to non-Chrysler local dealership and get a young guy doing the change. While on the rack, he points out that I have an oil leak around the valve cover gasket. I see the leak and proceed to go by the parts place and pick up the gasket to replace it that evening, before leaving the next day.
I do the gasket install (first time replacing one) and do my best to examine for leaks. I don’t see any, and drive it fifteen or so miles to make sure. After parking, I notice the next morning that I have several drops of what looks like oil underneath, but also notice that I have a leak from a crack in the plastic housing in the radiator hose under the cap! So, I’m unsure whether the oil was excess left from the leak that has worked its way down and possibly some of the coolant which I also had leaking. I check my oil and oddly it seems a bit the top safe range line. I don’t think much of it, as my drive is not completely level. Using my usual risky decision making skills, I decide that I’m still heading on the trip and elect to simply install a new radiator hose that day before I leave. I replace the hose and verify no leaks, and I still don’t notice any leaks on the valve cover, at least on the front where I can see well. I head out on my trip. About 200 miles in, I stop for gas and check the oil with the engine probably not having much time to cool and drain down, dipstick is showing at the top line of safe. About this time, I throw a check engine code. Stop by an AutoZone and they say it is a catalytic converter code.
I make the round trip and check the oil a bit from time to time and the level stays the same, top line. Upon returning home, I am finally parked somewhere that I can see if any drips happen while parked. Sure enough, I probably have about a tablespoon or so of oil the next morning. I go by the dealership and they let me put it on the rack to get their opinion on the drip. Guy says it looks like it still has a bit of a leak around the cover where timing chain union to the block. After chatting with him, he asks if I used any silicone on the gasket at the corners of that area, which I did not. He advises taking it back off, cleaning the gasket and surface well, and then reinstalling with some silicone gasket maker at those two corner joints. That afternoon I do the reinstall very carefully. Take it for a spin and park. The next morning, I have less oil, but still maybe a few teaspoons worth under the oil pan access area of the plastic undercarriage cover. Now, I go back to the dealership and the guy there thinks it is probably just residual oil still dripping down.
Upon coming home, I check the oil again as I once again inspect the surface for signs of leaking around the cover. I use my own scanner to glance at the catalytic converter code (p0420) and clear it. The next morning, I have maybe a teaspoon of oil underneath in the same old area.
Through another code today. Get home and it’s once again the same p0420 catalytic converter code. I check the oil again, but still am at the top range of the full. Coincidentally I notice that with a chalk pen is fairly freshly written “5qt” near the air filter, but filter included my engine oil capacity is not even 4.5 quarts. So, I’m a bit slow on the uptake, but finally decide the new young guy doing the oil change overfilled me by at least half a quart. This should have been obvious, I guess, but it has never happened to me before. Sure enough my oil is still on the upper end of the safe range on the dipstick, as you can see in the pic. Since my understanding always was that if you overfill that oil has got to go somewhere. So, I’m figuring the oil was pushing out either around the valve gasket, at least after my first install and possibly around the oil pan gasket. After sitting four hours or so after today’s running, I once again have a small area of oil underneath on my concrete, pic also attached.
So, after writing this long dissertation, let me finally get to my questions:
1. Does this sound reasonable to you that perhaps my gasket install is fine, but the oil has been overfilled? Would it result in the excess oil being pushed out, so to speak? Would this damage the gaskets or stop once it equalized?
2. Are there any dangers from running the engine with .5 qt excess for this long? I assume it has to be close to getting to the right level by now.
3. Could such an overfill situation cause the p0420 code? Possibly causing the engine to “burn” the excess oil producing emission issues?
Any other input is appreciated!
