Hey guys, I got my rx8 couple weeks ago and as I have read here, its important to check on the motor oil level and top up every 1000kms or so, so It was kind of empty and I did top up with Castrol 5w20 conventional oil and as soon as I drove about 10kms the check engine light came on. I am at work now and dont know if it will stay on after but has anyone experienced this before?

P.S what is the correct empty or full level on the dipstick as I see 4 lines, and I am not familiar with it yet, at what line do I need to top up??


please and thanks in advance guys

 

There is a "full" mark on the dipstick. Fill it to there.

IF, and only IF, the check engine light has any relation to the oil topping up, then you probably overfilled it and caused either a MAF error or a valve error from the oil getting blown into the intake.

However, without the CEL code to know, it is possible that the CEL is unrelated and would have happened anyway, even if you didn't top off.

Get the code pulled and come back.

 

If by any chance I overfilled it, is that a problem?
And this may sound dumb, but how do I get the code pulled?

I topped up the engine oil and also the coolant.

 

I'm not sure of your location, but if you are in the US, AdvanceAuto, Pepboys, and Autozone often pull codes for free. I think it's a policy at Advance, the other two are optional on a per-location basis. If you are outside the US, your local autoparts store might do it for free.

If you don't have those options, then buy a code reader. It may sound irritating, but the cheapest code readers from the web are often cheaper than a single "diagnostics" charge at a dealer, and you will be able to use it for years to come without having to deal with the hassle or cost of a dealership.



And yes, overfilling is bad. Not immediately horrificly bad, but the overfilled oil gets ejected into the intake, where it gums up the intake valves, disrupts the sensors, clogs the air filter, etc... Done repeatedly and ignored it can lead to very expensive repairs.

 

Im in toronto, canada. I will definately see if I can get a code reader instead.

I should just be more careful the next time Im topping up then right? I read somewhere that you have to restart your engine 10 times for it to go away, is that correct?

 

Yes be more careful.


And no idea where you read that. I assume you are talking about the CEL. Some CELs will self clear when they see enough drive cycles with the issue corrected. "Enough" may change from one CEL to another. Other CELs are temporary anyway (like misfires), and some CELs must be manually cleared.

Manually clearing CELs sets most ECU system status updates to "Not Ready", which would fail a US (possibly Canada?) ODB2 inspection. It takes 2-4 drive cycles for the ECU to switch all systems to "Ready", with each system needing it's own checks. Some will go "Ready" almost immediately.

None of them are just triggered by turning the engine on, then off. Drive data is what they are looking for.


If you are going to buy your own, one option (should you choose to exercise it), is to get a bluetooth ODB2 dongle and an appropriate ODB2 application for whatever smartphone you might have. I use Torque on an Android platform. Far far more functionality than "just a code reader." The app was $5, the bluetooth ODB2 dongle I bought was ~$100, though you can get much cheaper ones on e-bay (if you trust them. I don't.)

 

Also make sure your gas cap is on tight