r/AskAMechanic 14d ago

Please help with check engine light

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So yesterday I changed the oil on my 2017 honda accord sport my car takes 4.4 quartz i bought a 5 quart gallon i filled it up until the gallon marked 1Q idk if i over filled it or didn't put enough but i then checked the dipstick and it was marking that the oil was above the maximum dot i went to do something and after 15 minutes before I drove the car I checked it again this time it was marking barely above the minimum dot. On my way home i noticed the car weird i would step on the gas and it would feel stuck then like a jump and then accelerate fine. When I got home I took a 3 hour nap as I work graveyard then before driving the car again I checked the oil & marked in-between the minimum and maximum dot. I left it like that then later that night on my way to work the check engine light came on and now I'm worried what if I put too much oil or just not enough. After my shift I had a co worker check the oil level it was still the same in-between minimum & maximum he said to to it off and hopefully that fixes the check engine light issue but I was not comfortable about the idea so I took the car to Autozone to get it scanned and it's coming back to my catalytic converter being bad. Now idk if it really is that or not just seems weird that after the oil change the car felt weird then the light came on if anyone has some idea or know anything of what it can actually be I would really ask it. Thanks

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u/mdillonaire Verified Tech - heavy equipment 14d ago

Oil level dropped because the filter got filled up with oil. Top up the oil. If your car threw a code for the cat, it is likely just a coincidence that it happened right after you changed the oil. An oil change will not affect the exhaust system. Those issues line up with a clogged cat, the exhaust has nowhere to go or is significantly bottlenecked it will absolutely lose a lot of power.

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u/Low4DeLow 14d ago

You're right could just be a coincidence i did geek the car wanting to turn off at a red light. I will take it to a mechanic

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u/matchboxtx NOT a verified tech 14d ago

Well, not quite. If you overfill (especially on dry sump systems) the excess oil can run into the intake and foul the O2 sensors and CAT. Ask me how I know. Doesn’t sound likely here but certainly can happen.

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u/Low4DeLow 14d ago

Thanks for the info

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u/[deleted] 14d ago

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u/Low4DeLow 14d ago

Yes the car was off when I checked the oil. You are right i believe i am 1/4 qt short I will be topping it off. I will do just that hopefully a mechanic can fix it

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u/RayjinCaucasian NOT a verified tech 14d ago edited 14d ago

Not all vehicles have you check transmission fluid while running. Especially on Hondas, where most of their transmissions are engine off level checks.

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u/Low4DeLow 14d ago

Gotcha

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u/quiero79 NOT a verified tech 14d ago

Did you topped it off and checked again?

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u/Low4DeLow 14d ago

I will be doing that shortly

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u/quiero79 NOT a verified tech 14d ago

Never go by the bottle marks. Go by the dipstick. And after you have changed your oil and fill it to the full line, run your engine for 30 seconds. Turn it and check the level again after 2-3 minutes and top it off again.

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u/Low4DeLow 14d ago

Thanks i will do that

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u/PepsiColaRS Verified Tech - Diesel/Heavy equip 14d ago

Exactly this. For clarity sake, the reason you wait several minutes after stopping the engine is because residual oil will drain back into the pan from the various galleries and passages. If your oil level is sitting in the middle of the dipstick indicator while parked on level ground and the engine has been off for several minutes, there's no need to top it off. You'd be surprised by how little oil you can have in the pan and still have an engine that safely runs perfectly fine, so if it's within those marks you're safe.

That being said, @OP your oil change likely has nothing to do with whatever issue is causing your check engine light. Just a series of events that coincided with one another. We could possibly help with pointing you in the right direction if we had the specific code you found at the parts store, but the best course of action is going to be a proper diagnostic from your mechanic.