Oil Fill Levels...Who Would You Believe?
- Thread starter CarbonSteel
- Start date
How long would it take to seize an over-filled engine, by revving it in the top third of redline, and foaming the oil? Engine Masters shows significant oil pressure drop on one of their episodes.
If this is your biggest problem??? Then you’re a lucky man!
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LOL...it's not a problem, it's for awareness.
Maybe they screwed up the dipsticks…. Again.
From page 307 of your owner's manual:
So your oil level is correct. He's right, you're wrong.
So your oil level is correct. He's right, you're wrong.
I just bought a Grand Cherokee with the 3.6. At 500 miles I’m a long way from an oil change but wondering why the 3.6 would take different amounts of oil in the two different body styles? As far as I can tell the difference is from the B pillar back btwn the GC and GCL
Due to packaging concerns, oil pans can vary.
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How's that--it does not align with the specified oil capacity in the same manual. When 5.0 quarts of oil are in the engine, the oil level is between the dots on the dipstick at operating temperature as stated above. If adding 1 quart will bring it from the minimum to the maximum, then if the oil level is in the middle of the dots on the dipstick, adding another quart (e.g. 6.0 quarts) will move it to 1/2" above the full mark which then would not be in spec which is supported by the level being 1" above full as shown in my photo when it is cold.
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Good question and better question is why is it different at all. I am going to assume it is the oil pan that is different between the two models.
My wife's Sonata has ALWAYS been serviced by the dealer that she bought it from. I checked the oil a few days ago and it's at least one quart overfilled. We had in fact just come from the same stealership (the oil change was from a previous visit) and you won't believe the number of completely unnecessary services that they tried to sell her! The one thing that her car did need that they missed was that the air struts that (are supposed to) hold the hood open were failing and the hood shut itself after about 30 seconds. I honestly wonder if they even opened the hood and actually checked anything!
Many vehicles have the same engine but very different oil pans due to the front suspension design. Four wheel drive vehicles very frequently have a different oil pan than the same vehicle with 2 wheel drive.
When the 2.7EB came out we had a tech who could not grasp how important it was to wait 10 minutes after shutting off to check the oil. It was a constant battle with him overfilling them. No matter how much we pointed out what both the owners and workshop manual said he would not believe it because he knew better. Thankfully he no longer works here.
Wow, this is an interesting thread. I consider myself lucky because my LS3 in the Chevy SS takes exactly 2-gallons, no matter how you cut it. Back in 2017 when I purchased the car, I had the free oil changes from the dealership. I took advantage of them on the first two, but each time they screwed things up. After that I forfeited the remaining oil changes and just started buying my own oil and taking my car to the Valvoline lube pit. Besides, it only takes me 15 minutes instead all day at the dealership, plus I get to stand there while they work.
Let's start from the beginning here.. Sorry if I missed this.
Get it up to operating temperature, turn it off and wait "about" 5 minutes before rechecking.
Is it showing overfilled in this situation? You told us the service dept. rechecked the fluid level but didn't indicate if they waited 5 minutes before doing so. Checking it too soon may not give the oil enough time to settle to the bottom of the pan and show a lower reading.
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With 5.0 quarts in the engine, the oil level is 1/2 way between the marks when at operating temperature and is at the full mark when checked cold.
With 6.0 quarts in the engine, the oil level is 1/2" above the full mark when at operating temperature and is 1" above at the full mark when checked cold (see photo of dipstick in OP).
I don't think you have enough information to come to that conclusion as of yet. Checking the oil level while it's warm and shortly after shut off is pretty standard across many different brands, but for me it never made that big of a difference. Certainly not enough to account for an entire QUART of overfill.
Now my question is whether the dealership waited 5 minutes or more before checking the oil level. Checking it too soon after shut off and it will give a reading lower than what is actually in the engine.
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He did not wait 5 minutes...I had just shut it off and popped the hood when he checked it.
Thanks, EXACTLY what I was getting at. The oil never had a chance to fully drain back to the sump so it gave an inaccurate reading showing a lower level than it really was.
