Weird Oil Change Experience- Honda 2.4

[The Critic]

I service a 08 TSX for one of my co-workers. Tonight I did an oil change on it, along with some other routine service work.

This car has the Honda 2.4 engine. It specs 4.4 quarts at an oil and filter change.

When I do an oil change, I always jack up the front and rear equally, so the car is level. I also allow it to drain for 3-5 minutes. Usually, it takes me between 4.5 to 4.7 quarts to refill.

Tonight, I only lifted the front, and did so fairly high off the ground. I also allowed the oil to drain for about 10-15 minutes.

I added 4.5 quarts, ran the car for leaks, then worked on the car for about 2 hours and came back to check the oil. There was barely any oil on the stick. After adding the remainder of the 5-qt jug, I was at the low mark.

I had some other 5w-30s leftover from the prior changes so I added those, which accounts for another 2/3 of a quart. The oil level was now 2/3 of the way up the stick. And yes, I checked for leaks and ran the car multiple times and allowed it to sit for 5 min between level checks.

Anyway, after a longer test drive, I came back and checked the oil to find it about 1/4 qt overfilled. This is not a seriously big deal, but this means that it still took about 5.3 quarts at this oil change.

Has anyone have this happen to them on their Honda 2.4?

The oil filter used was a Purolator L14610, which I believe is the correct one.

Thanks.

 

[Chris B.]

Hmmmm, that is odd. The only way I can get an accurate reading is to heat cycle the car and then check it after sitting for several minutes. Just adding oil and checking it never gets me correct readings because the cold oil does not flow to the pan like hot oil does and can stay up top. That is why you were 1/4 over full but I have no idea on why it took that much oil. My only guess is he aded an after market oil pan to increase his oil capacity.

 

[Slacker]

Why not let the car down where it is level and then add oil?

 

[ARB1977]

Our CRV is the same. I have to add 5.5 qrts to get it full, it lists 4.4 qrts. It takes almost as much as my V6 Tacoma.

 

[Hokiefyd]

Our 2008 CR-V takes about 4.8 quarts to fill it. I usually dump the whole 5-quart jug in, and the oil level sits just a hair above the full "hole" in the stick, right where it twists 45 degrees.

Our CR-V takes more oil than our 3.5L MDX. It only takes about 4 or 4-1/4 quarts.

 

[bourne]

Because for some reasons Honda 4 cyl retain some oil when you drain it. My civic only drains 3.4 qts but the actual capacity of the engine from a dry fill is 4.4 qts. Lifting it at an angle allowed it to drain more than it would normally. Hence the additional oil required for top off.

 

[NateDN10]

It's not clear from the original post - did you fill it while the front was still in the air? That would certainly explain it.

I assume that's not the case, so I have no explanation!

 

[SwampSurvivor]

My Focus takes at least 1/2 quart more than Ford says (they say 4.5 quart). When I prime the oil filter and dump the rest of the 5 quart jug into the sump, its' about 3/4 of the way up the dipstick.



Originally Posted By: NateDN10
It's not clear from the original post - did you fill it while the front was still in the air? That would certainly explain it.

I assume that's not the case, so I have no explanation!


Yeah, even after he leveled out the car it was still taking a lot extra than it should have.

 

[JHZR2]

Does it list the quarts with and without filter change?

 

[LargeCarManX2]

Originally Posted By: Slacker
Why not let the car down where it is level and then add oil?


This might be the trouble?

 

[buster]

I always just pull the car up on ramps, elevating the front only. I have only ever refilled with 4.5-5 qts max to get to the full mark, never more than that. Most of the time it takes 4.5 qts to hit the top hole.

 

[Mau]

Originally Posted By: buster
I always just pull the car up on ramps, elevating the front only. I have only ever refilled with 4.5-5 qts max to get to the full mark, never more than that. Most of the time it takes 4.5 qts to hit the top hole.


me too on both my Acura's 4.7L-5L tops. The Accord is 4.4L and its to the top hole and the [censored] Maxima is only 4L

(sucks because I cannot use up the entire 5L container!)

 

[webfors]

Hot oil expands, typically raising the line on your dipstick a good bit. That explains the higher level after driving it.

So the mystery is why it took 5.3 quarts? Maybe you got shafted in your 5 quart jug by a bit

 

[Hounds]

I'll add my voice to the chorus: 4.4 qts w/filter isn't enough oil to refill the oil pan on a k-series motor, particularly if you make a point of allowing the oil pan to drain fully, which will occur if you raise one side of the car (or CR-V) higher than the other in "steps" while draining the oil. In this regard, if you compare the refill volume with the total volume stated in the owner's manual, you'll see there's a full quart's difference.

Nota bene: If you happen to be compulsive/obsessive, now you have something else to worry about in addition of viscosity, TBNs, MM algorithms, etc. Namely, that one quart of filthy, disgusting, 10k-mile TBN-exhausted, babbitt-dissolving motor oil that always left in your engine despite your best effort to change it and the oil filter.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

maybe it was a 1 gallon jug

 

[buster]

4.4 qts on the 2.4L brings it up barely past the 1/2 way point if I recall. I always put 4 qts in, take it off the ramps and once the car is level, add oil from there. Problem solved.

 

[The Critic]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Our 2008 CR-V takes about 4.8 quarts to fill it. I usually dump the whole 5-quart jug in, and the oil level sits just a hair above the full "hole" in the stick, right where it twists 45 degrees.

Our CR-V takes more oil than our 3.5L MDX. It only takes about 4 or 4-1/4 quarts.

There is exactly where the oil level is right now...thanks!

It's not clear from the original post - did you fill it while the front was still in the air? That would certainly explain it.

I assume that's not the case, so I have no explanation! [/quote

Well, I filled it when the front was up in the air, then I lowered it and ran it for several minutes and allowed it to sit for 5 minutes before checking the level.

 

[BearZDefect]

The few Hondas I've serviced since model year 2003 (K and R engines, none of them mine) took less than half a quart more oil to reach the full line than the specifications.

On the other hand, all late '90s Toyotas I've serviced (none mine) were always overfilled using the oil amount from the specifications. Maybe because the engines had half a quart of sludge displacing the oil. The 2004+ 3MZ engines I've serviced take exactly the specified oil volume to reach the full mark, which is nice because it is a 5 quart jug.

 

[johnsmellsalot]

Haha that's funny. If it says to put in 4.4 quarts, then put 4.4 quarts. The oil level is safe as long as it is between the two dots.
Originally Posted By: The Critic
I service a 08 TSX for one of my co-workers. Tonight I did an oil change on it, along with some other routine service work.

This car has the Honda 2.4 engine. It specs 4.4 quarts at an oil and filter change.

When I do an oil change, I always jack up the front and rear equally, so the car is level. I also allow it to drain for 3-5 minutes. Usually, it takes me between 4.5 to 4.7 quarts to refill.

Tonight, I only lifted the front, and did so fairly high off the ground. I also allowed the oil to drain for about 10-15 minutes.

I added 4.5 quarts, ran the car for leaks, then worked on the car for about 2 hours and came back to check the oil. There was barely any oil on the stick. After adding the remainder of the 5-qt jug, I was at the low mark.

I had some other 5w-30s leftover from the prior changes so I added those, which accounts for another 2/3 of a quart. The oil level was now 2/3 of the way up the stick. And yes, I checked for leaks and ran the car multiple times and allowed it to sit for 5 min between level checks.

Anyway, after a longer test drive, I came back and checked the oil to find it about 1/4 qt overfilled. This is not a seriously big deal, but this means that it still took about 5.3 quarts at this oil change.

Has anyone have this happen to them on their Honda 2.4?

The oil filter used was a Purolator L14610, which I believe is the correct one.

Thanks.

 

[gregk24]

My 2006 Accord 2.4 takes 5 quarts to hit the full mark on the dip stick.