Originally Posted By: doublebase
Originally Posted By: Gokhan
Originally Posted By: doublebase
after 5,000 miles the car starts to use oil. So I'm keeping my intervals between 5-7k, tops.
Your engine uses oil uniformly throughout the OCI, even when oil is completely fresh, not after 5,000 miles. It appears that way because the oil dipsticks are nonlinear.
All I know is that when I check it at 1,000 miles the oil level is right on the "full" line. When I check it at 2,000 miles it's right at the "full" line. When I check it at 3,000 miles it's right at the "full" line. When I check it at 4,000 miles it's right at the "full" line.
Then when I check it at 5,000 miles it's about halfway between full and add. I add half a quart. I check it at 6,000 miles and it's halfway between full and add. I add half a quart. I check it between 6,000-7,000 miles more often and I'm adding a little here, a little there.
So for the first 4,000 miles the car doesn't lose anything based on the readings of the dipstick...measured on the same level surface and a cold engine every single time. After that? It needs to be topped off consistently.
I'm 2,500 miles in on an oil change right now, I've pulled the dipstick 3 times and the level hasn't moved one single bit...dead on level full. And I'll keep checking it as I always do - I'm fully expecting it to do what it usually does - start using oil after 4,000 miles. It seems to either thin out, shear...I don't know?? After that number, but whatever it is, it doesn't do it the first 4,000 miles. I know that sounds funny, but perhaps the oil loses its NOACK properties over that range and evaporate a little? I do basically the same commute everyday...80 miles, all highway....another 100 on country roads during the weekend. Very little stop and go driving. Easy driving all the time. This oil thing never changes...there's threads a mile long on clublexus.com about others experiencing the same thing.
You can easily check the linearity of your dipstick next time you change oil. Instead of dumping the entire fill spec in at once, fill a quart less. Check the dipstick level. Then fill the remaining quart in 1/4 quart increments, while checking the dipstick level every time. This will show you how the oil level on the dipstick actually changes.
Originally Posted By: Gokhan
Originally Posted By: doublebase
after 5,000 miles the car starts to use oil. So I'm keeping my intervals between 5-7k, tops.
Your engine uses oil uniformly throughout the OCI, even when oil is completely fresh, not after 5,000 miles. It appears that way because the oil dipsticks are nonlinear.
All I know is that when I check it at 1,000 miles the oil level is right on the "full" line. When I check it at 2,000 miles it's right at the "full" line. When I check it at 3,000 miles it's right at the "full" line. When I check it at 4,000 miles it's right at the "full" line.
Then when I check it at 5,000 miles it's about halfway between full and add. I add half a quart. I check it at 6,000 miles and it's halfway between full and add. I add half a quart. I check it between 6,000-7,000 miles more often and I'm adding a little here, a little there.
So for the first 4,000 miles the car doesn't lose anything based on the readings of the dipstick...measured on the same level surface and a cold engine every single time. After that? It needs to be topped off consistently.
I'm 2,500 miles in on an oil change right now, I've pulled the dipstick 3 times and the level hasn't moved one single bit...dead on level full. And I'll keep checking it as I always do - I'm fully expecting it to do what it usually does - start using oil after 4,000 miles. It seems to either thin out, shear...I don't know?? After that number, but whatever it is, it doesn't do it the first 4,000 miles. I know that sounds funny, but perhaps the oil loses its NOACK properties over that range and evaporate a little? I do basically the same commute everyday...80 miles, all highway....another 100 on country roads during the weekend. Very little stop and go driving. Easy driving all the time. This oil thing never changes...there's threads a mile long on clublexus.com about others experiencing the same thing.
You can easily check the linearity of your dipstick next time you change oil. Instead of dumping the entire fill spec in at once, fill a quart less. Check the dipstick level. Then fill the remaining quart in 1/4 quart increments, while checking the dipstick level every time. This will show you how the oil level on the dipstick actually changes.
