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1999cutiger

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Hi Folks,

I just did my first oil change on my Toyota Camry and I noticed that I am reading low on the dip stick. I measured the recommended fill amount (with filter change) of 4.75 US quarts to the gnats [censored]. I checked the dip stick on level ground and it continues to read low. The level on the stick reads approx. 3/4 to the full mark. There are no leaks anywhere to be found.

This is kind of bugging me...I don't want to add any additional oil because I will be exceeeding the factory specs.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance for any feedback...
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: jorton
Did you run the engine for at least 1 minute, and then wait at least 15 minutes before checking the level?


Yes, I have driven it approx. 20 minutes and it has sat for several hours.
 
What year/mileage does the car have? Maybe they did a misprint on the paperwork and did not anticipate that oil will sit in the filter too. They might have suggested the wrong amount by mistake. Park it on clean pavement and see if there are leaks.
 
Originally Posted By: Cristobal
What year/mileage does the car have? Maybe they did a misprint on the paperwork and did not anticipate that oil will sit in the filter too. They might have suggested the wrong amount by mistake. Park it on clean pavement and see if there are leaks.


I have a 2011 Toyota Camry LE (I4). It has 900 miles on it. There are no leaks. I have only driven it 20 miles since the oil change.
 
Ask your dealership if they have a like model and year car and if you can measure the dipstick length of the comparable car. Measure yours. You might have the wrong dipstick with your car. It happens.
 
Originally Posted By: 1999cutiger
Hi Folks,

I just did my first oil change on my Toyota Camry and I noticed that I am reading low on the dip stick. I measured the recommended fill amount (with filter change) of 4.75 US quarts to the gnats [censored]. I checked the dip stick on level ground and it continues to read low. The level on the stick reads approx. 3/4 to the full mark. There are no leaks anywhere to be found.

This is kind of bugging me...I don't want to add any additional oil because I will be exceeeding the factory specs.

Any ideas? Thanks in advance for any feedback...


This sounds perfectly normal. You change the oil, put the "recommended" amount in and it reads 3/4 of the distance from low to full. I've never ever owned a car where the recommended oil fill amount hit at the perfect full amount.

Just use 5 qts (add that .25 qt). Trust me this will not overfill your sump.
 
If your oil is between full and add you don't need to take any action. I know GM says to wait until it's low before adding a quart. This goes back to the days of quart oil cans you'd puncture and add the whole thing... and the car will run fine a quart low.

Of course this goes against the perfectionist personality...
 
In some car literature there is a "sump capacity" and then a "capacity with filter" or language something like that. The difference can be half a quart or better.

Depending upon where you were pulling the info from, this could have been lost, missed, etc., and then you just got the wrong value.
 
Only one vehicle I ever owned had a dipstick that didn't read full after an oil and filter change filling with the amount of oil as stated in the OM. I'd do as Cristobal suggested, it is possible the car came with the wrong dipstick, or the dipstick for some reason isn't seating properly in the fill tube. If the fill tube is shoved more or less into the block during assembly you could get a flase reading too.

I'd verify at the dealer, or do as I did. Change the oil and the filter add the spec'd amount of oil use an OEM filter, drive the car let it sit over night on level ground and make your own mark. Truth is if you are plus or minus even up to a pint of oil it really won't matter. If you add the exact amount of oil the engine calls for in the OM you'll be fine cutting your own mark.

Now if there is some special way of checking oil other than the way I stated follow those directions to make your mark. Before cutting the mark measure the level after a few driving sessions to be certain it always comes up the same.
 
Originally Posted By: Pablo
I've never ever owned a car where the recommended oil fill amount hit at the perfect full amount.


Really? Mine maybe haven't been "perfect", but can't say as I've ever had one off enough to matter. My dad's 2011 Camry I4 is dead on.
 
Originally Posted By: tsduke
Originally Posted By: Pablo
I've never ever owned a car where the recommended oil fill amount hit at the perfect full amount.


Really? Mine maybe haven't been "perfect", but can't say as I've ever had one off enough to matter. My dad's 2011 Camry I4 is dead on.


Really. The Hondas are dead center between add and full or 3/4. The Volvo is at 3/8's or so. Read what the OP is writing he is looking for it to be dead on the "FULL" mark. I've never had this happen. Maybe at 3/4 between add and full.

So when you say "dead on", the Camry is perfectly at the FULL line? I've just never had a car do this. It's usually a little below the line as described and certainly nothing to worry about.
 
The bottom mark means "add some oil" the top mark means "don't go above this level". Everything in between the marks means "within design limits". It is not a gas tank. There is no "empty" and there is no "full".
 
Originally Posted By: Pablo
Originally Posted By: tsduke
Originally Posted By: Pablo
I've never ever owned a car where the recommended oil fill amount hit at the perfect full amount.


Really? Mine maybe haven't been "perfect", but can't say as I've ever had one off enough to matter. My dad's 2011 Camry I4 is dead on.


Really. The Hondas are dead center between add and full or 3/4. The Volvo is at 3/8's or so. Read what the OP is writing he is looking for it to be dead on the "FULL" mark. I've never had this happen. Maybe at 3/4 between add and full.

So when you say "dead on", the Camry is perfectly at the FULL line? I've just never had a car do this. It's usually a little below the line as described and certainly nothing to worry about.


Yea, I haven't had one off by as much as the OP states. I call dead on anything just off the line on either side. Not 1/4 off full though.
 
Don't worry too much about that small amount. If that were my rig I'd consider myself lucky because a single 5 quart jug would be exactly what I would put in at every oil change. Our Corolla takes 4.5 quarts and every OC I have a half quart left over, I hate that.

Congrats on the new rig
smile.gif
 
My '95 Grand Marquis says 5 quarts in the manual (later cars switched to 6 quart pans) but that only shows about 2/3 of the way up the dipstick. (If I'm reading it right--there's another thread around here somewhere about my dipstick problems). I would just double check with Google on whether or not your car switched to a larger oil pan at some point, otherwise you're good to go with 5 quarts in there if that is the spec.
 
make sure also that you are on level ground when you do the reading. i consider where i park my honda to be level, but, in reality, it is ever so slightly downhill. my readings from here are always above the upper marking of the dipstick. however, when i take a reading in a level parking lot, or at the gas station, the reading is just below or even with the upper marking. it seems the slightest incline or decline, even if not immediately evident to the eye, does, in fact, make a difference in the oil reading.

that said, i would not lose any sleep over it. you put the correct amount of oil in. the car is new. it is a toyota. it is not leaking oil.
 
A big thanks to everyone who offered their ideas.

It is clear to me now that my garage is not level. I took my car to a local parking lot that looks very close to level and the oil level on the dip stick looks very close to full. I guess I never new how much the level of the car can affect the level on the dip stick. A little slope can give the appearance of your oil level being low.

Thanks again...
 
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