trust dipstick or manual for refill capacity??

[SilverSnake]

After owning 87 different cars and trucks in my lifetime, I have found that adding exactly the amount of oil specified in the manual usually results in overfilling. It seems that no matter how long I let the used oil drain out (I ALWAYS change the oil with the engine hot), there will still be residual oil left behind. I always subtract about 1/2 quart from the amount specified in the manual and rarely have to add any after any oil change. I have three pieces of advice that have served me well since I started changing my own oil in 1966.

1. Trust the dipstick
2. Trust the dipstick
3. Trust the dipstick

 

[mjoekingz28]

Originally Posted By: chunt


I trust the manual and my manuals say to use the dipstick to verify the proper oil level.



Sounds sensible.

 

[akela]

Originally Posted By: SilverSnake
After owning 87 different cars and trucks in my lifetime, I have found that adding exactly the amount of oil specified in the manual usually results in overfilling.

How do you know it's overfilling? Any real symptoms (like smoke or leaks)?

 

[PimTac]

"Yes, or think that they have the accuracy of a graduated cylinder, and try to add drops of oil to meet some level on the dipstick they think is magical and axiomatic."


Is this one of those age related questions? I'm a senior and I go by the manual for how much to put in but use the dipstick to verify. If the automaker cannot install an accurate dipstick, how can we trust them for the rest of the vehicle? That's how you check your level if you do so regularly as I do.

 

[KL31]

Never trust dipstick 100%. You might not be on 100% level ground.

I've also noticed that my old engine had a dipstick swap. I could see the engine code was BP for a mazda 4cyl not my v6. So previous owner or mechanic were a little dumb and used an incorrect replacement.

The best idea is to use the Internet and get multiple sources of reference to your sump capacity, then look at the manual and hope they match.

Always go with more oil than less. It's been proven that 0.5 of a quart too much won't do anything to harm the engine. If manual says 4.5L and the dipstick says it's low with 4.5, add half a quart. I'd prefer too much over too little (obviously not too much, 1 quart over is probably the limit for me).

 

[Ducked]

Originally Posted By: Triple_Se7en
Originally Posted By: zeng
Dipstick, not manual.


Perhaps in Malaysia,


Which is, like, where he's at.

Y'know?

Originally Posted By: Triple_Se7en
but not typical American vehicles


That, sadly, does seem to be the worlds verdict, and on our "written in English" vehicles too.

 

[Kuato]

Originally Posted By: Tech819
It's been 22 years and you still have the car running so whatever you have been doing it seems to be working.

 

[SilverSnake]

Originally Posted By: akela
Originally Posted By: SilverSnake
After owning 87 different cars and trucks in my lifetime, I have found that adding exactly the amount of oil specified in the manual usually results in overfilling.

How do you know it's overfilling? Any real symptoms (like smoke or leaks)?


Overfilled according to the dipsticks. Many, many different dipsticks.

 

[cmhj]

heading out for more beer

 

[Alex_V]

Dipstick. On engine models I've never worked on before or can't remember the capacity, I fill to as much as a quart under published capacity, start, check for leaks and oil pressure (when applicable), shut off, wait a few minutes, check, and fill to full. My Cruze takes exactly 4.25 qts. every time - this last time (Tuesday) I put in 4.25 qts., started it, shut down and checked it, and it was right on the money.

 

[CR94]

One more data point:

I recently put the 4.4 quarts specified by the manual in my Toyota. The dipstick then showed the level only about 90% of the way up from low to full. 10% of 1.6 quarts = a discrepancy of 0.16 quarts, or about 5 fl. oz.

 

[Tomioka]

I just came across this issue when doing an oil change on my neighbor's 00 Toyota Tundra V6. Manual calls for 5.5 quarts but the dipstick level was at the low mark after starting the engine. I added one quart which brought the level to the full mark.

 

[Garak]

Originally Posted By: KL31
Never trust dipstick 100%. You might not be on 100% level ground.

Exactly. I haven't assessed the G37 in that regard, but the old Audi was horrible with almost any amount of slope. A tiny grade made it look a litre low, when in the level garage, it was fine.

 

[FCD]

Trust the manual always, my car takes exactly 5.0L of oil with the filter which is very convenient as atleast here in Spain oil is 99% of the time sold in 5L jugs, yet the dipstick is a bit off and even when i've just poured in 5L of oil into the crankcase the dipstick says that it's just a tad low.

 

[Olas]

With a standard size filter my dipstick reads full at 3.5 litres which matches up with the owners manual. An oversize filter (w950/4) needs 4.1 to read full on the dipstick.

Used cars sometimes do not have the owners manual, and it can be easier to judge it by the dipstick.

 

[demarpaint]

Human or machine error in the position/depth of the dipstick tube on the block, or the cap/stopper on the dipstick itself can vary. That will impact the oil level. If the owners manual calls for 6 quarts of oil with a new filter when you change the oil verify the level and calibrate it accordingly, if needed. My van was off, so on the second oil change I added 5 quarts of oil ran the engine shut it off on level ground and the next morning I marked the stick one quart low. Then I added the sixth quart ran the engine repeated the process and carved a full mark. I've been using those marks for close to 30 years now.

 

[akela]

Originally Posted By: SilverSnake
Originally Posted By: akela
Originally Posted By: SilverSnake
After owning 87 different cars and trucks in my lifetime, I have found that adding exactly the amount of oil specified in the manual usually results in overfilling.

How do you know it's overfilling? Any real symptoms (like smoke or leaks)?

Overfilled according to the dipsticks. Many, many different dipsticks.

Exactly. You have no way to tell whether is't overfill according to the dipstick, or underfill according to the stated capacity.

 

[SilverSnake]

Originally Posted By: akela
Originally Posted By: SilverSnake
Originally Posted By: akela
Originally Posted By: SilverSnake
After owning 87 different cars and trucks in my lifetime, I have found that adding exactly the amount of oil specified in the manual usually results in overfilling.

How do you know it's overfilling? Any real symptoms (like smoke or leaks)?

Overfilled according to the dipsticks. Many, many different dipsticks.

Exactly. You have no way to tell whether is't overfill according to the dipstick, or underfill according to the stated capacity.


Did you read my posts? What I stated was that my experience with 87 different vehicles would indicate that draining the oil usually does not get 100% of the old oil out of the engine. I have come to that conclusion because, in most cases, I never have to add exactly the quantity specified by the manufacturer for a oil/filter change (often up to 1/2 quart less than specified). The capacities specified in the owner's manual are for DRY fills. Manufacturers put the dipstick in cars and trucks for a reason. Amazingly, that reason is to check the engine oil level and give owner's the information they need to add oil when needed. In over 50 years of changing my own oil trusting the dipstick level has never presented a problem. Why don't you tell us how many vehicles have you had experience with doing DIY oil changes? How many years have you been doing DIY changes?

 

[Garak]

Some manuals specify dry fills, and fills with an oil filter change, and fills without an oil filter change. Of course, that amount of detail is rare, but it does happen.

 

[y_p_w]

Originally Posted By: SilverSnake

Did you read my posts? What I stated was that my experience with 87 different vehicles would indicate that draining the oil usually does not get 100% of the old oil out of the engine. I have come to that conclusion because, in most cases, I never have to add exactly the quantity specified by the manufacturer for a oil/filter change (often up to 1/2 quart less than specified). The capacities specified in the owner's manual are for DRY fills. Manufacturers put the dipstick in cars and trucks for a reason. Amazingly, that reason is to check the engine oil level and give owner's the information they need to add oil when needed. In over 50 years of changing my own oil trusting the dipstick level has never presented a problem. Why don't you tell us how many vehicles have you had experience with doing DIY oil changes? How many years have you been doing DIY changes?

The vehicles I've owned typically state an oil change capacity. My wife's car's even specifies an oil change amount without a filter change, since it specs a filter changed every other oil change. Of course the filter amount is an approximation. Even on some cars I've owned, I've used OEM filters that had variations in size and capacity.

My wife's car's owners manual states only the oil change with filter on the page on oil changes. The capacities table lists change amounts (with and without filter) as well as total oil capacity. I can look inside the oil filler cap and see all the assorted galleys where oil stays in the system even with the oil drained out of the bolt hole.