Noob question! When do you need to top to H mark on dipstick? really needed?

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Fun fact, this "let it go down a quart" rule is a holdover from canned oil, because who wants to open a can and have its half-used contents getting dusty in your garage?
 
Depends how anal you are. Some like it topped up. Others like myself wait until it hits the low/add mark.
 
They give you an inch-long ‘good' range because a dipstick inserted into a tube sticking into your oil pan is the furthest thing from a precision instrument. Unless you have a sight glass on the side of your oil pan, you're trusting a tolerance stack-up to tell you where your oil level is.
 
Originally Posted by mahanddeem
Hello,
Car brand and oil used is irrelevant here.
I have about 3600 miles on the oil and filter now. Oil level is 1/4 of the distance from H mark on my dipstick.
Like in this pic, see the arrow:
[Linked Image from i.ibb.co]
I know the hatched area (from L to H) is around 1 quart of oil distance.

Should I top it?
What do you do usually in such a case?

Thanks

Seriously?
The owners manual for my trucks engine states that it holds 6 qts. of oil, with the filter. When an OCI is done to my engine I use a MC FL-400S oil filter along with 6 qts. of oil. The oil on the dipstick reads half way in the cross hatched area. I NEVER add more to bring it up to full. WHY? Because Ford specifically states that 6 qts. is all that's needed. The same goes for my trans pan. With just a pan and filter change I add 4 qts. of MC Mercon V fluid. It brings up to the middle of the cross hatched area. Ford specifically states 4 qts. are all that is needed.
Why add extra when you know you did as stated in your owners manual? By filling until you reach the top of the cross hatched area, will that make you sleep better at night? What do I do in such a case? LEAVE IT ALONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Originally Posted by SWS
A factor to consider:
I live in a hilly area - e.g. my street is a 26% grade.
On steep hills I wonder about how much margin I have above the oil pickup when I am below ‘full' on the dipstick.
I think it's a valid concern - although the oil light has never come on in 30 years in various cars.
No idea if my Hondas have baffles in the oil pan to help keep the pickup covered.
Maybe someone from San Francisco can offer a worst-case scenario.


^^^^ This ^^^^

Depending on the car, dipsticks can give false readings if the car is not on fairly level ground. My driveway is at about 12-15 degrees slope. If the Mazda is parked uphill, it shows slightly above full, on level ground it shows a midway reading and parked downhill on the driveway, shows at the low mark. I've also learned from experience, that from mid-way to the high mark is about 1/2 quart (on my Mazda). Two different Toyotas read with different imprecise indications.

Suggest parking on level ground and get a baseline reading. FWIW, on all my vehicles, I fill to the top of the mark and when the next OC comes along, it's down to just a little bit.

Ray
 
Originally Posted by RayCJ
Originally Posted by SWS
A factor to consider:
I live in a hilly area - e.g. my street is a 26% grade.
On steep hills I wonder about how much margin I have above the oil pickup when I am below ‘full' on the dipstick.
I think it's a valid concern - although the oil light has never come on in 30 years in various cars.
No idea if my Hondas have baffles in the oil pan to help keep the pickup covered.
Maybe someone from San Francisco can offer a worst-case scenario.


^^^^ This ^^^^

Depending on the car, dipsticks can give false readings if the car is not on fairly level ground. My driveway is at about 12-15 degrees slope. If the Mazda is parked uphill, it shows slightly above full, on level ground it shows a midway reading and parked downhill on the driveway, shows at the low mark. I've also learned from experience, that from mid-way to the high mark is about 1/2 quart (on my Mazda). Two different Toyotas read with different imprecise indications.

Suggest parking on level ground and get a baseline reading. FWIW, on all my vehicles, I fill to the top of the mark and when the next OC comes along, it's down to just a little bit.

Ray

Oil should always be checked on level ground [or at least level to the eye] or the reading isn't going to be accurate. With regard to a 26% grade, one would hope the engineers took that into consideration when they established the safe range on the dipstick. The engine oil level at the low end of the safe range "should be safe" under any conditions encountered. Operative words being "should be safe." Me I wouldn't wait until I hit the low end of the range. If I have the hood up and the oil level is a little low I top it up, and I always check oil on level ground.
 
That safe zone is the level at which the oil can still be sucked through the pickup tube when doing higher G turns, high revs and driving through inclines and declines. As long as it's in the safe zone, driving normally won't do anything. Of course top of it off when it gets below halfway down to L because soon enough it will go below L and you risk oil starvation even when gently driving.
 
Just what Quattro Pete said - it's not worth the bother at that point. When I had an oil burning LTD or was running the taxis, we might add half a litre at a time, but never less than that.
 
My oil level was about the same as that before I left for an 800 mile round trip this weekend in my 84 Oldsmobile with a 76 350 in it. Had I think around 3k on the oil when it was down 1/4 of a QT. I topped it to full since I was driving so far otherwise I would usually wait until it's half a QT then put half a QT in.

After the 800 mile trip it was still at the full. It is due for an oil change soon because I do very short trips to work every day (about 7 minutes of city driving), longer trips on the weekends usually. I wouldn't have topped up yet if it wasn't for the long drive.

I have m1 10w30 EP in it. Topped up with motomaster high mileage 5w30 because I was in a rush to get on the road and it was all I had in the garage.
 
It is not a requirement to top it off to the "H" or "FULL" mark. Anything in between L and H is fine and optimum level for your car.

If it's near to OCI i would not top it off.
 
Originally Posted by Yah-Tah-Hey
Wait until you add entire quart. No sense having a partial bottle of oil sitting around gathering dust.


I don't see the problem with that, the dust is only on the outside of the bottle, not the inside
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Oil consumption is the main factor here:

-- If your engine guzzles oil, top it off regularly no matter how far below FULL it is. Maybe go a little overfull but not too far.
-- If it eats just a little oil, keep an eye on it and top off when it gets below halfway or closer to the LOW mark.
-- If it doesn't use any oil between changes, don't bother checking the oil at all!

^^ Just kidding on that last one... none of my engines burn oil but I still check the level about every 1000 miles. The dirt bikes get checked every ride
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A half pint isn't much. Could just be checking technique. You would be surprised how many people check oil cold or when getting gas (guilty) when the owner's manual says at operating temp after a 15 minute drain down.

I usually add when a vehicle gets to the L unless I have a leftover open gal or 5 qt container from the last change then I may add when 1 pint low.

If it bothers you top it, if not wait until it gets to the the L or Add mark. Not worth the mental stress either way.
 
There's a lot of truth to that. I do, however remember covering cans back in the 60's with wax paper and a rubber band until my mom came home from a tupperware party one day with a made to fit plastic top!
 
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