Bottles being underfilled?

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thescreensavers

thescreensavers

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I bought 5 quart jug of Syntec 5w30 and put it in. The Filter was not changed(since it was changed 50miles ago with a K&N filter HP-1008)


The filter should of been full of oil since the bypass should of closed when the car was turned off, thus holding in some oil in the filter right?

I was expecting the fluid to show up all the way up the H line. But the fluid only shows up halfway on the dipstick.

What exactly is going on? I know the dipstick only shows 1 quart and so half way + filter should be ~0.2 quarts from being full.

But since it was half way even with the filter full of oil, I am confused.

And yes it was a new unopened bottle with the safety seal in it.
 
Those bottles are filled by a machine, it is possbile it wasn't full. I would hope that they have QC measures in place to catch bottles that might possibly come off the line underfilled but...........................it's anyone's guess.
 
I ran into something similar.. it took 4.5 quarts of a "5" quart bottle to fill my Malibu. Spec from Chevy is a 4 quart fill.

I filled the crankcase directly from the jug, until the jug's markings told me I had only 1 quart left. Filled an empy quart bottle around for the extra...perfect fit. But I check my oil a couple days later and... half quart low. No way the engine burned a half quart in that time.

So next change we'll see if this happens again.
 
Originally Posted By: thescreensavers
should of


Sorry, but, this drives me nuts. It is "should have" rather than "should of".

I doubt the bottles are under-filled. I believe most quart bottles are really filled with a liter of oil. I have measured their contents using a graduated cylinder, and most contain around an ounce of extra oil. One of the few exceptions I have found is Red Line.
 
Are you sure you bought a 5 quart jug? Most stores other than Walmart sell gallon (4 quart) jugs.

In my experience, 5 quart jugs have even more overfill than the quart bottles do. Some have as much as an extra 8oz in them.
 
Originally Posted By: chevrofreak
Originally Posted By: thescreensavers
should of


Sorry, but, this drives me nuts. It is "should have" rather than "should of".


I`ve got a better one,"should`ve"
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I had a jug of M1 high mileage 5w30 that didnt fill my sump up. sump holds 5 quarts. after dumping in the jug and taking it for a test drive I let it sit for a few minutes while I cleaned up, and when I checked the oil it was only half way between the low and full marks. low to full on my dipstick is equal to 1 quart. It has only happened that one time.
 
Originally Posted By: chevrofreak
Are you sure you bought a 5 quart jug? Most stores other than Walmart sell gallon (4 quart) jugs.

In my experience, 5 quart jugs have even more overfill than the quart bottles do. Some have as much as an extra 8oz in them.


I am sure.

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Originally Posted By: RCR
How long are you waiting for the oil to run to the pan before you check the level?


Turn on the car let it run for a bit to check for leaks from plug and filter, turn it off then a bit later prob less then a min check the level.
 
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Some months back I checked the fill accuracy of a 5 qt. M1 jug using a graduated 1 qt. kitchen container. The total fill was right on the money - within the accuracy of my measurements - but the quart marks on the jug didn't seem to particularly accurate.
 
During a recent oil change using two unopened 5 qt Pennzoil jugs sitting beside each other, I noted a 3/4 inch difference on the jug's volume display. That's circa a 1/2 qt difference.
 
What I've seen is that dip sticks for the same engine displacement & manufacture can vary significantly. My friend had a 2001 F-150 with the 4.6 V-8, same as my 2002 F-150. When adding 6 quarts & a new filter his dip stick showed just above the add line. Mine showed full under the same circumstances. Ford says that 6 quarts with a new FL820S filter is the maximum fill. Add what the manufacture advises to, using a factory size oil filter. Wherever that is on your dip stick, that's the full mark.

Whimsey
 
Just an FYI for all.

1. Never go by the markings on the side of the bottles/jugs.
2. Oil containers, whether it be quarts/jugs/pails/or drums are not filled by volume, they are filled by weight.

The reason they do this is to allow for expansion.
 
I love my Sooners, but talk about something that has been under filled, their it. I finally saw them play with some emotion on Saturday. If they go in to the Fiesta Bowl with the same attitude they went in to the A&M and Missouri games, CT will beat them.
 
I am having the same issue with my truck - 03 4.7 Dodge DUrango.
THe manual calls for 6 quarts of oil. After putting in 6 quarts (5-quart jug from Wally world and a quart bottle), the oil comes up to the middle of the dipstick, which would be ½ quart short. I’ve tried putting in Valvoline and Castrol conventional, Pennzoil Platinum and Ultra, thinking that the jugs may have been underfilled, but the level’s always come out the same. I’ve even purchased a new dipstick and it still reads halfway up. I’ve decided to leave it as is and not add the extra .5 quarts. I figured the manual calls for 6 so I’ll continue putting in 6.
On a side note, I drain the car for about an hour or more before putting new oil in, can it be that more than 6 is draining out?
 
Anyone actually measure the contents of one of these containers? The Dept of Weights and Measures would love to hear about oil companies underfilling jugs of oil.
 
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