Car Wants More Oil

[dorkiedoode]

it has been 4500 miles since my brother last oil change but due to the oil pressure light coming on when he does hard turns, i know that isn't a lot because he is using amsoil, we decided to change his oil today since he often drives short trips. Anyways, his car manual listed his oil capacity to be 4.7 but we poured in 4.5 + 12oz and it still wants more oil!! it is at the lowest dot. any reason why? i remembered the last time we changed out honda oil to amsoil, we poured more than a gallon and it was still low. my car has a capacity of 4.7 and putting in 4.6 brings it to the top dot.

+ he drives an Si

 

[psudaytona]

My CV lists(even with the oil cooler) about 5 quart oil capacity. When I changed it, it took nearly 6 quarts to fully fill it to the "FULL" mark on the stick. Most other owners report that with a filter change and letting the system drain all the way out at MOST or should be 5.5Q. Mine was NOT full at 5.5, maybe closer to 5.75Q.

 

[JustinH]

A dipstick is not a magical oil level measuring device.

It is a piece of metal that goes into the block of the engine.

They are not always accurate.

Change the filter, fill the engine up to specs, then check the stick.

Wherever the stick reads at is your new "FULL" line.

Overfilling the engine to satisfy a faulty stick probably won't hurt anything, but its just costing you quarts of oil that you don't need to put in there.

 

[mechtech2]

Ditto Justin.
Also, you may not have given it enough time to settle in the pan. You have to start the car and fill the oil filter first, then wait a while for the thick oil to drain back down into the pan.

 

[Louie's gone fishing]

Start a routine like checking the oil first thing in the morning before starting the engine. You won't have to remove the stick, wipe it and put it back, you can just pull it out and read the level. That way you can know exactly where the level is. You might also check it when it's hot later that same say to see the difference if any. Then you will be the "Super Oil Checker Man".

 

[MrCritical]

I am the Clark Kent of "Oil Checker Men". If I don't have my glasses on, I can't see the dipstick.

 

[twentynine]

OIL pressure light on in hard turns, that ain't good.

Indicates a low oil level, did the car leak it, burn it or was it never filled properly?

Why didn't you just add 1qt oil, if you have confidence in Amsoil making the mileage? Amsoil is awfull expensive to be throwing away good oil.

Dip stick?

My first thought would be to wonder if you have the right dipstick for the engine? Did your Bro buy the car new? Used? From an individual? From a used car lot? Go to a dealer, check the length on a brand stinking new dip stick, made specially for his car. Next, has the top end of the dip stick been driven up into the handle? Then it would not be as long as required.

 

[dorkiedoode]

hey guys thanks for the advices.

he drives a 2006 honda civic si that he bought new from the dealer. i doubt the car is leaking but we're not sure if it is burning or not.

not sure if this helps but here are the steps we took to change the out the oil.

1. warmed up engine to normal temperature
2. drain out all the oil, we left it there for 2 hours because we were doing other stuff.
3. put the oil filter and oil plug in
4. put in about 4.5 gallons and the oil was at the above the lower dot a bit.
5. warmed up the car and checked the oil again. the oil was below the lower dot
6. put in about 12 more oz and the oil was still below the lower dot. (we were afraid to put more because honda listed 4.7 capacity)
7. i suggested that he should just drive it for a day so it could settle since his job is only 12 miles away.
8. today the oil is still at the same place when the engine is hot
9. he just poured in until the oil is above the lower dot a bit
10. i just told him to check it tomorrow when the engine is fully cold
11. we will see how it goes!

 

[twentynine]

4.7 gallons or quarts?

Reference previous post above.

 

[PT1]

Originally Posted By: dorkiedoode

4. put in about 4.5 gallons

 

[dorkiedoode]

haha opps i mean quarts.

 

[DmanWho]

Just use 5qts. and everything will be fine.

Our '07 SX4 2.0L, also calls for 4.7qts., but needs a little more than 5qts. to bring it to the "full" line on the dipstick.

 

[televascular]

I have the same car. I used to measure exactly 4.6 qts for each oil/filter change, but now I just use a full five quarts, which brings the level a few millimeters above the "FULL" mark. It won't hurt the engine, you have to overfill quite a bit for the crank to touch the oil.

Maybe your friend should have his car checked out. I have 47,000mi on the engine, about 5K of which were driven very aggressively, and I have never ever seen the oil pressure light while driving.

 

[Mr Nice]

Round it off to 5 quarts, no harm done.

 

[Tosh]

Yeah, I don't know why you're screwing around with the extra few ounces. My two Hondas have had a capacity of 4.7 qts for the last 16 years, and I've never not put in 5 full quarts. And then I can add an extra 6% to the oc interval.

Not sure of your procedure, but maybe it's just an oversight: I don't see where in the process you're removing the old filter. Hopefully it's just after opening the drain plug, and not two hours later, or you're wasting some good draining time. Removing the filter makes more oil run back into the sump and out the drain hole.

 

[onion]

Let's see. Your dipstick shows that the oil level is low. Your oil light comes on during sharp turns.

Call me crazy... but I'd add oil until it was on the 'full' mark.

 

[JohnBrowning]

I find that 99% of Toyota trucks spec. less fluid then what it takes to fill anything that use's fluid lubricants but their cars are usualy right on the money? I sometimes wounder if it is because they are useing computed number or preproduction number etc?????? For instance on my Camry and Moms Camry the amount listed inthe book brings it right to the top dot. THe amount listed in the book for my Dad's Tacoma and my Moms Tundra always leaves it about .5 quart low. Same thing for the transmission I measure how much fluid comes out and it is never what the book claims it is always more. Same thing for diff.'s and transfer case's they always take more then what the book lists.Then you also have multiple engines and listed capacity for with or without filter change? You also have quarts,pints,liters,imperail gallons etc.... So look closely. Then you have the cut and paste syndrom. They make a change to an engine for packageing and someone just cuts and paste the old information from last years model or another application into the new vechiles manual!

 

[televascular]

The service manual specs 4.4 qts without filter change, 4.6 qts with filter change.

 

[dorkiedoode]

Just to clear some things up. we did change out t

he filter after we drained the oil out with a new napa gold and we didn't really wait two hours, a bit of an exaggeration but it felt like 2 hours untl the oil was leaking slowly . it is good to know that we can use over recommended specs because i only really changed oil for two cars, my accord and my cousin camry. both were filled to recommended specs and they were always at the right level.

thanks guys i guess we'll just fill it until it is full next time.

 

[dorkiedoode]

updates: we poured approximately 5 1/2 quarts altogether to get the oil between middle and high when the car is warm. he'll check tomorrow morning to see where it is at when the engine is cold.