Dipstick vs. Owner's Manual

Status
Not open for further replies.
My Hondas are also overfilled using the manuals listed "capacity". Putting in the recommended quantity puts the oil way above the full line on the dipstick...EVERYTIME!

I just put in 3 liters, let it run for a few minutes, shut it off, let it drain for awhile, then top up as necessary.

PS - I don't think being over or under by 1/2 a liter or less really makes much difference...

Maybe on a road course where g-force induced oil starvation might be a factor...!

grin.gif
 
I use the dipstick. There's no way for the tech writer who wrote the manual to know exactly how much oil was drained out before you started re-filling, or exactly how much might stay in the engine.

First time I change oil in a vehicle I start out with a quart less than the manual says, run the engine, stop it and let it sit an hour or more, then check the stick and add to the full mark. I don't mind going 1/2 quart or so over though...
 
Vote for the "more is better". If the dipstick says to add a half quart more, go for it. If you fill it full, and its still a pint or so less than what the manual says, add it.

I seen typos stating the incorrect amount in the owners manual. I've seen dipsticks that read incorrectly. I've seen people check their oil on streets steeper than steep.
 
thats wrong having a dipstick read wrong...i just fill to the dipstick line...if they say i had to little or too much oil, ill just say i filled to the line...

some dipsticks are hard to read, yet there is always oil inside the engine....thats left over...so i have to compensate for that
 
quote:

I seen typos stating the incorrect amount in the owners manual

This is exactly the case with the LT1 f-body. The manual says 4.5qts, but everyone knows it's 5qts or more. With the longer filter mine takes 5.3qts!

And my wife's Honda claims 3.8qts, but I need to put in 4.2 to show full.
 
Today's oil dipsticks are the engineers cruel joke to us vehicle owners. I have a 2002 F-150 with the 4.6 V-8 and the manual call for 6 qts w/filter and my dipstick reads exactly full. a friend has a 2001 F-150 with the same engine and he needs 6.5 qts to get to the full line. Go figure
dunno.gif


Whimsey
 
Don't forget that oil filter capacities vary as well. Many times the manufacturers themselves changes to either a smaller or larger filter. This dipstick says go with the dipstick.
 
I like to see where the oil level is on the dipstick when the vehicle is brand new (factory fill). Then when I change my oil, I add to the same level it was from the factory. Whatever it is, so be it.

My 03 Accord was exactly at the full mark from the factory. My 03 Civic was 1/4 inch above the full mark with the factory fill.
 
Dipsticks and owners' manuals are for sissies. REAL bubbas just add oil 'til it runs out the valve cover. Then I KNOW it's full. And, DANG, it runs quietly on cold statup! (Anyone know a good way to remove motor oil stains off the garage floor?...)
 
There's just too many variables to give a good answer. Many of the variables have been presented above. There's also production variances where not all oil pans for an engine model or dipsticks are manufactured the same. And not all engine blocks are machined exactly alike. I don't think the manufacturer is really exact with their specifications. Otherwise we'd be seeing refill specs like 4.3 quarts instead of seeing them specified in 0.5 quart increments.
 
This is probably pretty obvious, but keep in mind that after you change the oil and filter but before you start the engine for the first time after the change, the oil level will read high on the dipstick. After you start the engine and the oil filter fills with oil, the oil level on the dipstick will drop.

Curiously, since I changed to Red Line a few years back, my car takes a little more than the manual calls for after an oil and filter change. The manual was right on the money or the engine took just a little less than specified when I used dino oil. The car is a 1997 Escort with the 2.0-liter SOHC four. Lately I use the Motorcraft filter specified for the car, FL-400S, as it works well and is cost-effective, so extra-capacity filters are not involved here. Perhaps Red Line's cleaning and flow capabilities lead to more oil draining during a change?
 
WOW! I've got to say I'm a bit suprised. It doesn't seem like there is a "correct" way of doing this afterall. Maybe all this time I waste measuring out only half of the bottle, then worrying when the dipstick is just a little bit over, has all been for not. After reading everyones replies, perhaps when the manufacturers say "Do not overfill the crankcase", they're talking about a couple of quarts over - at least.

Thanks for all the input so far.
cheers.gif

Come on guys, let's keep the thoughts/opinions rolling in...
 
We know running a little on the low side doesn't hurt. Can anybody give an example of a little on the high side causing a problem? How much is too much?
 
quote:

Originally posted by Ray H:
! (Anyone know a good way to remove motor oil stains off the garage floor?...)

high speed buffer...with harsh pads...i do mine every 5 years and polish and wax it..very clean and helps leave stains away

the machines arent cheap...we have 3 from a good place =)....
 
Oil on your driveway/garage floor ...?

I save a very large piece of nice thick cardboard, say from a new TV or appliance etc. Trim it to fit between your two front wheels. When you spill (not if, WHEN!) the cardboard is there to catch and ABSORB! the mess. Simply wipe up what you can, and replace the cardboard as necessary...!

Stained cardboard is MUCH nicer than stained driveways!

PS - I know of a Honda Civic that, via poor communication, got 4 EXTRA! quarts of oil...it very well may have been filled up to the valve cover...!?

grin.gif
 
Great idea. I don't known if I am becoming more of a klutz as I get older, but I always seem to end up with oil all over every oil change.
 
The cardboard is an excellent idea, I use it for when I change the oil im my lawnmower too. I started using this trick after I found out first-hand what repetitive oil spills do to a macadam driveway.
rolleyes.gif
 
quote:

Originally posted by Rick in PA:
The cardboard is an excellent idea, I use it for when I change the oil im my lawnmower too. I started using this trick after I found out first-hand what repetitive oil spills do to a macadam driveway.
rolleyes.gif


We have a couple of old carpet remnants we use when we work under vehicles. They absorb fluids pretty well and if you drop small parts they don't bounce like they do on bare concrete...
 
My owner's manual states 7.9L or (8 qt). I simply put in 8L or 8 bottles and wrap it up. No need to even check the dipstick anymore. If I did, it usually shows slightly higher...about 2-3mm above the max. line (the engine's warm)...about 1-2 when cold (first thing in the morning).
 
quote:

Originally posted by dustyjoe1:
hmmm glad I ran into this thread...both my ford trucks, 4.2 and 5.4 litre, come up short on the dipstick with the manual required six quarts. I add another half quart and it brings me half way up on the stick and that is where I've been running it...total of 6.5 qts with oil filter change...please correct me if I'm wrong.

Ditto for my 4.6 ltr F-Series. I go by what the dipstick says. 6.5 qts puts it about 1/2 way to the top of the cross-hatch area.

Whimsey...could it be that my sump is bigger than your sump? LOL Hmmm, sump envy?

Mikep
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top