DIY Oil Change - Volume of drained oil

[thomas101]

When I changed oil myself, I noticed that the drained oil is less than the volume I put in on last or current oil change. I check my oil level regularly and my Mazda MPV 03 does not consume oil. The drained oil does not even fill the 4.4 L jug we have in Canada. I always put in 5.5 litres of fresh oil as the user guide calls for. On level ground, it reaches the top mark on my dipstick spot on.

So I am sure that my oil level is steady before, after and between oil change but the drained oil is about 1 L less than the new oil going in and I don't know where the excess oil go!

When changing oil, the van is on my driveway with a slight incline. The nose is higher then the rear and the drain plug is facing the rear so I would not think there is oil stuck in the sum. However, if there is that much oil left in the sum, my dipstick would tell me that I have overfilled.

Any idea?

 

[tinmanSC]

How large is the oil filter on this car? There is always some oil that comes out when you take the filter off, and the oil in the filter itself.

 

[bullwinkle]

There's always a little left in the engine-and I'm assuming you account for the oil in the filter as well-but I wouldn't worry about it too much. For example, the company diesel van in my sig takes 14 quarts to change in summer, 13 1/2 in winter-the HEUI injection pump holds some, and the hotter the oil gets-the more comes out! I usually don't even bother to check the oil until it has sat at least an hour, at operating temperature, on level ground!

 

[ZR2grizz]

Originally Posted By: tinmanSC
How large is the oil filter on this car? There is always some oil that comes out when you take the filter off, and the oil in the filter itself.


+1

 

[JOD]

It's in the filter. I have basically the same engine. For whatever reason, oil seems to "hang around" in some engines when you change it, but not in this one. It barely moves on the dipstick during changes, but I just about fill up a 5 qt. jug. I put in 6 qts and it's right at "full", which has me convinced that almost all 6 qts is coming out (minus an once or two which is being consumed).

Like you, I change it with the front very slightly elevated and on this motor, it all seems to drain out.

 

[Steve S]

No need to measure the drained oil!!!!

 

[vxcalais]

I even notice this on my engine. Never seems to drain out as much as what you put in. Its not hard for a litre of oil to be in the filter, engine cavity, still sitting on engine parts .I think if you could keep the oil warm and leave it over night then more would come out, but thats not possible as you let it drain after heating up, naturally its cooling off as well and wont drip out as fast. After i have jacked the back wheel up, once it slow drips or stops, thats it for me.

 

[SZR48207]

A few times in the past, I've used whatever small amount left in an old bottle of clean motor oil to "flush" things out during an OCI.

 

[thomas101]

Originally Posted By: ZR2grizz
Originally Posted By: tinmanSC
How large is the oil filter on this car? There is always some oil that comes out when you take the filter off, and the oil in the filter itself.


+1


To all who asked about my filter, I should have cleared that in my post. It is FL820S and I left it drained into my pan overnight, so yes, the oil in that filer is accounted for. I also left the oil drained from my car for about 15 mins before putting the plug and the new filter on.

 

[JOD]

Originally Posted By: thomas101


To all who asked about my filter, I should have cleared that in my post. It is FL820S and I left it drained into my pan overnight, so yes, the oil in that filer is accounted for. I also left the oil drained from my car for about 15 mins before putting the plug and the new filter on.


The anti-drain back valve is still keeping most of the oil in the filter. You'll get out some out of the filter, but it's still soaked with oil--and the 820S is a pretty big filter.

 

[cchase]

Every oil change I put 5 qts into my truck and every time I pull it out I get 4 qts. The dipstick never reads low. I like to convince myself it's in the filter but it obviously isn't holding 1 qt. The truck doesn't burn oil, the tailpipe never even gets dirty. It doesn't matter if some is left in the pan as long as I keep putting 5 qts in, I should be getting 5 qts out...

I wish I could help. This has been the case on every vehicle I've changed oil on, my truck is just an easy example with a lot of miles.

 

[fdcg27]

First off every engine must consume at least a little oil.
Some must get past the top ring, and some must get all the way down the valve guides.
The consumption may be so little that you don't think the oil level on the dipstick changes at all, but some must end up getting burned.
Second, the filter will hold a fair amount of oil.
Even if you drain it, the media is a sponge for oil, and the adb valve will try to prevent the filter's draining anyway.
So, if you are filling to the rated capacity, and the oil level on the dipstick is not high, I'd say that you're are getting as much of the old oil out as is possible.

 

[HTSS_TR]

I checked the oil level a day or 2 before oil change, I always got the used oil at the amount I expected. Example: the full amount in the LS400 is 5.5 quarts, if the level on dipstick was half way between full and add lines, it means the oil was down to about 5 quarts, if I drained out 4.5-4.7 quarts that means I got all it can out because about 0.3-0.5 quarts was in the filter.

 

[mechtech2]

Some is in the filter, for sure.
But not a liter or more!
Considering the total, I drain what I put in - pretty darn close.
Any oil that is in cavities, dead spots, or oil passages would be the same change to change. they don't drain one time and not the next.

 

[Ayrton]

Each time I do oil changes on cars with a few years on them, I have much less go in than the factory says should. I just always thought that was normal from residual or something.

 

[thomas101]

Originally Posted By: Steve S
No need to measure the drained oil!!!!


Not intentionally but I had to pour the drained oil into a container before taking it to recycling site. Very supprised to find it never filled up a single 4.4 L jug. I was expecting to haul it away wiht 2 containers. Yes, residue in the engine, the filter and the filtering media should hold some but 1 L?

Anyhow, the motor has been fine. Thanks to everyone.

 

[tonycarguy]

Originally Posted By: mechtech2
Any oil that is in cavities, dead spots, or oil passages would be the same change to change. they don't drain one time and not the next.


.... unless one time he changed the oil right after driving, and another time he let the car sit a couple of days before draining the oil. That's the only way the volume of oil can change between OC's if the car isn't burning oil