Fill to capacity or to stick?

[Patman]

quote:

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Originally posted by Mike:
Don't trust the dipstick. When changing oil always fill to the recommended capacity. A 1/2 qt over the fill mark is not going to cause any problems, not is 1 qt below the mark. Most of the dipsticks have a range and as long as the oil is in the range, you are safe. Being paranoid and topping of the oil 1/3 or 1/4 qt at a time is carrying things a little far.

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It's not paranoia or carrying things too far at all, it's smart! If you have an oil capacity of 4 quarts and you always wait until it's 1 quart low to top up, instead of topping it up a little bit at a time, you will definitely be putting more stress on your oil, and in the long run you're causing more engine wear, guaranteed.

There is simply no logical reason NOT TO top up your oil a little bit at a time as the level goes down. Give me one good reason why this practice is bad.

 

[7TFord]

I wouldn't say it was a bad idea but rather a personal preference, and maybe not as critical as we think. The manfacturer's R&D folks have long ago figured out oil capacity requirements of an engine and they are pretty much a standard. I don't think that you need to have the level right on full to be safe under normal driving conditions, but if adding the recommended amount of oil at a change leaves the level at the full mark on the stick, then that is the character of that particular vehicle and should be observed I suppose, although I'm sure that there is still enough oil left for adequate lubrication if driven under that amount.....to a certain point.

My Toyota daily drivers Tacoma and Corolla both show approx 1/2 btwn add and full with the recommended amount of oil added, and that is where I've run both of them since new. Do you not think that I would be considered overfilling if I added until the full mark? If I drove something that used oil then I'd get in the habit of checking it regularly and would probably keep it right on full. In my case I don't need to worry as I don't have to add any oil between changes which are on average 8-10K km. Can we safely assume that the dipstick reading is not accurate and that the recommended amount is? As stated, there is a safe operating range built in and we need not be too concerned about a cupful here and there. I was always under the impression though that it was better to be a little under full than over. It does say don't overfill on some automatic transmissions.

 

[Spector]

I need to get a life. I will check the oil on one car several times a week, others when available but I always top off, even if only a few onunces. Yes, I know, not necessary just a lousy quirk I can't shake.

 

[huxley7]

I always fill to capacity and all my cars run great. They also have a couple more ounces than someone that fills to the full line.

 

[Patman]

quote:

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Originally posted by Spector:
I need to get a life. I will check the oil on one car several times a week, others when available but I always top off, even if only a few onunces. Yes, I know, not necessary just a lousy quirk I can't shake.

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Like I said though, I think it's a good practice, not a lousy quirk at all. I'm the same way, when my Firebird's dipstick shows the first hole being open, I add 100ml of oil. I check the oil every 1000km, and at that point it's usually down by 100ml (due mostly to a slight oil leak from the intake manifold)

 

[7TFord]

...Why not move on and not dwell on this. If someone wants to top up with a thimble full of oil, by all means go ahead!!

 

[joee12]

quote:

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Originally posted by 7TFord:
...Why not move on and not dwell on this. If someone wants to top up with a thimble full of oil, by all means go ahead!!

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Because we are such obsessive/compulsive oil freaks that we can't stop

-Joe

 

[TheTanSedan]

Production tolerances being what they are (and dipsticks hardly being hi-tech instruments), why not simply fill to recommended capacity with the recommended filter -- on level ground -- and let it sit long enough after a short idle to allow full drain back, then mark the dipstick with a scratch awl at the indicated "full" mark and make another for the "add" mark the same distance as the factory provided?

 

[CJH]

quote:

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Originally posted by labman:
My 02 Cavalier with the 2.2 Ecotec 4 was delivered with the oil above the fill mark. Adding the 6 quarts the manual says, puts it up there again. Even 5 quarts leave it above the fill mark with the engine cold and time to drain back. ...

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SIX QUARTS?! The manual for my 2003 Cavalier with the EcoTec calls for 5 quarts, and that puts it over the full mark (just as it was received from the dealer with 4 miles on it).

Please recheck your owner's manual. The car is so similar that it is hard to believe they called for 6 quarts in a 2002 and 5 quarts in a 2003.

 

[labman]

Yeah, brain fade I guess. OK, my truck takes 6 quarts. The owners manual for my car says 5 quarts. If I put 5 quarts in, the oil level is above the full mark.
Four quarts brings it to the full mark. Now, how do we figure out what the engine really needs? Why does GM think the HO Quad 4 could get along with one less quart than the Ecotec?

Can we get back to what the oil leave should be? Any Saturn owners out there to help with this engine?

 

[labman]

My 02 Cavalier with the 2.2 Ecotec 4 was delivered with the oil above the fill mark. Adding the 6 quarts the manual says, puts it up there again. Even 5 quarts leave it above the fill mark with the engine cold and time to drain back. I measured the dip stick, it is 18 13/16 '' from the flange at the top where it seals to the tube down to the full mark. After cutting a wire to length and bending it to fit, that seems to reach almost down to the oil sump that doesn't look like it could hold 5 quarts.

I thought about asking my dealer about this, but decided I didn't want to be told that, if I didn't know how to change the oil, I should leave it to those that did. After all, they acted like they didn't think I knew what I was doing when I had to go there to buy one of those hard to find filter cartridges.

I am disappointed not to see a more authoritative answer here on this. Where do the engineers design the oil level to be? I looked at my old truck. It has a much bigger oil pan to hold the 6 quarts for its 4 cylinder engine. Measuring its dipstick, the oil level was an inch or two below the top of the pan. Obviously, the more oil, the cooler it will run in hard use. The oil level definitely needs to stay above the oil pump pickup even on cornering. However, at some point, a higher oil level will start to cause problems.

I have not added any oil to the Cavalier and do not regularly add it to the truck. I am changing oil every three months and have only put about 20K on the car in a little over a year. The truck is driven much less, almost all around town. Even when it sees long highway trips, I don't have to add oil.

I did have to add oil to the 92 HO Quad 4 Grand AM I had. Maybe over a quart in 3000 miles between oil changes. I never checked it as often as I should have, and so always topped it up with what it needed, fearing it might get too low before I thought to check it again. Waiting until a car was a quart low may be a holdover from the sealed quart cans and a spout. With the modern, resealable plastic bottles, topping up as needed makes more sense now.

How many of you remember when service stations had racks of quart glass bottles with screw on metal spouts? How many remember getting service?

 

[Leo]

Hmm, i'm almost opposite you guys.

My handbook says that my engine holds 3.7L inc filter. But when i drain it out, no matter how long i wait, i only get about 2.9L inc filter outta it, and end up putting the same amount in and its full again.

Wierd huh. The car has an oil cooler tho.. But still. Makes me shudder that theres still over half liter of dirty oil left around inside the engine.