Oil level sensor: How sensitive?

[Benzadmiral]

Hey, all, I searched for this and couldn't find anything.

The Buick (2003 Park Avenue, 3.8L N/A engine, 50K miles) is at 1900 miles since its last oil change, the rinse phase of an Auto-Rx treatment. I've had the car six months, and it doesn't appear to use or burn any oil.

Twice this week on starting the car, I've gotten an "Engine Oil Low -- Check Oil Level" message. Both times the car was parked on a bit of an incline, with its passenger side lower than the driver's side. On inspection (five minutes or so after shut-off, parked on a level surface), the dipstick shows oil definitely within the cross-hatched area, which is where it should be per the manual.

How sensitive is this oil sensor? I've parked this car on these same inclines all during the last six months, and never got a low oil message. Is it merely that the sensor only remains calm if the oil level is at the "Full" mark?

 

[MrCritical]

It's not that sensitive. Sounds like a bad sensor.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Would it be sensible of me to tip in a half pint to a pint of oil (since these engines, according to some here, can take up to 6 quarts, 4.7 shouldn't be a problem) and see if the issue goes away?

 

[Benzadmiral]

Update: On Sunday I popped in about 8 oz. of the Pennzoil Platinum I bought for the next oil change. I've been parking the car in the same places and at the same angle, and the message hasn't reappeared. Perhaps something like 4.7 quarts works well on this car.

 

[dwendt44]

With the oversize filter, I just dump in 5 quarts and be done with it.
It's only a tad over the full mark on dip stick.

 

[daman]

Your just wasting your hard earned money with that a-xr, that
motor will out last that car two to one on the cheapest oil you
could ever find..

senser could be going bad

use 5qts and a pf52 oil filter and run her!!!!

 

[Benzadmiral]

Daman,

I agree the 3.8 motor is stout. I'd already purchased the Auto-Rx for a previous car with more miles on it, but I traded the beast due to transmission issues before I could finish the treatment. So, rather than waste the $20 of Auto-Rx, I popped it into the Buick.

The rinse phase will be over next month, and it'll be all oil from then on, I suspect.

 

[daman]

Originally Posted By: Benzadmiral
Daman,

I agree the 3.8 motor is stout. I'd already purchased the Auto-Rx for a previous car with more miles on it, but I traded the beast due to transmission issues before I could finish the treatment. So, rather than waste the $20 of Auto-Rx, I popped it into the Buick.

The rinse phase will be over next month, and it'll be all oil from then on, I suspect.

Sounds like a plan,but after that plain good old will do it
just fine,the 38 wasn't a carbon or sludge monster.

i've owned three of these engines now,best motor ever made
if you ask me..

 

[MGregoir]

I had a Buick Series I 3800 that would trip the low oil light at exactly one quart low. No idea about yours. I think it just had a slight leak and sat a long time, after I changed the oil in it, the oil level was never low again (but the changes were every two to three weeks). Always put in five quarts.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Bringing this back . . .

I'm 2400 miles into my first change w/ Pennzoil Platinum 5w30, plus 3 oz. of AutoRx maintenance dose. A week or so ago I checked the oil and it seemed a bit low, but still in the dipstick's "OK" range, and thought it might be due to the car parked on an angle. Yesterday, though, I started the Buick up while in the same parking place I mention above, passenger side a bit lower than my side. "Engine Oil Level Low" appeared on the instrument panel.

Dipstick on the level read still oily, but at the bottom end of the range. I added a pint of SuperTech 5w30, and the message hasn't recurred.

Projecting, this adds up to 1 quart of oil used/leaked/burned (?) in ~5000 miles. Does this sound bad for the 3800 Series II engine?

 

[The_Jeff]

If I were developing software for a low oil sensor I'd give it some "memory" so it'd have to be low twice in two successive starts-- just in case parking on an incline happens occasionally. After all, if you parked on a hill and drove somewhere, odds would be low of you parking on another hill.

Or you could use two sensors on opposite corners, but we know the bean counters would prefer the software approach.

 

[Merkava_4]

Originally Posted By: Benzadmiral
Projecting, this adds up to 1 quart of oil used/leaked/burned (?) in ~5000 miles. Does this sound bad for the 3800 Series II engine?


That sounds very much normal after using a thin synthetic. I've told you at least 5 times on this board already that you can run anywhere from the full line to a quart over on that engine. You couldn't pay me to run 5w30 PP in my 3800.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Thanks, Merkava,

Oh, I know you've mentioned that; you're the Guru of the One-Quart-Over Gang here. I may try an extra pint at the next change.

And I know you're a big believer in MaxLife. But why would you not want Pennzoil Platinum 5w30 in the 3800 -- just because you've found consumption is greater with it? With my relatively short trips (9-12 miles) even in the hot weather here, I'm trying to maximize my flow on cold startup and thus my gas mileage.

 

[mrsilv04]

Benz-

My folks' '99 Park Avenue is using about a quart of Penn. Platinum every 5,000 miles, and it has 62,000 miles on the odometer.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Mine just turned 54,000 miles. I'm not really worried; I know PP is (relatively) thin. Just curious about other people's experiences.

 

[Merkava_4]

Originally Posted By: Benzadmiral
But why would you not want Pennzoil Platinum 5w30 in the 3800 -- just because you've found consumption is greater with it?


I've read numerous threads on this board where the person has changed from a conventional to a synthetic and all of a sudden they're getting increased consumption along with a noise that was never there before. There's been so many threads describing that same scenario that I've come to the conclusion that synthetic oils act like a thinner oil than what they're labeled as being in comparison to that same grade in a dino version.

We all know that thin oils get there quicker and put less of a strain on the oil pump. But an oil also needs to stay there and do its job; which is reducing friction and preventing metal to metal contact. If you can do that with a thin oil then great, but a thin oil is not the ideal lubricant for every engine out there. I believe that if you take an oil (in a given application) and thin it down enough, it ceases to be an effective lubricant.

The Buick 3800 Series II needs an oil that's somewhere between 11.5 and 14 cSt at 100C (in my opinion).