I drive a 2000 F150 in SC as I would a Ford Edge, i.e. no loads, no hot rodding,no offroading, etc. Given this driving style, is it a big deal for the engine to be 1 quart low on oil? Will be changing oil/filter in approximately 500 miles so why waste oil if there is no benefit.
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- Thread starter Hub
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No, not a problem as long as it is not a big oil burner. I do the same if down a quart, but a change is due in the near future.
Depends, do you know what your consumption rate is? If it is a quart every 1k miles or worse than that then I would add oil incase. If not and it is every few k per quart then dont worry about it.
Personally, I would never knowingly drive with the oil level below full.
When confronted with choices like you outline, I generally opt for a half quart fill and then change the oil at my convenience. My total cost was around $1 or so for the half quart.
My vehicles are on low OCI's (< 5,000 miles) and burn zero or negligible amounts of oil so I run between min and half way. I haven't run at the full mark in 20 years. As the OP said it would be a waste of oil.
If you are intending to run a 10-15,000 mile OCI then by all means fill it up.
If you are intending to run a 10-15,000 mile OCI then by all means fill it up.
500 miles for me is about a months worth of driving. I'd invest in a quart of whatever is cheapest at Walmart, personally.
I'd top it off, what's a few bucks when it comes to your truck. The dirty oil that remains in the engine during an oci will be a little less dirty. Plus it will have a healthy dose of new additives for the remaining 500 miles. Otherwise I'd change the oil now if you don't want to top off.
Originally Posted By: Hub
I drive a 2000 F150 in SC as I would a Ford Edge, i.e. no loads, no hot rodding,no offroading, etc. Given this driving style, is it a big deal for the engine to be 1 quart low on oil? Will be changing oil/filter in approximately 500 miles so why waste oil if there is no benefit.
Would you fill it up with one less quart?
After all if it is no big deal why spend the money on the extra quart period?
Some questions...
How many miles on the oci?
When does it start to consume oil?
Sometimes the engine won't start to burn the oil until later as the oil gets sheered by contamination from blowby past bad piston rings. (I know oil is consumed all the time)
As the oil gets thinner due to this contamination it escapes past the rings more easily. If this is the case, i would change the oil as soon as the consumption becomes noticeable.
I drive a 2000 F150 in SC as I would a Ford Edge, i.e. no loads, no hot rodding,no offroading, etc. Given this driving style, is it a big deal for the engine to be 1 quart low on oil? Will be changing oil/filter in approximately 500 miles so why waste oil if there is no benefit.
Would you fill it up with one less quart?
After all if it is no big deal why spend the money on the extra quart period?
Some questions...
How many miles on the oci?
When does it start to consume oil?
Sometimes the engine won't start to burn the oil until later as the oil gets sheered by contamination from blowby past bad piston rings. (I know oil is consumed all the time)
As the oil gets thinner due to this contamination it escapes past the rings more easily. If this is the case, i would change the oil as soon as the consumption becomes noticeable.
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The lower the oil level, the hotter the oil gets, less thermal mass to absorb the heat and dissipate it. The hotter the oil gets, the faster it breaks down, which increases the rate it consumes oil. Would you run with the cooling system down a gallon?
Originally Posted By: mightymousetech
The lower the oil level, the hotter the oil gets, less thermal mass to absorb the heat and dissipate it. The hotter the oil gets, the faster it breaks down, which increases the rate it consumes oil. Would you run with the cooling system down a gallon?
This too
The lower the oil level, the hotter the oil gets, less thermal mass to absorb the heat and dissipate it. The hotter the oil gets, the faster it breaks down, which increases the rate it consumes oil. Would you run with the cooling system down a gallon?
This too
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+3, on mightymousetech's post.
Best advice given was to just change the oil early. 500 miles early is no big loss of resources nor are you wasting good new oil by topping off and draining 500 miles later.
The comment about always keeping the oil level at min or half is puzzling to me. Even if your vehicle doesn't use oil - the manufacturer has decided, for a reason, to have a full mark and that is where my oil always starts at.
The comment about always keeping the oil level at min or half is puzzling to me. Even if your vehicle doesn't use oil - the manufacturer has decided, for a reason, to have a full mark and that is where my oil always starts at.
If the level is between the full & add marks, then there is no need to be concerned, even if you are driving hard. Ed
If the level is between the full & add marks, then you are in the SAFE range and, there is no need to be concerned, even if you are driving hard. Ed
Originally Posted By: mightymousetech
The lower the oil level, the hotter the oil gets, less thermal mass to absorb the heat and dissipate it. The hotter the oil gets, the faster it breaks down, which increases the rate it consumes oil. Would you run with the cooling system down a gallon?
This is a man that gets it. I would never run a vehicle with the oil below the full line either. Can't imagine why anyone would even consider running a quart down just to save a few pennies before a pending change. This is the kind of thinking you see a lot on this forum and it drives me nuts.
The lower the oil level, the hotter the oil gets, less thermal mass to absorb the heat and dissipate it. The hotter the oil gets, the faster it breaks down, which increases the rate it consumes oil. Would you run with the cooling system down a gallon?
This is a man that gets it. I would never run a vehicle with the oil below the full line either. Can't imagine why anyone would even consider running a quart down just to save a few pennies before a pending change. This is the kind of thinking you see a lot on this forum and it drives me nuts.
I also always keep engines AT the full line. Unless It used a lot of oil fast I would have never let it get a full quart low. I always add if down 1/2 qt.
I'm in the "run it at FULL" camp.
But I must ad; this thread represents the epitome of BITOGing....and I LOVE it.
But I must ad; this thread represents the epitome of BITOGing....and I LOVE it.
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