Smallest oil capacity?

[y_p_w]

When I was changing the oil in my wife's 2002 Honda Civic LX, I was thinking of how little oil was being used. The manual says the change amount is 3.4 quarts with a filter, and 3.2 quarts without a filter. I'm not going every other oil change without changing the filter, but I'm thinking some actually follow that recommendation.

It seems like barely enough oil. I've serviced the oil on some cars that were around 4 quarts, even with smaller displacement engines. The first time I bought oil for this car was a 5 quart jug of Pennzoil 5w20 conventional. For that I had to find an empty bottle and write down what I put in there. I needed the jug to store the used oil.

Anything fairly recent that uses even less oil than this?

 

[whip]

The first generation X-Terra with a V6 only used 3 or 4 quarts. It was designed to tow and go off road. Oddly, you don't hear of too many oil related engine failures with X-Terras. Go figure.

 

[Chris142]

The Nissan Xterra used something like 3.5 quarts and its v6. my boss recently got a log splitter and its Honda engine hold about 10 ounces of oil

 

[mclasser]

Wow those are really small amounts. My old Mercedes ML320 used to take 8.5 qts of required synthetic

 

[Corvette Owner]

I have a Nissan Murano and it has a 3.5 liter V6 with a 4.3 quart capacity.

In contrast, my Buick Enclave with a 3.6 liter V6 has a 6.5 quart capacity!

 

[SLCraig]

The 1.8L Sentra uses something like 3 quarts. I don't know of any sump smaller, although its definitely possible.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: SLCraig
The 1.8L Sentra uses something like 3 quarts. I don't know of any sump smaller, although its definitely possible.

They've upped it to 4.2 quarts on the new ones, but yeah, some 7-10 years back, it was 2.9 qt.

 

[Flareside302]

Yeah I was gonna say the older 1.8 Sentra's took 2.9 qt.. Lowest amount I've ever seen

 

[DNVDMAX]

My '12 Versa uses 3.2 and an old Toy Paseo I had also used 2.9

 

[CBR.worm]

In line with the Xterra, the old Nissan V6 4x4 trucks held less than 3.5 quarts, I think it was a 3.0 liter motor. That always surprised me.

 

[TechnoLoGs]

Civic CRX 1.6L is like 3 or something small like that

Honestly, my 4.3 does not take a lot either..

 

[Flareside302]

Your 4.3 should take 4.5 qts..

 

[C4Dave]

Older Miata's hold 3.4 quarts w/o filter. And those engines last forever.

 

[71Chevyguy]

The original odd looking Honda Insight oil capacity was something like 2.6 quarts IIRC. Not sure I have ever seen any regular car with less than that.

 

[stephenbrown22]

I have seen several smarts (second generation) with two quart capacity......

 

[callbay]

this is not the smallest oil capacity but maybe the smallest capacity per cubic inch. I drove a Cadillac Eldorado in 1977 that had a 500 CID V/8 and it held just 5 quarts of oil! I believe that was with filter.

 

[Zaedock]

Early VW Bugs. 2 - 2.5 qts with no oil filter.

 

[asiancivicmaniac]

The Civic that I had held 3.5 quarts w/ filter. My dad's van with the Nissan VG33E holds 3.5 quarts. I don't like leftover oil so I round up and put in the extra .5 quart and never had a problem.

There are so many cars that don't take anywhere close to five quarts that there probably little correlation between oil capacity and engine longevity if the engine was properly designed and regular oil changes are done.

 

[ammolab]

My 750cc BMW motorcycle holds 4qts...more than enough for a long OCI!

 

[CHARLIEBRONSON21]

Early 2000 sentra holds 2.9 quarts... Ka24de in the 240sx held 3.5 I believe. If we are going for smallest capacity... I have a .8 quart compressor at home.