Underfilled sump for short trippers

[Gary Allan]

It's not so scary. The ADD is there as a buffer. It's not like if you're 1mm lower the engine seizes. When it's below the readable area on the stick is when you're in uncharted territory. Do it ..or don't do it. If I see my wife's sump is low (last time it used a quart it was over a 9k span) ..I may let it go for a day or two before adding it since it's usually discovered just before she's leaving ..and we don't cross paths for a day or two.

I don't know how much faster your oil will heat up. If you want to heat up your oil faster, get a heat exchanger. It's assured to warm up the oil in the shortest amount of time ..and they're made for a large variety of engines ..or can be adapted to them.

I will readily admit that this is a "counter" BITOG act.

 

[pastmaster]

I would like to hear Dr. Haas comment on this theory and practice.

Would 10w30 act more like 5w20 because it would be at operating temp. sooner, so it may act as a lighter weight oil in practice by flowing faster?

 

[AEHaas]

Splash lubrication is so erratic that a quart high or low will probably make no difference in a wet sump that normally has 5 or 6 qts. in there.

As for the time it takes to heat up oil - My Enzo is driven 20 minutes to work, about 12 - 13 miles, and the oil only gets up to 160 F. If I drive hard and for another 10 minutes I can get it up to 175 or 180.

This is using 5W-40 in place of the recommended 10W-60 Shell Helix Ultra oil.

aehaas

 

[PandaBear]

You run the chance of having higher oil temp which means:

1. quicker oxydation
2. shorter OCI
3. quicker warm up
4. more chances of failing smog
5. less margin of running dry

I recommend starting from 1/2 qt low and see if it help, then go from there to 1 qt if you really want.

FYI cars that can go low ususally have 3qt pan instead of 4-5 qt pan. If your car can get away with 3qt, the manufacture usually design a 3qt to begin with.

 

[Al]

"The amount of energy it takes to heat a pound of oil is nothing compared to the energy it takes to heat a 300 - 600 pound engine"

Ding, ding, ding, ding..we have a winner here.

 

[savvy]

quote:

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So someone recommended to me that I run my car a qt. low because it would be easier for the oil to get up to temp.

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On general principle, I think it's bad advice.

 

[oli]

Many years ago I had a 78 ford v8 351W with a 5 quart capacity and for a few years the dipstick was broken. There were many times when only about 2-1/2 quarts was drained out during a change. I've seen similar on other motors with 6 quart capacities where less than 3 quarts (including what would pour out of the filter) was all that was left during oil changes.

 

[-Clayton-]

The idea is completely retarded.

 

[Schism]

oli I realize that is and can be done with few problems, but it is a risk running oil that low.

 

[Shaman]

So people with no real experience are saying that it is stupid, but the people who have done it, or provided reasons behind it, say that it shouldn't be too much of a problem to keep it on the low side of the dipstick.

 

[AEHaas]

"So people with no real experience are saying that it is stupid, but the people who have done it, or provided reasons behind it, say that it shouldn't be too much of a problem to keep it on the low side of the dipstick."

But the bottom line is that it will not have the desired effect of making the oil heat up significantly faster to make it worth any risks.

aehaas

 

[Win]

When I was a kid in the 70's we always ran the iron block V8's a quart low, because we thought if the crank journals didn't have to sling through oil, we could go faster .....

 

[unDummy]

A plug in oil heater and coolant heater will warm everything up.

Friction also will warm your engine up. Skip the quart low **. Just drive around with no drainplug! This way, you won't waste any BTUs heating the oil since you won't have any.

 

[castor]

hahaha shaman, very succinctly put ;<)

 

[Shaman]

I thought maybe I was too harsh.

 

[savvy]

quote:

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I thought maybe I was too harsh.

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No, you weren't being too harsh. Let me add that I hope I don't seem too harsh when I say your reasoning is stupid.

Are you suggesting that you actual need empirical knowledge before you can infer that an act is stupid or not ?!

What about suicide for example. Extrapolating from your comments, anyone with no actual experience should have no valid or worthy commentary in this area. Only those who have actually committed suicide have the requisite experience to make a valid claim that it is ill advised or not.

Do you understand my point ?! I consider the people here who are against running a quart low correct. On general principle alone, running a quart low is ill advised. In addition, the rationale for running a quart low, as Hass has theorized.........is flawed.

 

[oli]

Many dipsticks will show a "safe" zone that reaches all the way down to 1 quart below the full line. So the textbook answer is that you can't run "more" than one quart low and be safe. I'm not promoting the idea or saying that there is any benifit, however if you are in the "safe" zone you will clearly be safe. It sounds like some people believe that the engine will possibly sieze-up if the oil level were to ever touch the "fill" line.

[ March 01, 2006, 01:21 AM: Message edited by: oli ]

 

[-Clayton-]

Sure it's probably not going to have any immediate i'll effects if in the safe zone.

But what does safe zone mean, Leave it till it's below safe or top it off now. Hmm

[ March 01, 2006, 01:34 AM: Message edited by: 95_carvan ]

 

[oli]

carvan, If somebody was planning on changing the oil "in the very near future" they might choose to keep it near the "add" line. To start with new oil and "only" fill it to the "add" line would be "out of order".

 

[-Clayton-]

quote:

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If somebody was planning on changing the oil "in the very near future" they might choose to keep it near the "add" line

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I don't see where that's a problem. I've done that a few times

quote:

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To start with new oil and "only" fill it to the "add" line would be "out of order".

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Yes, Just remember the more oil in the sump the better, especially some of the smaller 4 cyl engines that only hold a few quarts. Not overfull of course.