Originally Posted By: Hounds
Gary, as others have stated above, your owner's manual indicates your engine takes 4.4 quarts of oil with a filter change. However, as you and many others have discovered, 4.4 quarts will seldom result in the oil level reaching the "full" mark on the dipstick.
Several reasons for this. First, you should know that a K-Series engine actually holds a TOTAL of 5.4 quarts. That fact used to be stated in the specifications section of Honda owners' manuals in addition to specifications for an oil change with and without a filter change. (With, 4.4; without 4.2). (Honda owners' manuals no longer state the total engine oil capacity because it confused owners.) Thus, if you simply drain the sump with the car level, approximately 4.4 quarts will come out. However -- pay attention now -- if you raise one side of the car or the other, more than 4.4 quarts will pour out. That's simply because there's invariably approximately half to three-quarters of a quart left in the engine block in addition to the oil in the sump. Consequently, as others have discovered, it often takes more than 4.4 quarts to re-fill the sump and whatever may have drained from the block if the oil was drained with one side of the car raised.
When you say "side of the car is raised" do you mean having the front jacked up or do you mean that the left or right side of the car is raised up? I jacked the car up in the front as high as my jack would go on to jack stands and it drained for several hours. So I'm guessing I got most of the oil out.
When I was taking it to the dealer, they of course drained the oil from a level position on their lift. I am trying to locate my invoices to see if it states how much oil they put in.