How much Oil Do I need?

[ChiGGz]

Ya, totally noob question, but on the dipstick, how far up should it go for a 6 bolt motor. I see two notches on the stick and when I bought the car, the oil was already past the highest notch. Right now the oil goes up 2 3/4" up on the dipstick measured from the very tip.

Thanks

 

[Pure92TSi]

It should be between the 2 notches not above. On a 6 bolt motor i know they take 5 quarts with a filter change and like 4 without changing the filter but you should always change the filter IMO.

 

[ChiGGz]

What happens when you run too much oil then?

 

[bane3d]

The 2 notches show you the amount of oil that is low and the amount of oil that is high. If it is warm it should be right in the middle of both notches. Too much oil is a bad thing. Also, why was there so much oil? Are they compensating for an oil leak?

d

 

[bane3d]

What happens when you run too much oil then?

This is a quote, "There are a bunch of things that can go wrong from overfilling. While there is too much oil in the engine, high pressure may develop in the crankcase, you can get oil leakage through the oil pan gasket and other engine seals. You might have noticed reduced gas mileage while the oil level was too high - it's possible that the crankshaft was splashing in the oil, which made it work harder. And that splashing could cause the oil to foam up, which could cause the oil pressure in the crankcase to drop and perhaps lead to premature engine wear or even damage. In my experience, this would be a rare occurrence... mostly too much oil just makes a mess."

d

 

[Mist3r Spool]

It should be between the 2 notches not above. On a 6 bolt motor i know they take 5 quarts with a filter change and like 4 without changing the filter but you should always change the filter IMO.

Why do you think oil filters should be changed at every oil change? In my experience and what I know from fact, oil filters actually filter out the oil better when dirty vs. brand new. I change my oil filter at every other oil change. As for the amount of oil in your car, you shouldn't ever have it above the higher of two notches. I keep mine at the upper mark or right below it (warm or hot). It's been fine for the last three years. I don't think the levels of oil will be too significantly different between your 6 bolt and my 7 bolt. I use the 1G oil filter as well.

 

[Vallary99]

I use an Evo filter from Mitsu. I have an oil leak where I have to put a quart in every 2 weeks. I'm in the process of fixing all leaky gaskets and what not. The oil should be between the 2 notches (between 4.5 and 5 quarts of oil). I noticed when I overfilled mine once that I ended up with oil all over my valve cover. It's a HUGE mess to clean.

 

[bane3d]

Why do you think oil filters should be changed at every oil change? In my experience and what I know from fact, oil filters actually filter out the oil better when dirty vs. brand new. I change my oil filter at every other oil change. As for the amount of oil in your car, you shouldn't ever have it above the higher of two notches. I keep mine at the upper mark or right below it (warm or hot). It's been fine for the last three years. I don't think the levels of oil will be too significantly different between your 6 bolt and my 7 bolt. I use the 1G oil filter as well.

I've never heard of it being better to go every other oil change. I've been told with the new cars, it's better to go every oil change with a new filter. The filter holds 1 quart of oil and why would you want to change out 4 bad quarts and leave 1 bad quart in. Also, alot of people do an oil change every 5k miles instead of every 3k. I even looked online and everything I saw said change every time since it's so cheap and easy and you are already underneath your car.
d

 

[dmc67]

well since the thread is started and I just changed my oil.

What filter and Oil are u using that you only change every other oil change? I have used a fram the past 2 oil changes, this time I used a Purolator. And I went down the road to warm the car up to temp and the car carry's about a 1/8 of an inch more oil pressure with purolator filter than it did with a fram filter "stock gauge". as for the oil level I fill it to the 2nd mark on the dipstick. Also another reason I change the oil was b/c I got a drain plug with a magnet in it. Their on ebay really really cheap. Also what oil is everyone running? I have been running Valvoline Max Life Synthetic 10w30.


later

 

[Defiant]

Refer to one of the many already-finished "Which Oil?" threads.

Also, before you get around to asking, it's the side with the tires which faces down while operating the car.