Hi Guys,
I have an issue with the amount of oil to put into my engine. I have a 2007 Limited Roadster with the standard 3.2 engine. My concerns are that after the last oil change I replaced 8.5 quarts of the proper Mobil 1 and now notice that the dip stick is showing about 1" above "max" full line. This time as I did my oil change I took notice to how much oil I removed and it was apprroximately 8.2 quarts. I used an evacuator thru the dip stick tube making sure I got out as much as possible. I changed the filter and got everything back together. Now I started to put in my new oil. I stoped at 7 quarts and checked the level with the dip stick. It showed full to the "max" marking on the stick. I started the engine to allow whatever oil would be taken into the filter and let it run for about 10 minutes and shut it off. I let it sit over night and this morning I checked the oil again and saw that it is now reading about 1/2 quart under the "max" mark. I added about 1/2 quart to bring the oil back up to the "max" mark. Now here is my question: Why did it only take 7.5 quarts when the book says 8.5 quarts? Do you think there may be an issue with my dip stick? I measured the length of the stick and it is 21 1/2" from bottom tip to the top flange (where the the plastic flange of the dip stick comes in contact with the tube.) Can anyone confirm that my measurement is what it should be? I do not want to put the last quart of oil in as long as it reads full on the dip stick. Your thoughts please...

 

Oil level went down after starting engine because of filling the filter.
And didn't take as much because using the vacuum tube does not get out as much oil as draining it.
I drive mine on ramps and drop the belly pan and drain mine and I usually put about 8 qts or maybe alittle more back in.

Taking out more oil than you put back in to get to proper level could be due to being over filled before, you said it was about 1" above.

 

Thanks for the reply Speedy4X4. You verified my thoughts. I'm still wondering about the length of the dip stick. I know it's a long shot but i'm just trying to cover all possibilities. See the original post for my length measurements. Assuming the dip stick is ok it looks like approximately 1quart of oil remains in the pan when using the vacuum method. I don't suppose that quart of old oil remaining in the pan will cause any problems. I'm not sure what dropping the "belly pan" entails but it sounds like a lot more effort than my limited experience allows. Would a garage mechanic drop the pan or just use the vacuum method?

 

Several use the extractor, me I always drop the pan and drain it, 4 screws hold mine on.
I have used a extractor to take out oil after a shop put in to much oil.
If I paid a shop / garage to change my oil and they extracted it instead of drainingit, I would be royally PO.....
I have had 3 times at 3 different shops and might have been in 2 different states other than my own that lost the screws to the belly pan and threw the belly pan to the side and was not going to put it back on, and had my car down and backed out and ready to go.
Till I asked about the belly pan still sitting on the floor.

Leaving 1 quart of oil in seems like alot. Maybe angle your car was at or the tube curled up some etc.
Do you have even a spot in your yard that is angled to just drive on and have the backend of your car higher to let more oil poll to the front, might get alittle more oil out.
I bet someone who uses extractor often will chim in how they do it.

 

Here's another ¢2. You have the correct dipstick. Most of us here on the forum have come to the realization, that 8qts. is the sufficient amount ,as a replacement. It seems if you follow the book, that extra .5gt. sets of the alarm on the instrument panel. It says "Hi" on the milage reading. Speedy's correct, I drain thur the plug also to remove that little extra amount that top extraction leave in the pan. It's a perfectly fine method , an you don't have to roll around on the ground...I just take that time to examine, bushings an exhaust piping, while I'm there.

 

I use the extractor and I once drove the drivers side wheels up on 2x 4s to tilt the car a little. It did not do too much, so these days I suck it out and leave it overnight and drain the oil that drops in that time. I get 8 litres in no problem, the filter does not hold a significant amount of oil itself but the holder it sits in and the tube below it does. I would imagine that there is a one way valve to keep this area filled with oil and if that failed it would go back into the pan and give a false reading.

 

You are making a mole hill into a mountain here. Most of these cars/engines will be here long after we are dead and gone. Don't sweat it.

Change the filter and remove the oil however you prefer. Add 7.5 quarts, drive it around the block, and top off after it sits 1/2 hour or so. Move on...

 

Well for thutty years been putting the ramps on my downward sloping drive and car sits level. Drain for about a 1/2 hour into a 10 qt pan while R&Ring the oil filter and O'rings. Add 7 qts of Molil 1 0W-40 and back onto level part of drive. Wait 10 min and add to full mark. Can get OK on dash or check with scan tool/toy.


Anyone have a clue what "Oil Quality" is ?

 

Not with those numbers. It's usually a percentage, associated with mileage and time for the next oil change. In some Chrysler products it's tied into the ECU and capable of shutting down the engine to save it from excessive use.

 

I drain oil from the bottom like I think everyone should. I always put in 8 quarts, I quit putting in 8.5 back with my FIRST oil change on the FIRST Roadster - cause I'd get the high oil alarm in curves.
The last think I'd do is overfill this or any engine. Keep in mind that you can run these engines low on oil without damage but again, overfilling is never the right thing to do.

Now the astute reader reads the comments in threads like this and wonders: "Do the oil change places concern themselves with the obsession that these guys do, I mean, over OIL?"
I once took mine (with MY oil and MY filter) to Jiffy Lube and I can tell you the answer is NO. They didn't even change the filter or the o-rings - when I got home I took the filter assembly out and could tell they'd not changed it. I went back to the JL, walked into the bay (wiht the kid whining I was not allowed there) and pulled my filter out of the trash, still in the box.

Anyway............
Q: Did you say I can run it low on oil?
A: Yes, Read the owner's manual.
Q: Did you say it's worse to run it high on oil?
A: Yes, Read the owner's manual:




So there you have it, up to two quarts low? Keep driving. Overfilled? Drain it out.

 

Will you all please look at PIZZA GUYS post . Now I hope everyone knows that 2 quarts DOES NOT = 2 liters. That should take care of that 1/2 quart you are all obsessing about.
I'm with James and recommend post #7 highly for it's well stated common sense.

 

Thanks Steve Jr. I agree with what you said..it all makes sense. I wish I could remove the plug and drain the oil from below but it appears that my plug is not removeable. It will not budge. That is why I went to the extractor method. Are some plugs permanently sealed?

 

No Mountain...No Mole Hill, just trying to get a sensible answer to a simple question.
I agree with your solution and will remember it next oil change.

 

No, none of these cars have a plug that is not removable. People have heard horror stories about a plug not being installed correctly. An it BLOWS UP! Who ever did the last oil change , overtightened the plug. But ,I've got to ask , is there a hex head plug in it? If yes ,then moving on. The most important thing is , after removing it is replacing the copper crushable washer on it. When tightening back up ,its only 22 ft. lbs. Which isn't a lot. Use the search feature an put in ,"drain plug question" with the quotation marks, this thread should alleviate some of your concerns.

 

I am not sure what you are saying, but I think you are recomending leaving it jammed in and use a topsider - correct?

 

Sorry, yes if it's in that tight, it may have the threads cross threaded an removing it could make you, to have to replace the oil pan!

 

You have the smart move there, in the past I have often opted for a repair only to find that it was not worth the bother and in extreme cases it cost me more money than I ever could have imagined.

 

No, some people still go to awful places for oil changes, as I have already stated.

My current SE, I had to take to a shop to get the plug out! THey did not charge me, but put the car on a lift and loosened the plug for me, I did the oil change when I got home. (Tipped the guy $20 when the manager would not charge me.)

There is NO reason to tighten that plug like that, but again, it happens.

 

I wondered about that, but the previous owner said that "Pep Boys did every oil change..." so I assumed that it would be OK to loosen mine; and it turns out, it was OK.

I sure never tightened it like that ever again.

 

If you look close at the plug side of the pan at the far end of this picture there is a HUGE support just to the rear of the plug. Tilting the car to the drain side will trap oil on the back side of the support fin preventing it from draining out. Tilting the car forward will trap oil in front of the plug the entire width of the pan. I am unsure how to get all of the oil out of this pan unless the pan is perfectly level.

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