How Looooow Can You Go? AKA Boneheaded Oil Change...

Question

Been really preoccupied with work lately.... finally thought to check the oil and it wasn't even showing on the dipstick.

Added a whole quart and that got it up to two holes low.

Anybody know how much was in the system before I added that quart.

I'm thinking maybe this has validated my decision to use Mobil-1....assuming that stuff would hold up better and there'd be less damage under those circumstances.

bill · Accepted Answer

Not sure which engine you have, but it probably holds 5 quarts when full.Unless you have a diesel, at which time, I want to say it's 12 quarts.EnjoyBill91 Audi 200TQ96 Chevy K1500Mobil-1....assuming

(Pete Cresswell) · Answer

RE/5 quarts...VORTEC 5.7....but I don't know how much two holes on the dipstickrepresent.

KENG · Answer

My understanding of the "holes", "hash" marks, and lines is as follows.

The lines indicate a point at which the oil is either too high or too low.
The holes are a way to differentiate between oil in the pan and oil in the tube. When the dipstick is immersed in the oil in the pan, surface tension will ensure that the holes will be filled with oil (but only those holes that are immersed in oil). The holes that are not immersed in oil will not be filled with oil.
The hash marks provide a contrasting background on which to read the exact oil level.

But to answer your question, your oil was 1 quart low, because you added one quart and the level was between the "too high" and "too low" marks.

Your statement should have been: "I added a whole quart and that got it up to two holes below "too full".

A funny side note here. I asked my s> Been really preoccupied with work lately.... finally thought to check the oil

Michael McNeil · Answer

my 5.7 takes 6L with a filter change as well.

Elliott · Answer

You can go clear to dry!  No others here won't agree (LOL)...Ever see those prolong commercials where they race cars w/o the oilplugs in the pans?And if it had even 1 qt that would probably be enough to lub it.A friend is still running an 80 Camaro that has been run dry numeroustimes.  The 8 years that I drove it I really miss-treated it - onlyadding oil when the idiot light flashed on breaking.  I had figured onreplacing the 267 V8 with a 350 whenever it died (even had an engineready - but it never died and I got better wheels). The friend hasbeen treating it much better (even painted it withrustoleum-brush-job) and it's fine.  Of coarse smaller engines andsometimes even large ones will stick a ring or blow completely whenrun try.  But if it isn't blowing smoke or fowling sparkplugs I don'tthink you hurt anything by running low.  If you had hurt it you'd haveseen a red-light, felt loss of power, seen smoke after.  Of coarsethat would be the time to do your own head-machining like...

How Looooow Can You Go? AKA Boneheaded Oil Change...

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