When I changed the oil on my '00 OBW 2.5l, I only poured 4qts into it and always read to the full mark....that's even allowing for pre-filling the oil filter when about 8ozs. 4.2qt oil sump plus 8ozs oil filter = 4.45qts. I took the dipstick reading about running the car for awhile and then let it sit for 5 minutes or so....always reads to the full mark. Any harm running the car with almost 1/5qt low?
TIA....bgin
Hi,
I've found very few cars that showed "full" on the stick with the "exact" same amount the book calls for--they're either a hair high or low on the stick (neither of which is a real problem, though one wants to avoid overfilling more than a small amount.) IME, a lot seems to depend how hot the oil is and how long one lets it drain when the change is done. For example, if I do a leisurely change during the summer (near
100 deg F) immediately after a run up the 10 mile grade into town and let the oil drain for an hour while I do other things, it will take at least 1/4 qt more than a quick winter change when I may only drive a mile or two, drain for 5-10 minutes, then refill.As Ed said, as long as you're between the two marks, you're ok, though I'm a bit fanatical and top mine up when it gets down 1/4 qt or so. But my engine's got 357k miles and a bad leak I haven't gotten around to fixing...
Rick
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