Oil level 3/8" above top dimple on dipstick

the only guy who ever poured the last quart slowly, checking several times as he went until it was at the full line was a private mercedes specialist i used to take my 300sd to. everyone else, above the line. i doubt it is that critical, but not positive.

 

They always overfill mine - and I've tried 3 different local dealers. I now just drive home and use a tube to siphon some oil out via the dipstick tube. I've got quite a collection of very lightly used oil - actually I use it to oil my chainsaw chain.

 

is that a special tube? exactly how do you do it? i would like to also, and, i have a chainsaw!:rockon:

 

I have a 3' piece of small diameter plastic tubing that just fits down the dip tube. I have a 6' length of larger diameter plastic tubing that I wedge the small one in (using a little tape for a tight seal). When the oil is warm I can easily suck on the end of the large tube and draw the oil up into the tube. When it's almost full (near my mouth), I pull out the tube and drop it into a container (an old antifreeze bottle) and drain it.

It takes two tubes full to get me from overfill to just under the full line. It's not pretty, but it works.

 

You can also use a small vacuum pump, like a Mityvac or similar. That is how I did it when the dealer overfilled mine. Another possibility is to remove the oil filter, and drain out the oil in the filter, then reinstall.

I don't take my car in for oil changes anymore, I just do it myself.

 

Why do you go back to the same place if the mess it up everytime?
And I assume your using the dealer oil which is usually vat oil.

May I recommend Mobil One which enables you to go 10,000+ miles between changes. Then when you do need an oil change take 1/2 a quart out of the bottle and present 3.5 quarts to the oil change crew. With filter that will hit the dimple everytime. No way they can mess that up. Lots of people on Chat do this.

Much easier than the syphon.And then you have 1/2 quart of virgin Mobil One not slightly used oil only good for a chainsaw.

 

I have measured it a couple of times. 3.7 qt puts it right at top mark, 3.5 qts is good and leaves it just below top mark.

 

3.5 US quarts is a good amount to use.

 

Heck when I did my own fill I think I used 3.5 quarts, which put it right at the full mark. Then I drained just a touch to get it under just to be sure. Then at 5K miles I wanted to have it tested so I drained a sample cup worth for Blackstone. Still no need to add any oil, it's still within .25" of full. Testing showed me I can get to 10K miles on this oil no problem too.

- D

 

Is that tiny overfill really worth all the gymnastics that people have described for removing a couple of ounces of oil? Shouldn't you be more concerned about the possibility of introducing, shall we say, contaminants to the crankcase than an extra 3/8" on the dipstick.

 

Buying 3 quarts exactly and handing them to the tech is even better because it's so easy. No screwing around with half-filled bottles, oil syphons, or any such nonsense.

 

The manual is misleading because it refers to the *dry* capacity of the system. The problem is, at an oil change the system isn't dry: there's easily a half-quart remaining in the sump and coating all of the inner walls. Next time try using 3 quarts and see where the level is on the stick. It's a lot easier than yelling at the techs to put in exactly 3.5 quarts and making them redo the job when it comes out overfilled.

Realize that "full" does not mean "perfect": it means "don't put in any more". Similarly, the bottom dimple does not mean "empty", it means "just barely enough". This may be a cultural thing. The Japanese engineers designed an operating *range*, whereas some Americans think that more is always better. Uh-uh. Nope.

 

Beyond the issue of oil accumulating in the intake manifold, it seems that mpg may improve when the oil level is somewhat below the full dipstick dimple.