Oil Change Question - 5.5 Quarts Added But . . .

[0v3rki77]

I bought some 15w50 Mobile 1 in a 5 quart container and took it to an oil change place today to get my first oil change done. I didn't even really think about how many quarts I was buying as my other V6 (Honda Odyssey) takes less than 5 quarts.

The guy at the oil change place said he thought it needed about another half quart or so. So I checked the manual when I got home and sure enough it says like 5.7 quarts with oil filter installed. But I checked the dip stick and with 5 quarts in the engine it was exactly at the 'full mark' (the top dot on the dip stick). Not knowing how much oil it takes to move up the stick a little I added a half a quart and waited a few minutes and now it's well over the top mark on the dip stick (maybe 20% higher if the bottom dot is 0% and the top is 100%, it's at 120%).

I SHOULD only have 5.5 quarts in the engine and the manual lists 5.7 quarts as 'full' - so what gives? Anyone else experience this? Anyone else do their own oil changes? Should I jack it up tomorrow and release some oil to get it back down to the 'full' mark on the dip stick or is the dip stick just off a bit?

I'm seriously confused and would love some advice / guidance.

[monarch]

The dipstick is the ultimate authority and the owners manual has a diagram of the dipstick that indicates ANY amount of oil above the FULL mark is TOO FULL. Further, the manual says in big bold letters DO NOT OVERFILL.

[bartkat]

Several possibilitied.

1. The oil change guy didn't get the engine completely drained. The engine should have been well warmed up and given time to drain well.

2. Make sure the car is parked on level ground when you check the oil level. If it's parked a little downhill, it will read high.

3. Be sure to wait long enough for oil to drain back to the pan before checking. Try and check the oil before you stert the car in the morning.

4. It definitely takes 5.5 +- a bit to put mine on the full mark when chaning oil and filter.

5. If the filter wasn't changed, then then it only takes about 5 quarts.

[jbarhorst2]

Did you measure before or after you started the car??

If you changed the filter and checked the level before you ran the car, the amount that is supposed to fill the filter is still in the pan.

Tom

[0v3rki77]

Thanks for all of the tips guys.

1. The car was on level ground in my garage

2. I waited about 45 minutes after I got home to check the oil - I haven't checked it completely cold yet today.

3. There is the possibility that the oil-change monkey didn't change the filter thus it taking only 5 quarts - I will see if the filter looks new / old right now, it seems that I should probably drain the overage.

Thanks for the advice!

[0v3rki77]

Just to follow up, thanks to Bartkat we have arrived at the heart of the problem. I checked the oil filter after draining the excess oil and it was definitely NOT changed by the Tire King guy (yeah I took it to Tire King, I got a great deal on oil changes from them from a door to door sales guy that makes my fully synthetic oil changes cost only $30 which is barely more than the price of the oil which is $26 for 6 quarts). It was strange that he came in to talk to me and let me know that it needed an extra half quart of oil but then he didn't change the filter which made the extra half-quart un-necessary.

I took it back and demanded that they pay for a new round of Mobile 1 15w50 and replace the filter this time around and they did, very apologetically. I wonder how many people get oil changes and don't get their filters changed (i.e. I wonder if this is some sort of money saving scam they try to pull off on 'idiot yuppy lexus owners' etc.). I imagine most lexus owners go to the dealer to get raped . . . err serviced.

thanks for all your helpful replies! The dipstick definitely did NOT lie. :)

[TOYOTA]

I bought some 15w50 Mobile 1 in a 5 quart container and took it to an oil change place today to get my first oil change done.

why do you put 15W50 in the IS? the owners manual recommends 5W30.