Oil Change And Capacity

[93lexES300]

So I've searched high and low on this forum for any articles relating to oil capacity and haven't found quite what I'm looking for. I'm a new owner of a 1991 LS400 and one of the first thing I wanted to do is change the oil. I looked up the manual and the capacity is state some this like:

6.3 quart dry fill

5.6 quart drain and fill with Filter

5.3 quart drain and fill without filter.

So I drained the oil, 1.5 milk jugs worth, so about 5.5 to 6 quarts.

I put in 5 quarts thinking I'll top it off once I check the level.

I check the level and it shows over full, even after it settles.

I drain out about a quart total and than it's at bout or a little over the full mark when warm.

This means that I only put in 4 quarts of oil to replace the ~6 that I drained.

So me being paranoid, bought another case of Amsoil 5w30 and drained all the oil back out, this time not on ramps but on level ground, but not changing the filter (only use Genuine Totota Filter)

I got about 5 quarts out, so I poured 4 quarts in and measured on the dipstick.

Showed about half full on the dipstick. I poured in another 1/4 quart and checked the dipstick again.

This time it showed full on the dip stick.

So doing the calculation for the amoutn of oil currently in my engine is as follows:

6.3 - 5.6 = 0.7 quarts in the engine when you do a drain and fill with filter.

I have an extra lets say .25 quarts in the engine since the second tiem I didn't chang the filter.

so that's .95 that' in the engine

I added 4.25 so I have a total of 5.2 quarts, about a quart lower than the dry fill capacity? Cana nyone explain why this would occur?

Thanks

[Lexusfreak]

I'm not sure why even a 'dry fill' is even mentioned???

Bottom line is capacity should be 5.6 Qt's with the filter change....or 5.3 litres.

How long did you let the oil drain out?

Might also want to consider using the Amsoil EAO57 oil filter if your using the Amsoil oil already......take full advantage of the product.

[jcrome04]

I changed my oil with Mobil1 full synth, toyota genuine filter

I put in 5.6 qts

[Alfalfa]

Could it be possible that the oil dip stick might not be a factory original? Might find another Lexus the same year or there abouts and compare them just to be sure.

[93lexES300]

Could it be possible that the oil dip stick might not be a factory original? Might find another Lexus the same year or there abouts and compare them just to be sure.

Looks like the dipstick int he manual and like the one for the transmission except the label.

One question I have, are your oil pans completely flat at the bottom or is there a rounded indentation from the bottom. Can you take a pic of the oil pan from the side and front bottom? Want to makke sure my oil pan is not dented and that's why the seeming decrease in capacity.

Thanks!!

[mburnickas]

skip the toyo oil filter. They are no better then Ghetto-mart filters if you look inside.

[landar]

I know this will sound simple/obvious but I have been fooled by it before. You have to be very careful when reading the dipstick.

Whenever you add oil, you have to start the engine and let it run for a few minutes to fully mix, then shut her down and let the oil drain back into

the pan for a few minutes. Then you pull the DS and wipe it down. Reinsert fully and let it sit for a few seconds to ensure that the oil wicks

around the tip. Then pull and read. Of course the car needs to be on a level surface.

I have also been fooled wih new oil because it can be difficult to see. But if you hold the DS at an angle with light glimmering off the edge, you can

just make out the wetness of oil. And if a reading seems off, try it again and again to re-verify.

[93lexES300]

Yeah, I have thoroughly checked the dipstick, it's allways in my garage so the it's on a flat surface. I've measured multiple times after shutting it down at 2, 5, 10, and 15 min increments so see how it looks. Yeah, it's really puzzling to me.

[Anthony jefferson]

The oil dipsticks on a “90” Lexus 400SL