mooney201

Just finished my first oil change last night.
6.5 qts. oil and filter.
I checked the oil level this morning and it shows about 1 qt below full mark "at low oil mark" ??? The manual says to check with engine oil warm, but will that make up the almost one quart low reading?
I will warm it up tomorrow, and then check it again. Maybe my oil pan takes more than the advertised 6.5 quarts. ???

bumble-z

I'd check it in the morning before you drive it on a pretty much level surface.
If it shows a little low, add a half quart at that time.

The next morning do the same thing, adding in smaller increments until your spot on.

I'd rather be a little over filled, than under filled.

flyeri

That's been my experience too. It takes 7 qts to get it to the top of the "operating range" or Walmart is shorting us on those 5 qt jugs.

thecapo

I run 7 quarts and have since 2006 with no issues.

Baldfart

6.5 quarts is right on the full line on my 02.

Dave68

This was a common question in the early 2000s. Apparently, the dipstick and/or dipstick tube for some C5s (my 2001, included) was incorrectly made, resulting in the correct 6.5 quart fill producing what the oil line on the dispstick shows as 1/2 quart low.
This does NOT mean that the correct fill is 7 quarts! The owner's manual and factory service manual list 6.5 quarts as the correct fill amount.

Vetteman Jack

6.5 quarts is what the manual calls for and that's what I always use. At that amount, the oil registers right at the full mark on the dipstick in my car.

mooney201

Our car is a 2002 coupe, LS1, with stock exhausts. Only thing not stock is the cat back exhausts, and a supercharger. Oil pan, tube etc. are stock. It shows almost a full quart low sitting on the flat surface of our garage.
Our supercharger has it's own oiling system, so it is not tapped into the pan. I guess I should mark my dip stick at the oil level now, so I know it is reading low when it is full "6.5 qts".

What is the length of your dip sticks? Maybe mine is not the proper length. I will measure mine tomorrow.

Ona mission

I did my first oil change a few weeks ago and followed the suggestion to lift the back end after an extended drain and an extra cup or so did run out. 6.5 qt's didn't get it to the full mark and so i put in the last half of a qt. to make it spot on.

next plugs and wires

DeeGee

The first time I did a DIY oil change I had a low oil caption on the DIC and it showed low on the dipstick.

Since then I've always used 7 qts and it has been fine.

R2R

Post the Part Number stamped on your dipstick so others may compare to what you have.

Oldvetter

There are two different dipstick systems on C5s. The early one, shows 6.5 quarts at the top (normal fill mark). The later ones, show 6.5 quarts at the midline (normally one-half quart low mark). This is why some people overfill to 7 quarts.

Now, to show 6.5 quarts at the normal one quart low mark, you may have gotten the wrong dipstick! State the year of your Car and the dipstick number. I guess your dipstick tube could have been changed also?

Mr.Bill

I always put in 7 qts, Make sure your dip stick is seated all the way down.

VETJAZZ

Changed mine last month. 6.5 quarts nailed the full mark on the dipstick.

209TIME!!!

My 99 reads correct at 6.5....

Oldvetter

My 1998 dipstick has #12558988 stamped on it with the letter M stamped near the top. It is 24 5/8 long and 1 7/8 from tip to top of hash marks.

mooney201

The number on the dip stick is 12561712
It is 26 1/8 inch from tip to the shoulder of the top of the stick. I am going to warm the engine per owners manual and then wait about fifteen minutes and then check the level again. I doubt that it will come up to the full mark, but we will see. It is now just slightly above the add mark, "about 1/8 of a quart above the add mark".

Dave68

What year is your C5? As far as I know, there are not different sizes of oil pans in the LS1s. Therefore, 7 quarts is (technically) overfill, no matter what year C5 you have.

Oldvetter

You know that the owners manual says that you can put in an extra quart (making 7.5 quarts) when you are racing (it doesn't flow down into pan as fast), but must remove it afterwards.

So, I doubt that 7 quarts is a bad overfill. What is bad about overfilling the oil pan is when the oil level reaches the crankshaft and it aerates the oil, this can result in bad lubrication.

mooney201

I just got off the phone with our local Chevy dealership, and they say they fill all their oil changes on the C5 with 7 qts. of oil. I mentioned that the manual says 6.5 and he said he knew that, but they add 7 qts at every oil change. ????