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Oil Fill ?

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Old Aug 30, 2004 | 06:02 PM
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Default Oil Fill ?

Changed oil & filter in my 04 Coupe I put 6 1/2 Qt's in like owner manuel calls for,started car oil pressure up shut car off, car is on level surface checked oil level after about 1 Hr. dipstick showed 1/2 Qt.low made sure dipstick was all the way down Looks to me I should have put 7 Qt's in from start. So should I have put 7 Qt's in from the start or just leave it at 6 1/2 Qt's? Thanks
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Old Aug 31, 2004 | 01:25 AM
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Had my first change at a Chevrolet dearlership and they put in 7 quarts. The level on the stick was at the proper place after that. I stood there and watched the guy work on my baby to make sure it was done right...plug put back in, filter tight, enough oil put in etc. etc....
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Old Aug 31, 2004 | 02:28 AM
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Originally Posted by Terk
Changed oil & filter in my 04 Coupe I put 6 1/2 Qt's in like owner manuel calls for,started car oil pressure up shut car off, car is on level surface checked oil level after about 1 Hr. dipstick showed 1/2 Qt.low made sure dipstick was all the way down Looks to me I should have put 7 Qt's in from start. So should I have put 7 Qt's in from the start or just leave it at 6 1/2 Qt's? Thanks
My 2003 GM Service Manual, page 0-36 shows the approximate oil capacity with filter to be 6.5 qts. The key word here is "approximate". Also, how much oil should be added will depend a lot on how well the old oil was drained. The service manual says to allow sufficient time for the old oil to drain. Then after the drain plug and new filter are installed, it says to refer to "Capacities - Approximate Fluid on page 0-36" and add the appropriate amount. (I generally add 6 qts. or just a little over to begin.) Next, the manual says to start and run the engine for 3 minutes and check for leaks. The manual then says to turn the engine off and allow it to cool down a minimum of 3 minutes. Then check the oil level and top off the oil to the full mark on the dipstick. I always top mine off slowly, measuring several times after adding small amounts so as not to overfill. Usually I find that somewhere around 6 3/4 quarts will put mine at just below the full level. Hope this helps.

Last edited by GrayC5; Aug 31, 2004 at 02:31 AM.
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Old Aug 31, 2004 | 07:09 AM
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Fill it up...
mine takes a little more than 7qts
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Old Aug 31, 2004 | 07:17 AM
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I have no idea how much it takes as I can never get an accurate reading. All I get is oil smeared half way up the dipstick.
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Old Aug 31, 2004 | 07:23 AM
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I do my own oil changes and every time I put in 6.5 quarts and it comes up to the full mark. However, a number of owners have mentioned the same situation as you where 6.5 quarts just does not get it to the full mark. In those cases, they have added the extra quart and it brings it up to where it is supposed to be, at least according to the dipstick. There should not be any harm in putting in the extra 1/2 quart.
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Old Aug 31, 2004 | 07:54 AM
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Originally Posted by JDs00PewterCoupe
I do my own oil changes and every time I put in 6.5 quarts and it comes up to the full mark. However, a number of owners have mentioned the same situation as you where 6.5 quarts just does not get it to the full mark. In those cases, they have added the extra quart and it brings it up to where it is supposed to be, at least according to the dipstick. There should not be any harm in putting in the extra 1/2 quart.
Hmmm, the only capacity reading difference should be from the measuring device; don't see how the volume within the engine could be so different. Overfilling an engine is a basic no-no, just like underfilling, but for different reasons. I'd be inclined to go with 6.5 to 6.7 qts and not worrying about the dipstick. Could be the dipstick manufacturing tolerances were off or the dipstick tube is slightly longer, or both combined. You could borrow someone elses dipstick and see how different the reading is. Also, you have to wait a minimum of 3 minutes, like mentioned above, to let the oil drain from the top end to the pan. I haven't tested, but if you let you car set overnight and checked the level with the engine cold, it might show overfilled (anyone know on that?).

Of course, it depends on how you're measuring the oil you're putting in, too. If you're using a 5 qt jug of oil and 'eyeballing' it........

BTW, among other things, too much oil (how much I don't know) will allow the crankshaft to strike the oil in the pan which ain't good. Don't know how it affects oil control within the pan and draining from the topend; might result in more carry-over through the PCV system.
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Old Aug 31, 2004 | 08:06 AM
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My normal oil level was 7 quarts. I use to put in an extra quart for track days. I now have an accu-sump & oil cooler and it takes 10 quarts total but I can only drain out 9. So each oil change is 9 quarts now.

I do my own oil changes as after I put in 7 quarts I have to let the car run for 10 to 15 min to cirulate the oil into the sump and cooler, then I had the extra 2 qts. I run the engine again for another 10-15 mins then let it set for 30 min and check the oil. The dip stick shows just above the normal full line.

I change the oil every two weekends on the track or every other month with about 500 track miles and maybe the same on the street. Use 15-w50 oil to take the heat of the road race circuit - oil temps of 230-250 degrees ( oil cooler keeps temps down to these levels ) without ppl see temps of 300 degrees and above.

So if you use 6.5 or 7 qts and adding an extra qt will not hurt your car what so ever.

Corvettes are ment to be driven, not garage queens.
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Old Aug 31, 2004 | 08:52 AM
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It took 7 qts in my 98!
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Old Aug 31, 2004 | 11:50 AM
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Thanks everyone for your help.
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Old Aug 31, 2004 | 01:08 PM
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At Carlisle on Friday there was a GM vette mechanic/representative holding a question and answer session. This very question was asked and he responded that under no circumstances should you put more than 6.5 quarts of oil in after a change. He acknowledged that it will not show "full" on the dip stick, but this was the correct amount. He said that by putting the extra 1/2 quart in will result in an overfill with potentially bad problems.
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Old Aug 31, 2004 | 01:31 PM
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Originally Posted by sgp99
At Carlisle on Friday there was a GM vette mechanic/representative holding a question and answer session. This very question was asked and he responded that under no circumstances should you put more than 6.5 quarts of oil in after a change. He acknowledged that it will not show "full" on the dip stick, but this was the correct amount. He said that by putting the extra 1/2 quart in will result in an overfill with potentially bad problems.
The GM vette/mechanic/rep is an idiot. The video clearly states to add a quart for the track.undefined
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Old Aug 31, 2004 | 01:52 PM
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7 qts. if you get all the old oil out by jacking up the rear end.
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Old Aug 31, 2004 | 09:57 PM
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6.5 quarts in my '04 will bring the level exactly to the full mark. BTW, for the sake of consistency, I never check the level until the car has sat overnight, unless it's an emergency, and I haven't had one of those since I owned Toyleta.
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