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I recently purchased a 2002 with just over 90,000 miles as a project. I changed the oil and filter and added 6.5 quarts of oil per the owner's manual. When I checked the dipstick the level was at the lower end of the acceptable range. I have good oil pressure at idle (45psi) and am wondering if there is another issue or if I just need to add a little more oil. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
My GM certified mechanic said to fill with 7 quarts when changing the oil and filter. That’s what I have been doing for years with no issues. The oil level shows to the top hatch mark on the dip stick after an oil and filter change. You may want to add another 1/2 quart and see where that brings the oil level to on the dip stick.
Couple of things. It needs to sit for a while prior to checking the oil or it will read low. Another is that if it has a stock pan (no capacity added) and you add 6.5 quarts, you should not need 7.
I can't tell you how many cars and motorcycles I see overfilled because people don't follow the level checking directions. There are many areas that take a while to drain to the pan.
I would be curious to see what it reads if you have already added the 7th quart after driving and letting sit 15 minutes on a level surface. You might be surprised to find it's now high.
I check the oil after the car has been sitting overnight on a level surface. All the oil has drained into the oil pan. The dip stick shows oil to the top hatch mark and not overfilled.
The Factory Service Manual for 2001 says to fill the engine with the correct amount of oil, run it for three minutes, let it cool for three minutes, then check the oil level and top off to the full mark as necessary.
I have used this procedure for 10 years, but also add 1/2 quart above the full mark for track days.
I check the oil after the car has been sitting overnight on a level surface. All the oil has drained into the oil pan. The dip stick shows oil to the top hatch mark and not overfilled.
rick, this is the wrong procedure. The owners manual says to check the oil when the car is warm. Like I said, we are here to help! Do not check the oil when it has sat overnight.
rick, this is the wrong procedure. The owners manual says to check the oil when the car is warm. Like I said, we are here to help! Do not check the oil when it has sat overnight.
I have been filling with 7 quarts after an oil and filter change for the past 10 years with no ill effects. This is what my GM Certified World Class technician recommended to me along time ago and still does to this day. He became a GM Certified World Class technician when the C5 was introduced and knows these cars inside and out. While many say it next to impossible to change the oil pressure sending unit without removing the intake or cutting a hole in the cowl, he had mine changed in 15 minutes without doing either. He has kept my C5 running in top notch condition with minimal cost invested.
Owners manual says 6.5 quarts. Your tech must be smarter than GM engineers! Glad your car is running great! Do you have any information on these “gm certified world
class technicians”? I would like to find one I’m my area. Thanks!
Owners manual says 6.5 quarts. Your tech must be smarter than GM engineers! Glad your car is running great! Do you have any information on these “gm certified world
class technicians”? I would like to find one I’m my area. Thanks!
Suggest you contact GM. I’m sure they have a list of qualified GM Certified World Class Technicians in your area. There is a difference between Certified and Certified World Class. Don’t know all the details but an internet search could possibly answer that question.
June 2, 2017—VIP Tires and Service announced today that two of its technicians, Kenny Bridges and Brian Thibodeau, have earned World Class Technician status, joining an elite group of automotive service industry professionals.
To achieve this level of certification, which is the highest in the industry, technicians must undergo rigorous voluntary testing and successfully obtain Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification in 22 specialty areas. Currently, there are 1,931 technicians who have reached World Class Technician status among the more than 895,300 automotive technicians working in the United States. With the recent achievement of Bridges and Thibodeau, Maine now has eight World Class Technicians. Bridges and Thibodeau will be formally recognized by the industry when the full list of 2017 World Class Technicians is released in early 2018.
that oil filter is so little ... why even bother! I had to go get more tools! But I primed it anyway because that's what I do, unless (like the ford escort it's oriented sideways! smh)
so that remaning quart emptied. measured 1/2 quart on the next one. put that 1/2 in the trunk. then five more full quarts. ran for leak checking. it took me about 5 minutes to get the car off the ramps ... but ran it again. engine shutdown. sticked it. barely at the ADD mark. 4 times.
Oh ... and resetting the oil minder was easy. ignition switch on. pump throttle pedal 3 times to the floor. "ding"
So, I added the 1/2 quart from the trunk. That made 7. sticked it again. half way between add & full. twice.
So, I added .5 quarts from the 8th bottle and put the 1/2 qt in the trunk (again) ... now 7.5 quarts. right at the full mark.
So ... IDK. I had the nose down to completely drain the pan as you can see here with the 2x12s and fence slats stacked on the aft pair of ramps.
it was very humid today. lotta condensation from the A/C.
When I bought Valerie from @BLAQK , oil level was at the 'full' mark. Drove 2400 miles home to Texas. at about 4000 total, I had Corvette World of Dallas service incl oil change. Again the oil level at the "full" mark. Now over 10K miles I've put on her since the end of Feb. have added a quart/so in this last interval.
So ... I'm gonna go with it. 7.5 quarts total added.
To snark the cute little oil filter. It's so small, priming it really isn't saving much, I expect the filter fills in <2". Anyhow. Gonna look for low profile arms to install on our two post lift. this was a bit of a hassle and I STILL couldn't get comfortable under the car. Time to get the ground pushed away from Valerie like we do Victoria
Because of internal baffles, the most oil is drained from the batwing oil pan with the bottom of the pan level. Any other pan attitude traps oil when draining.
Because of internal baffles, the most oil is drained from the batwing oil pan with the bottom of the pan level. Any other pan attitude traps oil when draining.
wow ... well, slightly nose down resulted in 7.5 quarts to get to "full" on the dipstick when it was sitting on level ground.
that oil filter is so little ... why even bother! I had to go get more tools! But I primed it anyway because that's what I do, unless (like the ford escort it's oriented sideways! smh)
so that remaning quart emptied. measured 1/2 quart on the next one. put that 1/2 in the trunk. then five more full quarts. ran for leak checking. it took me about 5 minutes to get the car off the ramps ... but ran it again. engine shutdown. sticked it. barely at the ADD mark. 4 times.
Oh ... and resetting the oil minder was easy. ignition switch on. pump throttle pedal 3 times to the floor. "ding"
So, I added the 1/2 quart from the trunk. That made 7. sticked it again. half way between add & full. twice.
So, I added .5 quarts from the 8th bottle and put the 1/2 qt in the trunk (again) ... now 7.5 quarts. right at the full mark.
So ... IDK. I had the nose down to completely drain the pan as you can see here with the 2x12s and fence slats stacked on the aft pair of ramps.
it was very humid today. lotta condensation from the A/C.
When I bought Valerie from @BLAQK , oil level was at the 'full' mark. Drove 2400 miles home to Texas. at about 4000 total, I had Corvette World of Dallas service incl oil change. Again the oil level at the "full" mark. Now over 10K miles I've put on her since the end of Feb. have added a quart/so in this last interval.
So ... I'm gonna go with it. 7.5 quarts total added.
To snark the cute little oil filter. It's so small, priming it really isn't saving much, I expect the filter fills in <2". Anyhow. Gonna look for low profile arms to install on our two post lift. this was a bit of a hassle and I STILL couldn't get comfortable under the car. Time to get the ground pushed away from Valerie like we do Victoria
If your lift has removable lift pads, you might be able to remove them and lift the car on just the lift arms. That's how I do mine.
updating the lift arm reference in my previous. Just wish I had this building at my casa. Oh well, provides for a little leg stretching to get there and back. Custom lift arms ... need shorties for the wide body C5 two post lift with the custom built lift arms pushing the ground away from Valerie with the new lift arms on our two post lift.
2002 C5 Oil Level
