sf3r8z

This is kind of a lame subject but as my daughter says, I'm kind of **** (over precise, i.e. close is not good enough). I recently had my oil and filter changed by a garage I've only used once before. It is owned by an Asian family and all mechanics are Asian. They said that they have serviced Lexus vehicles and are familiar with them. I don't plan on using them for anything except oil changes and other simple jobs.

So I recently took the car in and watched the mechanic from a distance(he got right on job). Everything looked good until I got home and checked the oil level. As you probably know this car takes 6.4 quarts of oil with a filter change. Problem was this guy either hadn't put in oil with a fractional amount or ,if so, nobody noticed the difference. In any case instead of calculating that 0.4 quarts equal a little less than 3 ounces, he just estimated that 0.4 is about the same as 0.5 and added 6.5 quarts. The difference between 0.4 and 05 quarts is roughly 3 ounces.

I figured out what he had done when I got home and called Lexus who told me that the extra 3 ounces has to come out. I took it back and they removed some oil. Checked it myself while there and still not sure. Left, went home and checked again. When I checked before they removed the excess oil, the overfill was obvious, the second time it was just damn hard to read.

The dipstick is shiny stainless and the oil is almost clear. Even after letting the engine reach normal operation temperature and waiting, say, 3 minutes for the oil to settle down, it's hard to tell exactly where the fill line is. There is oil pretty much on several parts of the end of the stick including above the top dimple. Also oil is obviously in the bottom dimple but not in the top on. I'm just not sure what I've got. If the car had been driven 30 miles, I would be sure.

sf3r8z

Addendum : Math correction : 0.4 quarts is 12.8 ounces, not 3 ounces. The 3 ounce is the difference between 0.4 and 0.5 ounces.

sf3r8z

Another addendum: between 0.4 and 0.5 quarts not ounces. Give me some coffee.

nevernu

so you watched from a distance and weren't able to tell that he put in 0.5 of a qt instead of 0.4???

mlacomb

My oil changes with filter are usually done with 6 quarts plus a little. I don't worry about exactly 6.4, because I can never get ALL the oil out of the engine. Regardless, bottom hole filled - top hole not, good to go. I honestly have mine bottom and top hole filled, but can tell that the line goes no further than the top hole when reading it. No foaming even when completely full.

sf3r8z

The reason that I know he put in .5 quarts rather than .4 is because I gave him a full quart and he returned the leftover which was 16 oz. I don't know how you can tell how much you have other than what you can see in the top and bottom dimple or hole. I asked him to take enough out so that there was oil in between the 2 dimples in the dipstick but when I got it home I couldn't see where the level was to save my life. I do know that it's above the bottom dimple, though. I guess I'll have to be satisfied with that for now. I've only got about 35,000 miles on it so I guess I don't have to worry about losing oil. Next time, I will bring him the 0.4 quarts or 12.8 ounces so he doesn't have to measure it out. I would think that 13 ounces would be close enough, right?

Also, why so precise with 6.4 gallons? As a percent, a few ounces more is almost nothing.

GCL

iTrader: (1)

It's really hard to read the dipstick when the oil is hot. After you have pulled it out, wiped it clean and reinserted it, the oil smears the dipstick tube and makes it virtually impossible to read.

What I do is read the dipstick after the car has rested overnight. I do it in one-shot, pulling it out and immediately reading it without cleaning and reinserting the dipstick. If the level is about mid-way between the 2 dimples, I am happy. This will allow for heat expansion when the car is at operating temperature.

sf3r8z

Thanks for all the suggestions. To summarize, from now on I will never rely on a mechanic to make any decision about how much oil to put in my engine when changing the oil and filter. I will provide him with the exact amount to refill with. Immediately after that oil change, I will expect to see oil in the top dimple. In any other case(not immediately after an oil change) I will wait until the car has enough miles on it to add color to the oil and check to see the level in between the 2 dimples assuming it has enough miles to use some oil.

oldgrump

Holy mackerel!.......the OP's daughter is correct. Expecting the dipstick to initially indicate a level exactly at the "Full" mark every time after an oil change is a pipe dream. This applies especially when using the 6.4 US qt. amount. I'm not surprised that the oil level was over the "Full" mark. Firstly, the amount drained may not be exactly the same on every oil change. Engine/oil temp and the allowed drain time will affect the amount of oil that drains out. As someone noted, and I agree after doing about four oil changes myself, that a bit more than 6 US qts. should get it pretty close to the "Full" mark. My drain time would be about 30 - 40 minutes (oil warm). After adding about 6 US qts., drive the car, and always recheck the oil level later (with the car at a "level" attitude). The Owner's Manual states that a "hot" engine should be allowed to sit for "at least five minutes" before checking the oil level. I've found that checking the oil level in my carport (level) either with the oil warm, or after the car has been sitting overnight, the oil level on the dipstick is almost identical. For accuracy/repeatability pick the same parking spot and the same engine temp when checking the oil level. Standard practice (and also in accordance with the Owner's Manual) is to remove the dipstick and wipe it with a clean cloth, reinsert it, and then check the oil level on the dipstick. As mentioned, checking the oil level with the engine cold also seems to result in less "smearing" of the oil on the dipstick.

dreyfus

I'm agreeing with old grump here, you're being way too **** about this. The 6.4 quarts is a target and not an absolute requirement. A dipstick check is not a precise measurement. Draining the oil is not a precise measurement. Heck, even determining whether the car is level or not isn't a precise measurement and that will affect both draining and measuring how much oil you have. Close IS good enough in this case.

However, I strongly recommend you do not add a colorant to your oil. The harsh environment inside your engine will chemically alter anything you add and unless you're certain it won't decompose, polymerize, or otherwise transform into something that would hurt your engine it's a bad idea, potentially far more damaging than a little over or under on your oil level and certain to be leveraged against you in any warranty dispute. Even automotive oil colorants are normally used only for diagnostic purposes, not as a regular additive.

But I will agree with you that the ES350 has a particularly hard-to-read dipstick. Ignore the smear and find the highest level where the oil fills the entire width of the blade after your hot engine has rested a bit.

Tetguy

Oldgrump and Dreyfus are right on.
I'd like to add that dipstick marks are set so the engine won't starve or have too much oil. You have to remember that you don't always drive on a level road....up and down hills......fast turns....quick stops and jack rabbit starts. This affects the oil level in your crankcase. Race cars have splash guards to combat this otherwise the oil would start hitting the crankshaft and the oil would start foaming. Not a good thing. So if you happen to see your dipstick has 1/4 in."?" too much oil, take your car for a short spin. Do a jack rabbit start to 60 mph and stop as quick as you can without lighting up your tires... get out and check your dipstick for air bubbles. No bubbles you should be ok. If you see bubbles, drain some oil. Engine manufacturers build in tolerances.

jagtoes

I use the vacuum method changing the oil. I have a 9 quart capacity vacuum pump system and have measurement marks with correct levels on each car and truck we own. If it weren't for the Lexus canister mount filter under the front I wouldn't need to put the car up on my lift to do a filter change. That's another issue so back to the fill level. After warming up the engine I shut it down and wait around 5 minutes. I would check the dip stick and what I do is wipe down , reinsert it and when I pull it out I read the front and turn it over to read the back. My dino oil at 5000 miles is as clean as new so I find reading both sides gets me the level. When I vacuum out the oil I usually get a little over 6 quarts. It is hard to tell if it is .3 or .4 or .5 but unless I weigh it I am close enough. As far as refill I put in 6 quarts and start and warm up the engine. Then shut it down and wait and recheck the oil and usually need to add a touch more. The whole deal takes me about an hour and being retired that is not a problem.