How much more oil than max is "too much"? A quart, more, less?e
09-03-2003, 12:54 PM
#1
How much more oil than max is "too much"? A quart, more, less?e
Or does it depend on the oil capacity of the engine? A friend of mine told me on a big engine with a capacity of 8 quarts or more, an additional quart would not be harmful if put in by mistake. I want to do my oil change myself and wanted to ask to be sure.
09-03-2003, 04:10 PM
#2
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I guess I am not sure about the harm of adding an extra quart, but why not just add the correct amount? The owner's manual should have the correct amount. If you are nervous about the accuracy of that, just add all but about a 1/2 quart. Then start the motor, let it idle a bit, then shut it off. Let the oil drain back down a few minutes, and check the level. You will probably need to add the rest of the amount at that time.
09-03-2003, 07:32 PM
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2010 ML550, 2010 E350 4M, 1966 Corvette Convt C2
Max is just that the maximum. If you overfill you become a test pilot. Maybe damage or maybe no damage. Your guess is as good as mine. You take the chance, not me
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09-06-2003, 10:49 PM
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1986 560SEL, 97 BMW 740iL
I hate to have the computer to tell me when to change oil. In my wife's bimmer, it just started to say oil service. And when I checked the dipstick, the oil is downright dirty. Have to make an appointment Monday.
09-07-2003, 11:33 AM
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02 W163, 84 W123, 03 E39, 98 E39
Real Drivers change their own oil...
Originally posted by dtkw
I hate to have the computer to tell me when to change oil. In my wife's bimmer, it just started to say oil service. And when I checked the dipstick, the oil is downright dirty. Have to make an appointment Monday.
I hate to have the computer to tell me when to change oil. In my wife's bimmer, it just started to say oil service. And when I checked the dipstick, the oil is downright dirty. Have to make an appointment Monday.
09-07-2003, 11:35 AM
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1986 560SEL, 97 BMW 740iL
Yeah, I change my own oil now. Since it's out of the warantee period and the free service period. I can care less what that thing says anymore.
09-07-2003, 02:14 PM
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my car is in warranty and i change my own oil! it is faster for me to do it myself rather than take time to drive to the dealer, wait at the dealer and then drive home. also i dont use mobil 1 in my car, i use amsoil. also just because the oil is dirty, does not mean that it has lost its ability to do it job.
09-07-2003, 02:53 PM
#12
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Anything over MAX is too much.
You might try taking an oil sample at 5000 to help determine the best interval. I did and found that everything was fine except for slightly elevated silica (dirt) levels. I now change my filter and add make up oil at 5K and let the dealer do the free 10K service.
I use Mobil1 in my MBs but have tried Amsoil and Redline in other cars. Both are good but they have a migh higher TBN (Total Base Number) which scares me. Basically, their oils are much more alkyline than Mobil 1 and conventional oils. This is good for extended drain intervals but if you change your synthetic oil frequently and it never gets overly acidic, it stands to reason that the alkyline levels can cause damage to internal engine components. Besides with low sulfur fuels these days, ultra high TBN is not as critical as it was before.
BTW, at 5K my oil sample TBN was over 6 (Mobil starts with 8) and at 10K it was just under 4. This is where conventional oils START! Assuming I used Amsoil which starts with TBN of 12, my oil would still be overly alkyline when I changed it at 10K. This is what concerns me.
You might try taking an oil sample at 5000 to help determine the best interval. I did and found that everything was fine except for slightly elevated silica (dirt) levels. I now change my filter and add make up oil at 5K and let the dealer do the free 10K service.
I use Mobil1 in my MBs but have tried Amsoil and Redline in other cars. Both are good but they have a migh higher TBN (Total Base Number) which scares me. Basically, their oils are much more alkyline than Mobil 1 and conventional oils. This is good for extended drain intervals but if you change your synthetic oil frequently and it never gets overly acidic, it stands to reason that the alkyline levels can cause damage to internal engine components. Besides with low sulfur fuels these days, ultra high TBN is not as critical as it was before.
BTW, at 5K my oil sample TBN was over 6 (Mobil starts with 8) and at 10K it was just under 4. This is where conventional oils START! Assuming I used Amsoil which starts with TBN of 12, my oil would still be overly alkyline when I changed it at 10K. This is what concerns me.
