How much oil does it take to do a complete oil and filter ch

[jrhone]

Doing an oil change tomorrow...the first for me doing it myself...how much oil does it need?

[Guest Anonymous]

4.25 gallons I think but my favorite tip is to slacken off the oil filter using your favorite method and then unscrew it by hand while holding it within a large plastic bag. this will save a hell of a mess.

[Guest Anonymous]

Actually, that is liters...

[nickymono]

Actually, that is liters...

But in the US you buy oil in quarts. So buy 5 quarts - fill it till it hits the top line on the dipstick. Use 20W-50... or if you can find it, straight 50 weight. But whatever, you'll figure it out.

[JFT]

Uh, a modification here - five quarts total should do it; but fill it until the dipstick registers full, then carefully start the car (I crank the thing over with the coil disconnected so that I can be sure that the fresh oil has found its way into the engine's vital parts, then reconnect the coil and start it). Let it run for a minute or two. Shut it off, check the dipstick again, and fill as needed. What you probably will find is that the level is down a bit due to the volume required to fill the filter.

[stone02]

Hi,

for a regular oil change i use 5 quarts

of 20-50. use a good filter like purolator

pc201 or mann. when you install the filter

fill it to the top and then put it on the engine.

don't start the motor with a dry filter.

you can crank the motor untill the oil

light goes off, then start the motor.

good luck

stone

[TobyB]

I always find that I have a little left over

when I start with 5 quarts

and a Bosch or Mahle filter...

t

[john_a]

Don't overfill the engine oil, just use the correct amount like BMW states in the owner's manual. Half a quart over is probably not going to hurt a lot, but overfilling is bad for windage, and can aerate oil.

4.25 liters = 4.50 quarts = the correct amount of oil when filter is changed (always change that filter, right?)

Unless you have dented the oil pan, the engine will have the right level of oil when you add the 4.5 quarts, run the engine to warm, turn iit off & allow it to drain back into the sump. If your dipstick is off, then your dipstick is wrong & you need to make adjustment for that.

When you calibrate your dipstick, you do that by adding a known amount of oil and scribe new lines, or make adjustments in the dipstick tube to have the markings match the oil, not the other way around.

Hot engine oil expands, be sure you are comparing levels the same way.

At work, oil drains & fills are measured by weight during engine development. A quart of oil = about 1.82 lbs, and since most of my oil changes at home are also done with product in larger containers, I use my refrigerant scale to weigh the gallon jugs. Using mass allows you to easily account for how much drains out, and you weigh the old filter, subtract the tare weight of the drain pan & dry filter. You only need to do that if you are tracking oil consumption.

[02for2]

…(I crank the thing over with the coil disconnected so that I can be sure that the fresh oil has found its way into the engine's vital parts, then reconnect the coil and start it)...

…you can crank the motor untill the oil light goes off, then start the motor…

Uh... sorry guys, but this is NONESENSE!

Think about it... what you're advocating is spinning the 'dry' motor on the starter to avoid spinning the 'dry' motor via combustion.

The motor is not 'dry' at all - there is already an oil film present on all the internals.

It may sound same-same, but actually cranking on the starter will prolong the system filling and pressurizing because the starter cranks at much lower RPMs than idle speed. The oil pump is RPM dependent to reach max flow and pressure - the faster it spins, the faster everything is back to normal. I don't advocate running at RPMs higher than idle for long, but idle speed is better than starter speed.

It is virtually the same as starting the car in the morning or on weekends - do you disconnect the coil when you do this too? Is oil pooling in the sump after an oil change/fill any different than oil pooled in the sump before a cold start? Gravity pulls the oil to the sump after shutdown the same way it does before you drain it for an oil change or you wouldn't be able to drain it all (most) out.

...when you install the filter fill it to the top and then put it on the engine. don't start the motor with a dry filter...

This IS sound advice - to pre-fill the filter to avoid any delays in floating the crank.

But, starting the engine, with an oil film already present for such a short time poses little, if any, risk of bearing starvation.

Cheers!

[pikeperkins]

Sounds like you need one of my extra Haynes manuals that will tell you loads of information like this and other great information.....

[Adictiverx]

Just changed the oil this weekend, used 4.75 bottles/quarts of oil.

I am getting a sulfer-like smell from the valve cover. Any ideas?

I used 10W-30 natural penzoil. (So cal weather)

[02for2]

A sulphur or rotten egg smell is most closely associated with gear oil or ATF. These include sulphur compounds in their mix to resist compression when between the gear faces.

Are you certain that you didn't mix up any of these? Is it possible that what you smelt is coming from the tranny? Maybe a leaky seal?

Cheers!