How much oil?

I've been changing my car's oil for the past year or so, and I always thought that the one gallon bottle they sell at stores was good enough, but that's 4 quarts and I remember hearing something about 5 quarts. Which one is it? I have a 94 LeSabre.

I have noticed that most cars take 4 1/2 quarts with a filter change. From what i have read it takes 4 quarts without a filter change. You figure another half quart for the filter

Don't worry so much about how many quarts it is and rather just worry about whether it is full but not overfull on the dipstick. Once you have this you'll know exactly how much it will take to fill for future reference.

4 quart (1 gal) containers only? Are you referring to typical auto parts stores? I get all my dino oil from Walmart. They sell 5 quart containers in Castrol and other brands at a reasonable cost.

4 quart (1 gal) containers only? Are you referring to typical auto parts stores? I get all my dino oil from Walmart. They sell 5 quart containers in Castrol and other brands at a reasonable cost.

I bought this at Walmart, and it's the typical bottle you see for all brands and types of engine oils. I was sure that they came with 5 quarts, ready to fill a car, but then I saw the bottle and it was 1 gallon. I don't get it, why would they sell a 4 quart bottle if everybody needs 5?

I don't get it, why would they sell a 4 quart bottle if everybody needs 5? Just like everything else, the bottles are shrinking! In addition, you get a barging price on 4-quarts and make up the difference when you buy the additional quart! I usually buy the 4- quart bottle of Mobil-1 EL @ Wallymart and an additional quart. I use 4 1/2 quarts with filter change, and use the rest in my lawn mower! It burns oil bad! :uhoh:

Thats about right Bo. IMO psychological marketing gimmick and then hitting you up on the separate quart you have to buy. :rolleyes:

But Walmart does have the 5 quart containers. Here is the one I bought a few weeks ago. I've been using Castrol for as long as I can remember for dino oil and not about to charge brands either. :grinno:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y186/lizzywiz/DSC09830.jpg

Thats about right Bo. IMO psychological marketing gimmick and then hitting you up on the separate quart you have to buy. :rolleyes:

But Walmart does have the 5 quart containers. Here is the one I bought a few weeks ago. I've been using Castrol for as long as I can remember for dino oil and not about to charge brands either. :grinno:

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y186/lizzywiz/DSC09830.jpg

Good to know. I thought all those big bottles were enough for a regular car. I've been using them for a year now, since I started changing my oil myself. Since I use high mileage oil, I'm not sure if the 5 quart bottles are available for my type of oil, but I'll check next time.

Mobil 1 in all varieties is also in 5 quart jugs at WalMart. It's the only place I've found them (probably a marketing agreement) and the only thing I buy there. I lower myself a couple times a year and walk out with a couple Franklins worth of lube, hoping that not much of it ends up in Bentonville, China.

Say, Mr. Naylor? Is that your GPS system hanging on the wall there?

Yeah the high mileage oils may be hard to come by in 5 qts. I stopped using the high mileage blended oils. In my opinion they soften and condition the various engine seals and gaskets in a less than desirable way. In a '98 LeSabre we developed an oil leak at the crank harmonic balancer seal and oil pan gasket. Switched back to the regular stuff and it went away. Same is applicable if you use full synthetic like Mobil 1 in a high mileage engine. I use Mobil 1 syn in my GTP but the supercharger can generate high heat in certain driving conditions which I won't mention :uhoh: so it is better safe than sorry.

Say, Mr. Naylor? Is that your GPS system hanging on the wall there?

Nope! Just my time zone map. Definitely not red versus blue state map. :uhoh: GPS is too hot of a commodity item for thieves so I have not taken the plunge yet. I still use the good ole military or geological survey maps where you have to figure in the angle of declanation. :lol:

Switched back to the regular stuff and it went away. Same is applicable if you use full synthetic like Mobil 1 in a high mileage engine.On my LeSabre my dad ran regular oil. I got it and switched to synthetic (Bought the 5 quart at wal-mart) around 135,000.
I'm now at 150,000 with oil leak from the pan. If I switch back to regular oil, do you think it will stop leaking?
The synthetic sure cleans up inside. Wish I could get it dirty like it was without going another 135.000.

Thanks,
Chris.

On my LeSabre my dad ran regular oil. I got it and switched to synthetic (Bought the 5 quart at wal-mart) around 135,000.
I'm now at 150,000 with oil leak from the pan. If I switch back to regular oil, do you think it will stop leaking?
The synthetic sure cleans up inside. Wish I could get it dirty like it was without going another 135.000.

Thanks,
Chris.

I doubt the leak will stop, and I doubt it was caused by changing to synthetic. Just my opinion you understand...

I've been changing my car's oil for the past year or so, and I always thought that the one gallon bottle they sell at stores was good enough, but that's 4 quarts and I remember hearing something about 5 quarts. Which one is it? I have a 94 LeSabre.

The right amount is when the level is anywhere between "Add" and "Full" on the dipstick.

My 94 takes about 4.5 quarts to get near the "Full" mark.

Also, it's generally not recommended to continually top-up the oil. Some cars are funny this way. You may continually top up the oil to try to keep at the "Full" mark and the car tries to fight back by using oil quickly. But, if you wait until the oil level gets down to the "Add" mark, you may find that the level of oil drop/consumption seems to drop off quite a bit at a some level below full.

So, maybe it blows out/leaks/burns up the first 1/2 quart, but then the level stabilizes at 1/2 way, or some other point between "Add" and "Full".

Thats about right Bo. IMO psychological marketing gimmick and then hitting you up on the separate quart you have to buy. :rolleyes:

Or you can play them at your own game if they start "downsizing the containers :lol: . If you figure it right it will take the purchase of (5) one gallon containers to complete.
here's how you can figure it out:
Start by buying 2 one gallon containers. Change your oil and use 5 qts. You will have 3 qts. remaining. Purchasing another gallon gives you 7 qts total. Change oil again leaving 2 qts left in a bottle. Purchase another gallon, that gives you 6 qts. After the next oil change you are left with one quart , and purchasing just one more gallon container will give you the amount you need for the next oil change. Of course not many people would probably do that, ( I would though just to save money:grinyes: ) And it also depends on how much the difference in prices are between the containers and their respective sizes, ( unit cost). And if you have the ability and desire, along with the discipline to follow that schedule.

There is a flip side to the the 5-qt change story, for those who only use 4.5- qts per change. You need to purchase nine (9), 4-qt containers before you would break even on the 4.5-qt oil/filter change. 9 X 4 = 36 qts. 36 qts / 4.5 qts = 8 oil changes! Now, what if your engine requires 1/2 qt between changes, all you have to do is buy one spare 4-qt container to compensate and beat the system!:ylsuper:

There is a flip side to the the 5-qt change story, for those who only use 4.5- qts per change. You need to purchase nine (9), 4-qt containers before you would break even on the 4.5-qt oil/filter change. 9 X 4 = 36 qts. 36 qts / 4.5 qts = 8 oil changes! Now, what if your engine requires 1/2 qt between changes, all you have to do is buy one spare 4-qt container to compensate and beat the system!:ylsuper:
Thanks for adding that bit of information. I had thought of those vehicles that used 4 1/2 qts per oil change but didn't feel like doing the math in the thread further confusing everything. Then there are those that don't change the filter every oil change ( as you should :nono:) and you must further compensate your figures to include the oil in the filter when refilling the crankcase .Leaving you feeling like this ---> :runaround:

:rofl:

Speaking of which what is the bottom line savings on all this? :uhoh:

Quite obvious it will vary and there are variables. Let's see in my case. $10.95 for 5 qts of Castrol GTX 10W-30 and an AC Delco oil filter for $3.99, of course less state sales tax. So that is roughly $14.94 per oil change. BTW - DIY labor doesn't count. :grinno:

Damn, I bought the extra quart that I was missing and poured it all in thinking that my car needed 5 quarts, but now the dip stick shows it's like half an inch above the last crosshair, which according to the manual is not good. So now I'll have to get the damn pan again and drip some more to reach the optimal level.

Damn, I bought the extra gallon that I was missing and poured it all in :wtf:
I thought we covered that very well in this thread, your car holds 4.5 quarts, or (4 1/2) quarts with a filter change. Did you mean to say; you put in an extra quart, instead of a gallon?

:wtf:
I thought we covered that very well in this thread, your car holds 4.5 quarts, or (4 1/2) quarts with a filter change. Did you mean to say; you put in an extra quart, instead of a gallon?

Oops. Yes, I meant the extra quart. I guess I missed the part about the 4.5. Oh well, I'll drain some tomorrow and I'll do it right next time.

...I doubt it was caused by changing to synthetic. Just my opinion you understand...If two different people tell me if I switch to synthetic I will get an oil leak, I switch, then get an oil leak, it's a good chance it's from switching to synthetic.
Both told me synthetic has cleaners that clean motors real good. I think that was true, since after a week it was black.I wondered why and was told, "I told you synthetic would clean the motor, it's doing it's job."
Thanks for your opinion,
Chris.

On my 95' park ave I use five quarts of oil and it doesn't go past the hatch mark. But I do use a purolator oil filter which seems to be bigger than the other filters,not much though. But I think I going to switch back to regular oil instead of high mileage oil after reading these post.

I must be the only weirdo here that just puts in the 4 qts that the manual says is the oil capacity. True, that puts it between the add and full lines on the dipstick, but since it doesn't get down below the add mark between changes I don't have to figure out how to get a partial quart out of a gallon container. That and my local W-mart doesn't stock my preferred brand in 10W-30 in the big jugs, so I'm buying individual quarts anyway.

To put this into proper context you have to realize the oil capacity is approximate. GM has this disclaimer stated in the owner's manuals. The important part is not to go over the cross-hatched marking on the dipstick, overfilling. Also, note that most if not all GM dipsticks state at the add area marker or right below lower part of the cross-hatch area to add 1 quart.

I must be the only weirdo here that just puts in the 4 qts that the manual says is the oil capacity. True, that puts it between the add and full lines on the dipstick, but since it doesn't get down below the add mark between changes I don't have to figure out how to get a partial quart out of a gallon container. That and my local W-mart doesn't stock my preferred brand in 10W-30 in the big jugs, so I'm buying individual quarts anyway. If you would read your owners manual again, you will see that on this particular vehicle, the manual clearly states; "Crankcase Capacity (Less Filter) - 4 liters / 4 quarts”. If you replace the filter, as recommended, it will require 1/3 to ½-qt. Now, if you start with only 4-qts and the filter has consumed ½ qt. that leaves 3 ½ qt in the oil pan. A typical engine running @ highway speeds has at least 1+ qt of oil circulating within the engine. Now, at this point, you would only have 2-½ qt available in the oil pan. If you ever happen to have an oil pan off one of these motors and pour 2 ½ qt in the bottom, you would see that it would barely reach the oil pick-up tube! I do not advocate exceeding factory recommendations, or over filling the crankcase, however, the more oil you have available to circulate, the longer it will last, and the better it will cool & lubricate. If my oil level drops ½ qt on the dip-stick, I add ½ qt and I would never let it get 1-qt low!

OK, I read the fabulous manual again, and I suggest you may wish to do the same before calling me out on it. The only place the oil capcity is specified in my manual is on page 275, The "Capacities and Specificatons" page. It says
"Cranckcase Capacity-
4 quarts/4 liters"

The only thing it mentions about the oil filter is that it is a PF-47. If a PF-47 holds more than 1 cup of oil then part of it exists in another dimension, because it's smaller than 1 cup measuring cup. I don't know where on the dipstick the level would end up if I put in 4 quarts without chaging the filter because I would never do that. As I said, 4 quarts puts it in the cross-hatched range. I check the oil habitually at every fuel stop (a habit leaned from driving a VW which actually consumes some oil, and only hold 2.5 quarts, when it's at the add line it only has 1.5 quarts aboard). If the engine was going to be damaged by inadequate oil while it was still at or above the add line I would know it by know.:2cents:

I'm a newbie at this site, and I have kid in my name, but I've logged a few miles.

I'm a newbie at this site, and I have kid in my name, but I've logged a few miles.
Thanks for your professional opinion and I did read the owners manual again that applies to this particular 1994 LeSabre, (see pic below)! I am here to offer qualified advice, not to argue with someone who does not follow the factory service recommendations! Apparently, you have a different owners manual than most of us. Do what you wish with your engine and I will continue to follow the owner’s manual that I have. Good Luck!

BTW, I have four kids in my name, and some that may not carry my name, :iceslolan (not sure what that has to do with automotive knowledge) ! :dunno:


http://img380.imageshack.us/img380/5863/1995enginecap3di0.jpg

The only thing it mentions about the oil filter is that it is a PF-47. If a PF-47 holds more than 1 cup of oil then part of it exists in another dimension, because it's smaller than 1 cup measuring cup.
I use PF47 on my '90 LeSabre and pre-load my oil filters before installing them on the engine during an oil change. While they may be small in size, the filtering material within the filter housing is very absorbent. I can get at least 1/2 quart of fresh oil into the filter while pre-loading it. You can always use a PF52 in place of the 47 if you want a little extra capacity.

If two different people tell me if I switch to synthetic I will get an oil leak, I switch, then get an oil leak, it's a good chance it's from switching to synthetic.
Both told me synthetic has cleaners that clean motors real good. I think that was true, since after a week it was black.I wondered why and was told, "I told you synthetic would clean the motor, it's doing it's job."
Thanks for your opinion,
Chris.

You're welcome.

But my personal experience doesn't reflect that same experience (with the leaks, that is).

Are you saying that the engine was so dirty inside that dirt was actually plugging defects/leak paths in gaskets, etc.?

Z28,
The difference becomes clear, you see my Owner's Manual is the 1993 version, and the "(Less Filter)" does not appear in it.

Once again, I AM following the manufactures recommendation and if, some day, the oil level falls to the lower end of the hash marks I will add a quart from the bottle I keep in the trunk, next to the lint free red rag, for just this purpose.

Thanks for the additional post and it is good to know that some of the “1993” owner manuals may have failed to mention the proper oil capacity (with filter change). The 1993 & 1994 engines are both, VIN code L (L27) or (L67) so therefore, the oil capacity is the same (4-qt W/O filter change & 4-½ qt with filter change). Maybe GM discovered their exclusion of this very important detail in the 93 manual, and made corrections to the 94 manual. :dunno:
Then again, it could be, GM assumed when an owner changed his/her oil and filter, (using only 4-qt) they would have a "brilliant deduction of the obvious" when they looked at the dipstick and it was below the full mark, so therefore they would add 1/2 qt anyway. :lol:

I think that was my point. :grinyes: The bottom line is what does the dipstick indicate and you have to use common sense on this issue. It is quite obvious GM had a major typo or omission in the '93 owner's manual which was subsequently corrected in later manuals. Won't be the first or last time either. Also, the GM factory service manual (FSM) preempts the owner's manual and explains the issue more clearly in the specifications section. 4.5 qts with filter change. Even the previous versions of the 3.8L going back to VIN "C" and "3" have always required the 4.5 qts crankcase oil capacity as long as the oil filter was replaced. As do the latter versions like the SII 3800 version VIN "K" and "1" and even the newer SIII 3800 engines.

Classic case in point is GM specified the use of premium unleaded gas of at least 93 octane in certain model Buicks with the L67 supercharged VIN"1" engine back around '95-'97. The annotation was in the respective owner's manuals. That was quickly corrected and superceded to read 91 octane or higher at least 10 years ago and corrected in subsequent publications. However, many misinformed owners still insist 93 octane or higher should be used all because that is what the owner's manual stated. :screwy: