Filling oil just to min line? better mpg?

[daring4]

Ok, well thats just stupid! I thought we were talking about a quart or so overfilled! You win Christ. I do my own changes, I actually saw my dad pour oil in his master cylinder and asked him what was he thinking! We replaced everything in the brake system just to be sure.

12 quarts is going to be a problem! How could I doubt Christ!

[Christ]

I normally do my own, as well... company car, not allowed to touch it. I couldn't even change a fuse without risking my job.

So, I followed the rules, and took it to the professionals. I didn't check it when I left, because I wasn't allowed to. Got back to the shop, and the transmission quit working, and the engine was smoking like crazy (was smoking for about 20 mins before that, but I never stopped, cuz I'm a "good employee".)

The lead technician at the company (yep, they have technicians, but outsource oil changes.. ), through brilliant deduction, determined that they'd actually drained the trans pan, thinking it was the oil pan, and then added 5.5 more qts to the crankcase. Talk about a gutless econo-van...

Anyway, point was (mine) that there is a chance that oil can hydrolock the engine. It's a rare chance, but the above kind of thing happens more times than you'd really believe.

[daring4]

So we can agree that if you did your own maintenance, sober, you wouldn't have 12 quarts in your oil pan! That was my point.

I have never gone anywhere to have service done, work vehicles are different, we have company mechanics. My cars only get touched by me, well sometimes I let my G/F touch them!

[Ford Man]

I've always done my own oil and filter changes too. I don't even let the '88 Escort with 507K miles on it go to a quart low before adding oil. At one time I did and I noticed the oil consuption getting worse so I started adding 1/2 a quart every time it gets to that point and the oil consumption hasn't increased since I started doing that. So I think the engine must have been getting some oil starvation even at 1 quart low. At a quart low most 4 cylinder cars are only running with 75% oil capacity in the crankcase.

[bgd73]

max fill line prevents a pump from scavenging.

the extremes such as cold, pumping molasses.. doesn't get back to the pan before the pump never stops pumping...(maine is famous for it- keep those pressure reilefs clean..)

and another source is high rpms in longevity, regardless of weather, can cause a scavenge. A common read for this is backyarders making a hot rod out of thier old engine.. big oil pump included...(it could be the number 1 error)

hence some get even bigger oil pans and more oil... it is not to be an anti-ecomodding hog, it is to keep safe, and for a much longer time.. that cycle of more oil lasts longer...common sense.


too low on oil is like taking a bath with a tablespoon of water.

[Frank Lee]

Sabel Owner's Manual says DO NOT add until it gets down to the bottom of the hatched area!

Of course you can, but evidently there is no reason at all to do so.

[Ford Man]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

Sabel Owner's Manual says DO NOT add until it gets down to the bottom of the hatched area!

Of course you can, but evidently there is no reason at all to do so.

Most owner manuals that I've ever read say that. They probably figure some dummy will pour a full quart in when it's only 1/4 quart low. I was just speaking from experience on my car.