Oil level resistance

[Gasoline Fumes]

Anything between the two marks should be safe and approved by the manufacturer. Don't go lower and do check it very often. Owner's manuals usually say to add oil when it gets to (or below) the lower mark. I'd keep it at the max in a racing car. My Insight calls for 0w-20. I use 0w-16 and run it near the low mark, which is only two quarts in the engine. My oil gets changed once a year and my oil analysis from Blackstone Labs says I'm doing fine. $10 annual oil change and $30 analysis!

[Gasoline Fumes]

Originally Posted by Piotrsko

And for those who like my sister that don't believe in maintaining, they add a low oil level light which probably adds $10 to the price of her car.

Must be totally not necessary.

In most, if not all cars, that's an oil pressure light. Light on = no oil pressure! If that's on, the oil pump is sucking air! It should never light up on a running engine.

[freebeard]

My Dasher is grounded because the oil pressure light has failed. I tore the dash apart and it's an LED on a flexi-cable (not like a Beetle at all!). When I get it back together, the switch and the battery are 6" from each other and I can almost see them through the slots in the back edge of the hood. It needs an auxiliary light fabricobbled in.

It would run forever with due diligence, but there's always Murphy's Law.

[Joggernot]

I watched an "Engine Masters" TV program where they kept taking out oil and checking power on the dyno. There is an "ideal" level where power is maximum and it is low. Not recommending this. They were also testing oil pan design vs. power. Try finding the program on either MAVTV or MOTORTREND TV.

[redneck]

Originally Posted by Joggernot

I watched an "Engine Masters" TV program where they kept taking out oil and checking power on the dyno. There is an "ideal" level where power is maximum and it is low. Not recommending this. They were also testing oil pan design vs. power. Try finding the program on either MAVTV or MOTORTREND TV.

There’s no question that oil flinging around in the crankcase robs engine horse power.

That’s why there’s a aftermarket for knife edge crankshafts, crank scrapers, windage oil pans, deep sump oil pans, etc. etc.

The ultimate in crankcase performance is a dry sump system.

For race engine’s this makes sense as they spend the majority of their time at high rpms. And the effect is easily measured on a dyno.

However, at the rpm of a typical oem engine at highway speed any gain would be negligible, if any.


In my opinion.

The juice isn’t worth the squeeze...





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[Vwbeamer]

As long as the oil level between the too low and the too high mark on the dipstick, it's good. Too much oil is worse than it being below the top mark.

[freebeard]

The color is also significant. But you can't just eyeball it, it needs analysis.

Beetles only need 2 1/2 quarts, so I used to change it as soon as it darkened.

[GJKH]

I don't believe running the oil at or near the low level produces enough beneficial fuel savings to counter the risk of engine damage. Small cars use 3-4 quarts and the oil helps to keep the engine running cooler, so I don't see any "real" savings. I recommend using the oil weight that the designers engineered for all vehicles.

[dieselpicasso]

I think for any absolute geeks, or extremists wanting to play it safe.... Best thing would be to opt for thinnest recommended oil, a smudge above the minimum mark on oil dipstick.

For the extremist, who is going to know and understand the risks, could opt for thinner then recommended oil and be right on the minimum of dipstick - however regular changing of oil would then be highly advisable due to concentration of contaminants increasing.

For most of us, running the right oil around halfway on dipstick should be fine ��.... But I don't see any benifit to going to the maximum unless you aim to change oil at long intervals.


The gains, to using less and thinner oils are real, probably very small...... But the risks are real too.

Manufacturers probably have a cautious margin for error so personally for me - I'd feel ok, though slightly uncomfortable running on the minimum if I was to regularly check the level.

If I was parking the car on a steep road or strange angle, on a regular basis I'd think again and add a bit more oil to be safe.