4 ways to determine how much oil to fill in the engine

In Russia, there are many motorists who are used to relying solely on themselves when servicing a car. This not only guarantees financial benefits (no need to spend money on the services of third-party specialists), but also ensures the proper quality of work.

One of the most popular ways to “divorce” motorists by valiant servicemen is still a poor-quality replacement of engine oil: for some they don’t change it at all, for others they forget to change the filter, and for others they take money for an additional volume of liquid that settles in the bins of a cunning master. Meanwhile, even a housewife can perform such a simple operation. To do this, you need to have a pair of keys and really love your car. However, if you decide to perform this procedure yourself, it would be useful to find out how much oil you need to purchase for your motor. Today we talk about four ways to determine how many liters you need to fill in the engine.

Can't you spoil the porridge with butter?

First of all, remember that the saying “you can’t spoil porridge with oil” does not apply at all in the case of an internal combustion engine. Each individual motor is designed to work with a certain amount of lubricant. Of course, manufacturers provide for a certain delta - the maximum and minimum levels. These are the parameters that should be followed. If the engine oil level is too low, the engine will wear out much faster and cool poorly, and excessive volume will quickly disable the crankshaft oil seals and cause severe intake tract contamination. The very case when overfilling is just as dangerous as underfilling. Therefore, the volume to be filled must be approached responsibly.

To find out how much oil you need to purchase and fill in your engine, you can use any search engine on the Internet. However, the information obtained in this way may be incorrect and based only on speculation. In order not to be mistaken in such a responsible matter, we recommend using simple recommendations.

Methods for determining the volume of oil

1. The easiest and most correct way is to find the owner's manual that came with your car from the factory. As a rule, every modern car has several Talmuds at once, telling about all the features of this model. Look in the content and find the item "Vehicle Specifications". In this section you will find the subheading "Lubrication System". There are the cherished numbers. For example, it will be said that the total volume of oil to be poured is 4.2 liters, provided that the filter is replaced and 3.9 if it is not changed. You will also find information about what kind of oil you need to fill in - its type and viscosity.

Typically, manufacturers recommend filling in oils produced under their own or brand-friendly brand. In fact, you can use absolutely any oil of similar parameters from any manufacturer - nothing bad will happen to the motor. It is only important that the lubricant specification meets the parameters indicated by the motor manufacturer (there are corresponding tolerances directly on the canister label). Depending on the manufacturer, the sections of the instructions may vary, but the information you need is definitely there, you just need not be too lazy to find it.

2. If for some reason the instructions have not been saved, you can use the help of the official website of your car manufacturer. Often you can download the entire owner's manual or find basic information about the characteristics of your motor. Its specification is easy to determine, just look at the registration certificate.

3. Well, if you did not find the information you need even there, use the help of specialized sites for the selection of oil. By entering the make and model, year of manufacture into the appropriate fields and selecting the engine, you will receive many options for oils from different manufacturers. At the same time, you will be offered a package in which there is enough oil with a margin.

4. Use the dipstick when changing the oil. This simplest device must be used when the car is on level ground and the engine is cold. The oil level measurement is carried out in three steps. First, the probe is removed and carefully wiped with a cloth. Then it is inserted back to the end. After that, it is carefully removed again. Now you can see exactly how much oil is in the crankcase. Maintain the oil level during operation approximately in the middle between the “max” and “min” marks.

Having done the work of changing the oil on your car yourself at least once, you will receive invaluable information about its volume and will know exactly how much it will need to be purchased for the next change. Note that it is always better to buy it with a small margin: some engines tend to consume it during the service interval, which means that a reserve liter in the trunk or garage will definitely not hurt you. Also, do not forget that the used oil is not drained in full, which means that you need to add a couple of hundred grams less when replacing.