Just changed my engine oil and...

[VegasMirage2]

1) Dont worry if the oil level is a hair over the max mark.

2) Before you want to check the dipstick, make sure to park level and wait a minute after turning the engine off.
If you don't park level, the dipstick will read wrong.

3) Oil expands when hot, and contracts when cold. The dipstick level will vary a little bit according to oil-temp. A millimeter higher or lower on the dipstick is of absolutely nill importance. Just make sure to change the oil as required according to the manual, It says all you need to know.

Thanks! Yeah I checked it this morning after it had been sitting in the garage all night and was still a hair over the full dot. We'll see what happens on the next oil change.

[namco]

I don't get what you want to say with the last sentence, do you want to reexplain?

Typical manufacturer recommended break in, easy driving, light throttle, dont launch from a stand still, no high rpm etc.

There is an old engine builder, who took two nissans, both got brand new motors, same trans, same oil, same gasoline, same everything. One he drove like grandma during the break in period as per manufacturer recomendation, the other he dogged the **** out of it. When he did compression tests, the motor he dogged had better compression than the motor he drove slow. In the end, driving like a hooligan gave him a better playform to tune from. The engine was healthier. He explained it all on his website.

And to the other guy, no, oil does NOT expand and contract when hot vs cold. X amount of qt oil is same regardless of temp, the change is in viscosity, aka thick or runny, not amount. The reason why people were taught to run the motor for a bit then check the level is to get the oil circulating as well as to fill the oil filter. For example, a chevy with a vortec motor, most take 6 qts, but my company lists it as 5 qts. They dont include the fact that the oil filter holds about a qt, making it 6. Older cars took up to 10 seconds to get a read on the oil pressure gauge, todays cars take 3-5 seconds. The rule we follow is 10 regardless to ensure proper level. Anyone who fills a car and checks it without starting first is starving their motor. Always fill, start, check, top off. Ive been workin on cars for 9 years which aint as long as many, but i dont mean on my free time, its my job.

On that note, a **** hair over the top mark usually wont hurt anything. Ive seen newbies who come and go put 1/2 qt over and the cars never have an issue. Very very few cars have an issue with going over the designated mark......

[deleted user]

Mine had too much oil in it when I bought it new. The filter was a real pain to get off, but I did and dumped it into my drain pan and it was fine after that.

regards
mech

[fc321]

Original poster,

Another explanation could be that you did not wait enough time to let the old oil fully drain out (alot of the quick lube joints do that, they dont fully let the oil drain out, they just wait until it becomes a slow stream and then they screw the bolt back in and start filling.

THey advertise "10 minute oil change" and thats why its only 10 minutes, because they dont let all the old oil drain out.

[gone.a]

One issue is that you don't know how high the oil was on the dip stick before the oil change. It was probably less than full, combine that with the fact that not all the oil drains out, and perhaps even the new filter you used held slightly more than the previous one. Would not worry at all about either of your two questions.

[poorman1]

You may have gotten liter instead of Quart bottles

[VegasMirage2]

You may have gotten liter instead of Quart bottles

I've never seen oil sold in litre bottles, at least not in Vegas