CHECKING OIL

[ltdjourney]

SHOULD YOU CHECK OIL WITH OIL FILTER FULL OR WAIT FOR OIL TO RUN DOWN???

IF SO THAT WOULD SHOW A LITTLE OVER FULL ON OIL STICK???

HAD OIL CHANGE CHECKED OIL AFTER SHUTTING ENGINE OFF OIL DOWN WITH 6 LITERS IN????

I THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE FILTER FULL WHEN CHECKING OIL THEN ENGINE IS FULL ???

THAT WOULD BE ON 2014 SLT V6 ENGINE ???

THANKS FOR ANY REPLIES TO QUESTION.

[Addicted to Dodge]

Welcome to the forum, congrats on your new Journey as well,

The new filter design doesn't hold as much oil as you would think. Its also on top of the engine so naturally gravity will allow most of the oil to run back down into the engine while its not running.

If your oil is completely drained, it should take 6 quarts (not sure how many liters that is) of oil to fill it up.

[rolly]

6 quarts equals 5.6 litres of oil. You should also check your oil when your motor is hot.

[jkeaton]

After I change my oil and filters, I start the car, let it run for maybe 10-15 seconds, rev it a little, then shut it off. I wait about 30 secs and check the dipstick. Been doing it that way for near 30 years. Never had an issue.

[ltdjourney]

Thanks for replies on oil change checked oil in about 30 sec and down a little so maybe add a little Thanks

[Sparkyssxt]

Also an FYI, the oil should really NOT be at the *full* mark, but at the middle of the cross hatch section on the dipstick. This is more than enough oil for perfectly safe operation of the vehicle and allows ample room for expansion during even the most aggressive driving temps

Edited November 21, 2014 by Sparkyssxt

[Journey_SeXT]

I know this is an old thread that seems to be revived but according to the manual checking oil is as follows:

Engine Oil

Checking Oil Level

To assure proper engine lubrication, the engine oil must

be maintained at the correct level. Check the oil level at

regular intervals, such as every fuel stop. The best time to

check the engine oil level is about five minutes after a

fully warmed engine is shut off. Do not check oil level

before starting the engine after it has sat overnight.

Checking engine oil level when the engine is cold will

give you an incorrect reading.

Checking the oil while the vehicle is on level ground and

only when the engine is hot, will improve the accuracy of

the oil level readings. Maintain the oil level between the

range markings on the dipstick. Either the range markings

consist of a crosshatch zone marked SAFE or a

crosshatch zone marked with MIN at the low end of the

range and MAX at the high end of the range. Adding

1.0 qt (1.0 l) of oil when the reading is at the low end of

the range marking will raise the oil level to the high end

of the range marking.

[jkeaton]

What?? Manual?? Nobody reads that!!

Edited November 21, 2014 by jkeaton

[Lobitz68]

What?? Manual?? Nobody reads that!!

Yeah, don't be silly... NO ONE reads the manual... From what I can tell it is easier for most to come online, ask the question while complaining a little bit, and then wait days for an answer that they could have located very quickly had they looked at their manuals. To save money, manufacturers should ask if people want them before delivery. Since 80% of them don't look at them anyways, why print them??

[onecrazyfoo4u]

I'm at 74k miles on my 2012 and it still takes exactly 6 quarts to fill her up. I change it every 8k miles with Mobile 1 and I pretty much never have to add any additional oil between the 8k mile oil changes. When I drain the oil I jack the front of the vehicle up enough to just barely lift the tires off the ground. I'm sure that gets out an extra half quart or so than if the vehicle was sitting on level ground.

[Journey_SeXT]

What?? Manual?? Nobody reads that!!

Thanks for pointing that out JK....now that makes me the nerd of the forum.

[Neto]

I have always checked the oil on my vehicles with the engine cold, so I didn't know I needed to read the manual to find out that they do it differently now. My first car, a 62 Chrysler, was a 6 quart system, and it would always throw off or burn off the first quart in the first few hundred miles after an oil change. Then it would go about 1500 miles before it dropped to the bottom of the operating fill range. (It had over 100,000 miles on it, so it burned a bit of oil.)

Our Journey (09) is the 4 banger, and the oil filter is open side up on that engine. I found another filter that is a bit larger, but has the same base size, and I run that on it. so it takes a bit more oil when I do the change than what the manual says.

[dhh3]

Hate to admit this, but I very rarely check my oil. The extended warranty that I bought gives me free oil changes and tire rotations every 4,250 miles. I would love to know where they came up with that number.

[Journey_SeXT]

Checking your oil between oil changes is way too long. I check mine frequently so if there is ever an oil consumption/leak issue, which there is not, at least I would like to catch it early rather than later when major damage to the engine can occur. It doesn't take long and it's passes my time while I have a smoke in the garage.......BTW I don't endorse the use of any tobacco products as it may cause major health issues!!

[Journey_SeXT]

I have always checked the oil on my vehicles with the engine cold, so I didn't know I needed to read the manual to find out that they do it differently now.

I check my oil cold and drain my oil flaming hot. Sometimes I'll check the oil 15 minutes after coming back home from work but all i care is that when I drain the oil during an oil change that the same amount is going back in the jugs and so far that is what I'm getting.

[rolly]

Checking your oil between oil changes is way too long. I check mine frequently so if there is ever an oil consumption/leak issue, which there is not, at least I would like to catch it early rather than later when major damage to the engine can occur. It doesn't take long and it's passes my time while I have a smoke in the garage.......BTW I don't endorse the use of any tobacco products as it may cause major health issues!!

BTW- nice disclaimer lol. You get a PG rating!

[Journey_SeXT]

Don't want my peeps thinking that its cool to smoke.

[2late4u]

I have always checked the oil on my vehicles with the engine cold, so I didn't know I needed to read the manual to find out that they do it differently now. My first car, a 62 Chrysler, was a 6 quart system, and it would always throw off or burn off the first quart in the first few hundred miles after an oil change. Then it would go about 1500 miles before it dropped to the bottom of the operating fill range. (It had over 100,000 miles on it, so it burned a bit of oil.)

Our Journey (09) is the 4 banger, and the oil filter is open side up on that engine. I found another filter that is a bit larger, but has the same base size, and I run that on it. so it takes a bit more oil when I do the change than what the manual says.

well when i got my first junker that my dad gave me he had put a rebuilt moter in it, and he told me he had better hear me pop the hood and check the oil and antifreeze every morning before i started it.. RAIN SHINE OR SNOWSTORM . no matter what id better do it and since we lived in michigain that meant cleaning the hood off of snow first. but thats what i learned and even thou i dont check it every day now may be once a week at least i have never ran a engine low on oil or antifreeze.... P.S. this was about 47 years ago...

Edited November 22, 2014 by 2late4u

[jkeaton]

I check all mine about once a month. I'm a gear head, so I like looking at engines, so, I open hoods quite frequently. I got 5 vehicles. I'm always doing something or another with them. Having a 3 car garage helps.

[dhh3]

I'm at 74k miles on my 2012 and it still takes exactly 6 quarts to fill her up. I change it every 8k miles with Mobile 1 and I pretty much never have to add any additional oil between the 8k mile oil changes. When I drain the oil I jack the front of the vehicle up enough to just barely lift the tires off the ground. I'm sure that gets out an extra half quart or so than if the vehicle was sitting on level ground.

Do you realize that when Mobil 1 came out, it would last over 100,000 miles, in their testing, with minimal deterioration! The talking heads at Mobil figured that the buying public would never believe this, so the reduced the life expectancy; probably to sell more oil!

[dhh3]

I check all mine about once a month. I'm a gear head, so I like looking at engines, so, I open hoods quite frequently. I got 5 vehicles. I'm always doing something or another with them. Having a 3 car garage helps.

But when you open the hood of the DJ, you can't even see the engine! LOL

[Lobitz68]

I'm at 74k miles on my 2012 and it still takes exactly 6 quarts to fill her up. I change it every 8k miles with Mobile 1 and I pretty much never have to add any additional oil between the 8k mile oil changes. When I drain the oil I jack the front of the vehicle up enough to just barely lift the tires off the ground. I'm sure that gets out an extra half quart or so than if the vehicle was sitting on level ground.

Man, I don't think I could fit under there to drain the oil if it wasn't in the air... Always use ramps, even when I owned 1/2 ton pickups...

Thanks for pointing that out JK....now that makes me the nerd of the forum.

If it makes you feel better, that is not what makes you the nerd of the forum... ha!

I have always checked the oil on my vehicles with the engine cold, so I didn't know I needed to read the manual to find out that they do it differently now. My first car, a 62 Chrysler, was a 6 quart system, and it would always throw off or burn off the first quart in the first few hundred miles after an oil change. Then it would go about 1500 miles before it dropped to the bottom of the operating fill range. (It had over 100,000 miles on it, so it burned a bit of oil.)

Our Journey (09) is the 4 banger, and the oil filter is open side up on that engine. I found another filter that is a bit larger, but has the same base size, and I run that on it. so it takes a bit more oil when I do the change than what the manual says.

Hell, procedures like this seem to change every couple of years... let alone since the 60's! Ha! Checking it cold isn't going to be a dramatic difference, but if you're aiming for the middle of the "Safe" zone when cold, then you are likely close to being over when warm. Long gone are the days when an engine burns a quart of oil and it is considered normal...tolerances on new engines are just too damn tight.

[B4ZINGA]

I've always checked my oil 5-10 minutes after a trip. Get home, open the hood, then come back and check it. If you check the oil while it's cold, then the level should be at the bottom of the thatched section, where many cars dipsticks say COLD.

What I find interesting is more than one person has told me it's normal for a car to burn a quart or so of oil every few thousand miles. Maybe 40 years ago that was normal, but I'd be seriously concerned if a modern engine burned oil at such a high rate. No car I have owned has shown a drop of more than 1/4 quart of oil, even after 120,000 miles (first 70,000+ abused as a fleet car).