Desperate. From factory oil on dipstick was at the full mark after 5 3/4qt oil change its now in the middle of dipstick??!! Is that right??

[sherlla]

Guys I'm really desperate here. I know this sounds silly but I'm new to cars. From factory the oil on the dipstick was on the full mark after 5 3/4qt oil change my oil is now in the dead middle of dipstick. Is this ok??

 

[Thefunk]

How long after the change did you check the dipstick?

 

[sherlla]

I wait to

How long after the change did you check the dipstick?

I wait will till engine is fully cold so like 5 hours or every morning on a level floor

 

[Thefunk]

I wait to


I wait will till engine is fully cold so like 5 hours or every morning on a level floor

The oil needs to warm up and circulate first before you check it. What I do is as soon as I'm done with the change I run the engine for a few minutes, turn it off, then check the dipstick. If you check it as soon as you're done with the oil change you may get an inaccurate reading on the stick.

 

[Thefunk]

I also used 6qts of oil. I think 5.75qts is just enough bare minimum for the spec. I also installed the z1 aluminum oil pan which can hold a little more oil.

 

[RobotAZ]

A couple of thoughts on this.. You have to remember I’ve had 30 new cars and 8-10 used cars.

Some cars if you tweek out enough you can figure out that the engineered oil level is not the exact fill mark on a dipstick. That happens mainly due to using shelf parts sometimes in more specific applications than engineers would prefer. Nissan now has a history of using more shared and legacy parts than any manufacturer I can think of off hand. I actually like that for some reason. I like Japanese culture and somehow it fits to do it like Nissan does. In fact, I hope a dramatic revival is coming for Nissan, but I don’t want it to be such that Nissan looks like the new Murano with the wrong old kept and the right old forgotten (minus the tranny which is an obvious upgrade).

I would not consider yourself desperate on this matter. You did the right thing asking owners. Just remember though if all else fails, visually confirm that exactly what the manual says is put in your car, observe oil level after driving and cooling, observe same for several oil changes, and you sir will have determined the stick is a little off and is showing where the level should be.

Do note that your dipstick showing oil level below the fill mark means that you can accommodate overfill up to the mark more safely than you can under fill because the oil level is over the fill line. It’s possible the oil level that’s under the fill mark but exactly where it’s supposed to be in the engine and it’s the stick that is repurposed and for some reason slightly off. Could even be as simple as they reuse a dip stick but have to modify where it connects to the engine. That’s when these things really start to unravel, and I’ve actually seen things like that with cars multiple times. I am an engineer by the way.

That’s really the only remaining issue when you find the level it’s at using the manual and it’s off.

Use what the manual says and stick to it. Observe if it’s high or low. Then talk to folks about engine family history, commonly used and shared parts across 350/370/z, etc. related to oil and oil levels. I would think that members here run different pans with different quantities and know this issue a lot more than I do. Maybe someone will chime in with knowledge.

 

[5amp5on]

Guys I'm really desperate here. I know this sounds silly but I'm new to cars. From factory the oil on the dipstick was on the full mark after 5 3/4qt oil change my oil is now in the dead middle of dipstick. Is this ok??

Mine came out this way as well. I did NOT add any more oil. I’ve driven about 600 miles now since the change including several launches and it has not budged. Mid range reading on a dipstick is perfectly acceptable.

 

[speedjuno]

You're ok. Just keep an eye on it.

 

[sherlla]

Mine came out this way as well. I did NOT add any more oil. I’ve driven about 600 miles now since the change including several launches and it has not budged. Mid range reading on a dipstick is perfectly acceptable.

Aren't you concerned that you did ur break-in period at the full mark and now your running at the half way point?

 

[sherlla]

A couple of thoughts on this.. You have to remember I’ve had 30 new cars and 8-10 used cars.

Some cars if you tweek out enough you can figure out that the engineered oil level is not the exact fill mark on a dipstick. That happens mainly due to using shelf parts sometimes in more specific applications than engineers would prefer. Nissan now has a history of using more shared and legacy parts than any manufacturer I can think of off hand. I actually like that for some reason. I like Japanese culture and somehow it fits to do it like Nissan does. In fact, I hope a dramatic revival is coming for Nissan, but I don’t want it to be such that Nissan looks like the new Murano with the wrong old kept and the right old forgotten (minus the tranny which is an obvious upgrade).

I would not consider yourself desperate on this matter. You did the right thing asking owners. Just remember though if all else fails, visually confirm that exactly what the manual says is put in your car, observe oil level after driving and cooling, observe same for several oil changes, and you sir will have determined the stick is a little off and is showing where the level should be.

Do note that your dipstick showing oil level below the fill mark means that you can accommodate overfill up to the mark more safely than you can under fill because the oil level is over the fill line. It’s possible the oil level that’s under the fill mark but exactly where it’s supposed to be in the engine and it’s the stick that is repurposed and for some reason slightly off. Could even be as simple as they reuse a dip stick but have to modify where it connects to the engine. That’s when these things really start to unravel, and I’ve actually seen things like that with cars multiple times. I am an engineer by the way.

That’s really the only remaining issue when you find the level it’s at using the manual and it’s off.

Use what the manual says and stick to it. Observe if it’s high or low. Then talk to folks about engine family history, commonly used and shared parts across 350/370/z, etc. related to oil and oil levels. I would think that members here run different pans with different quantities and know this issue a lot more than I do. Maybe someone will chime in with knowledge.

That's very insightful but my question is if it's OK to run at the half way mark when it came at the full mark. I also did the 1500mile break-in period at the full mark of course. But is it ok to now run the manuals 5 3/4qt at the half way point of the dipstick?

 

[5amp5on]

Aren't you concerned that you did ur break-in period at the full mark and now your running at the half way point?

No. There is nothing wrong with an oil level between the normal ranges.

Concern would be if the oil level dropped excessively.

 

[VR30Infection]

You are fine to check your oil when the car has been sitting. It’s actually a better representation of what you have because you’ve given it time to drain down and settle. Make sure you pull the dip stick and wipe it, stab it all the way for a second or two and then pull and check it. The difference between the range of low to full on a dipstick is usually not a lot of oil. In the middle is fine. You were probably a tad bit on the high side from the factory. If you want to set your mind at ease, measure out a 1/4 qt and add that. Let it settle and then recheck it. This will give you a good idea of what the marks on the dipstick represent. It used to be that when you were at the very bottom of the markings, you were a qt low. But that was back in the day and I’m not sure on the Z yet because I’ve only gone through 1 oil change thus far. Another thing that can be done to have a good understanding is to purposefully add your oil next time 1 qt low and then check the level. Then add the last qt and check again to compare. Hope this helps.

 

[speedjuno]

I admit that I don’t check oil level as much as I used to. I do monitor temp & pressure. I also measure what I drain at oil changes. & I check level now & then. (Always after a change).
Haven’t had an oil burner/ consumer since my ‘88 F-150 302.

 

[RobotAZ]

That's very insightful but my question is if it's OK to run at the half way mark when it came at the full mark. I also did the 1500mile break-in period at the full mark of course. But is it ok to now run the manuals 5 3/4qt at the half way point of the dipstick?

As I said, if you didn’t visually confirm the quantity of oil put in your car was what the manual instructed, then the problem solving critical path is to change it again knowing the amount is correct. Go from there.

 

[sherlla]

You're ok. Just keep an eye on it.

Where is your oil on the dipstick if ypu dont mind me asking?