I added 6 quarts of oil by mistake... And it shows right on the full dot!

So I did my annual oil change on the Taco, with Rotella Synthetic and NAPA Gold filter, and by mistake I added 6 quarts, instead of 5 (5.2, according to the manual). This was done at a friends house, who's shop has a full lift. In other words, I have a witness that I added 6 quarts.

I drove about 40 miles, and then I recalled that it was 5 quarts or so, checked on the owners manual and yes, it should have been 5 quarts.

The following morning, I removed 1 quart, and went for a quick drive. The truck ran o.k., but not better than the previous night. I checked the oil again, and it was a tad low. I started adding oil, and well it took the whole quart that had just removed again.

I checked the oil level, two days after the oil change, and yeap, right on the dot.

 

Sweet!

 

I find it easier to run the 4.0 V6 Toyota filter, fill the engine with 6qts, and be done with it.

 

I usually fill it up with 5.5 quarts. Sometimes 6 just for the fuck of it. No harm no foul. Dipstick shows I'm right where I need to be.

 

I put 6 quarts in last oil change also. Exactly on the dot!

 

6 quarts here too. every change for the last 65k (since i got it)... i'm pretty sure thats the normal amount for the v6

 

Wait the 3.4 doesnt take 6qts? Been putting 6 in for 11yrs now.

 

this has been discussed before. 3.4 will indeed take 6 quarts. or 5.5... I just use 5.8ish because i buy the 5.5 liter jugs.

 

Well darn, I had no idea!

 

If it's too full the crankshaft will hit below the oil level and whip it full of air, then you won't get full oil pressure. That's the main concern with overfilling. There is a good amount of tolerance to overfilling so 1/2 quart or a little more shouldn't matter.

 

Agreed, and I was trying to avoid the crank whip full of air, but I have to admit, the engines runs much better at full throttle with 6 quarts. And why the heck is the dipstick showing full with 6 quarts?

 

Because a dipstick isnt an absolute measurement device. Its a metal shim intended for the average yahoo to see if there is oil in the engine or not. Since the engine is likely fine at 4 (excluding some angles) and at 7 (same thing) it doesnt need to be precise.

 

5.5 is what all the manuals say, and I've never had a problem running 6 in mine. If I check it after it's sat overnight, it will read just a touch over the dot, but after I start it and run it a few seconds, then check it again it's right on the dot. Thinking about giving the Toyota YZZD3 oil filter a try next time, it's the longer version used on 2nd gen 4.0's and older Tundra/Sequoia 4.7 V8's that still used a spin-on filter.

 

I used to do 5.5 quarts, but then ended up with tons of bottles with .5 quarts in them that I always forgot to use up next oil change...

Now I dump in 6 and the truck loves it

Never heard of using the Toyota YZZD3 filter, sounds intriguing though I might try that next change

 

What does the 4.0 filter offer over the 3.4 filter? I know there's a nice review of it in tech chat, but is it bigger? How does that affect pressure and filtration for our smaller engine?

 

This was just talked in the daily thread. The D3 is all of 9/16" longer. If you have the factory oil cooler it gets a little tougher to get a wrench in there. With out the cooler it's a no brainer.

 

I run the larger filters and 6qt with no issues

 

if theres leaks it allows for a perfect drop to 5.5 by the time you change your oil again...if it leaks more than that you will have other troubles before that anyhow

 

I'm a maintenance stickler. No fluid drops allowed, EVER!

I appreciate the second part of your past, but the first part? Dipsticks have been used since like the 60's, to help assist if more oil was needed, or if it had too much.

My manual says 5.2 quarts, with filter change, hence the confusion.

Sweet, good to know!

 

Just because it was made in the 60's doesn't make it a precision device it tells you 1 of 2 things, ok or not ok. Ok is a broad range and it needs to be really not ok before you'll see problems.


When i was in hs autobody one of the kids did an oil change on his jeep cherokee. He bought a case of oil, had no idea what the capacity was. So he put in the entire case. He came and got me "my truck won't start."

So he pops the hood and there is oil pouring out of the air cleaner opening. I took the cover off and its just a pool of oil that was pumped out of the pcv. It filed the carb. A real wth moment trying to wrap my head around what i was looking at. After he told me what he did i just walked away.

I'm guessing his dipstick read a little high.