Oil levels in Maxima's I have been seeing at the dealerships
 

I have been shopping for a 2009 for the last few weeks. I have noticed that many of the cars have too much oil in them. One car I saw last week had what looked like at least two quarts too much. It was a sales manager's car.

Is the actual number of recommended quarts slightly less than standard and people are just over filling?

Strange...

Thanks.

the 7th Gen takes I think 4.5 quarts, if you put exactly that in the engine then the oil level comes up on the middle of the dip stick, most dealers probably just put 5 in, and that extra half quart comes way above the high mark on the dip stick, making you think it's way overfilled, and when you check the oil it has to sit for like a day, other wise it's just off, every time I check my oil after a change, to see the actual level I check it the following morning, otherwise it's never accurate ;)

from what I have seen oil level really means nothing:o

This is interesting. I am "old school"; filling to the prescribed volume results in the dip-stick level showing filled. And you are correct, I am unable to hit the "fill" line unless I put in 5 quarts of oil.

When did this change happen?

So the extra half a quart will send the oil over the "h" mark by two inches?

These are cars that didn't just get an oil change. Some have been on the lot for months.

I am under the impression that driving with too much oil will ruin the engine.

Thanks!:)

Manual says 4.5 qts oil change w/o replacing the filter (I don't know why anyone would not change the filter) and 4.9 qts with the filter.

Your right. I'll have to check but for some reason I thought it said 4 7/8 quarts in for an oil change with the filter replaced. I always thought that them telling you 7/8 was stupid and just fill up with the whole five.

One thing I hate is that we don't have the holes in our dip sticks to see how far up the level is. It just makes it easier.

Oil level not only changes as an engine cools down and oil gradually drains back into the crankcase (where the dipstick is used to measure it), but the car must be on level ground to get a true reading.

Modern engines must have changed. I know that from the 1940s until the 1990s, too much oil in the engine could bring the level up where moving engine parts would churn the oil, turning it into a mass of bubbles that could not be sprayed onto key engine parts by the oil injectors, and the result could be a damaged or destroyed engine.

I wonder what Nissan has done to prevent this in these engines? Or can this still be a problem? I know I would NEVER drive a vehicle if the oil level was very far above the full mark.

I don't know if the same applied to these engines but in the recip compressors I deal with the crank shaft actully has to splash the oil to lub the moving parts and if the oil is too full you don't get the splash you need to properly oil everything so too much oil is def a bad thing

Im 30 and have sort of an old school mentality when it comes to cars, especially engines, but if you check most japanese cars, the dip stick has a range on it, a high and low with the middle being the normal, some cars even have a hot and cold side, I worked for Nissan back in 96 and all the cars back them have the same dip sticks as the new ones.

7/8 never understood that but whatever, silly japanese engineers:laugh:

I don't know what to tell you, maybe the previous owner had the car, never changed the oil, after a year decided to trade it in but 1st decided to get the oil changed, you know get the most for his trade in, taking it to Jiffy Lube the kid who works their who knows everything about cars, just guessed the car holds 6.4 quarts like the Toyota V6 cause they are both modern V6's and japanese american cars;)

Honestly I don't know what to tell you, except do you homework/research and find the best used or preowned car out their, cause the used car market is scary, amazing what happens to cars in such a short period of time, and change the oil when you get it

My bran new max is reading half way up the oil dipstick.....is this right??

For some bizarre reason, Nissan uses some REALLY wacky dipsticks. Any other vehicle I've checked oil in, you can turn the engine off and immediately check the oil. Granted it will show a low reading, but it will show a reading nonetheless. Nissans, with that cracked out dipstick, will show oil ALL the way up the dipstick UNLESS the engine has been OFF for a minimum of 5 minutes.

Truthfully, the engine needs to set for a good 15 minutes to get a good, true reading on these vehicles. Otherwise the whole dipstick will be smeared with oil.

Late,
Trav

even on my 6th gen, that dipstick read oil like garbage

This is true!

Just added about .4 to bring the factory full up to the top fill line....guess Nissan put 4.5? Anyway, changing for the first time with M1 extended at 1,000 miles. Does anyone leave their fill level half way?

Sorry about being off topic, but you worked for Nissan when you were 14 years old?