I changed my oil to Mobil1 5w30. It's been about 5000km since my last change. I checked my oil level the other night to see how it was, and surprisingly it was below the "L" mark. I had just shut down the car so I went inside for a while. When I came back out it was the same level. Then I noticed that the backside of the dipstick (the one without the gauge) had more oil on it, over the dents in the stick. So am I running low on oil, or am I running high on oil?

If I'm low, can I just add some more? Does the filter need to be changed right away?

 

Check engine oil level when engine is cold. Clean end of dipstick multiple times. Also when you pull the dipstick out, allow dipstick to point to the floor slightly (10 degree angle). Do not check by pointing dipstick upwards.

You should change your oil every 3K-4K miles/5K-6.5K km, including your oil filter at the same time. If your oil is low right now, add some more in. You probably need about .75 of a quart. Also, check the oil after you've re-filled. Also in the future, check your oil every 2 weeks. Running low on oil is pretty bad for your engine.

 

How much did you put in when you did your last oil change? Make sure you're on a pretty flat surface (you don't want to be on a hill) when you check it and you might also want to check this: http://www.motorvate.ca/mvp.php/514

 

My last oil change was not too long ago, but I did about 6000 km on this oil. I used synthetic so shouldn't it last longer? It's pretty black so I dunno. I emptied the entire Mobil1 jug into it, which is the correct volume AFAIK. (I forget the actual number).

 

They sell 5 quart jugs here in the US, and to refill, you're supposed to use 4.25 quarts. Mobil 1 Synthetic, should last an easy 8-9K miles, but that's assuming you change the oil filter at 4K miles (half the expected mileage of your total oil change interval). This means you would have to drain the oil into a clean container, remove old filter, install new oil filter, and refill. Some guys just go 5K miles, and change oil and filter with Mobil1. Heck, some go 2500 miles with mobil1. Tho I stated the rough limits of Mobil1.

Overfilling is bad BTW, just in case the jug you bought was equivalent to our 5Qt jugs. I just use dino Castrol GTX and run about 4K with filter change. Easier for me, don't need a clean container. I personally don't like the sound of using black oil that is 8-10K miles old, but based on the oil analysis', it looked good...even when it did turn black...the breakdown wasn't there.

http://www.worldwidemetric.com/metcal.htm

 

I go 3k w/ synthetic. What a waste

 

The color of oil is not an indicator of when to change it. If anything, darker oil would mean that the detergents in it are cleaning the inside of the engine, which is one of its jobs. Synthetics typically have higher amounts of detergents; since you just changed to it, sounds like it's doing its job well. You'll need to get an oil analysis to find out what oil change interval you should use for your car, oil brand/type, driving habits, etc... Color just doesn't tell much about an oil's life.
You don't need to drain the oil just to do a filter change. The oil will be in the oil pan, below the filter. You'll lose only the amount of oil that is in the filter. I do this to mine with no problem. By turning the wheels to the right and removing one plastic splashguard, you can get to the filter through the wheel well. This keeps you from having to jack up the car/using ramps and getting it from below. Very quick, easy job.

Dave

 

Darker oil just means that the oil is doing its job