Topping Off or Refilling Oil
#1
Topping Off or Refilling Oil
Could the design and placement of the engine oil filler be worse? I had to dump out half a quart from a new bottle of oil just to be able to pour some in without getting oil all over the place.
Are you guys carrying a funnel with you, or do you have another method of topping off the oil level?
Thanks.
Are you guys carrying a funnel with you, or do you have another method of topping off the oil level?
Thanks.
#3
I don't carry a funnel with me, but I do have one in my garage. I thought I'd need a longer one but the regular one I've used for years managed to work.
What sucks is their filter placement. Oil catches on the case and runs all over the bottom of the pan. No good meestah.
What sucks is their filter placement. Oil catches on the case and runs all over the bottom of the pan. No good meestah.
#8
The same gas station that sells you the qt of oil; usually has funnels for sale, or even free paper funnels.
Heck I don't even bother checking the oil at the station, because I'd just check at home where I can take some action on it.
Heck I don't even bother checking the oil at the station, because I'd just check at home where I can take some action on it.
#10
I add using the paper funnels that most gas stations provide. And I carry an adjustable wrench to loosen the filler cap.
#11
Could the design and placement of the engine oil filler be worse? I had to dump out half a quart from a new bottle of oil just to be able to pour some in without getting oil all over the place.
Are you guys carrying a funnel with you, or do you have another method of topping off the oil level?
Thanks.
Are you guys carrying a funnel with you, or do you have another method of topping off the oil level?
Thanks.
yah, it is awkwardly placed for sure. i definitely use a funnel.
i only check oil level at home when the engine is cold. otherwise the oil has not dripped back into the pan to get an accurate reading.
#12
My '09 Sport has been burning a quart every 5000 miles since day one. I'm now at over 110k and consumption is no worse: like clockwork, one quart every 5k. Dealership insists that anything less than a quart every 1k is "normal."
I add using the paper funnels that most gas stations provide. And I carry an adjustable wrench to loosen the filler cap.
I add using the paper funnels that most gas stations provide. And I carry an adjustable wrench to loosen the filler cap.
#13
I guess the point is why are you in a situation where you've bought a quart of oil and need to use it right then and now, but have no funnel.
If you have no funnel, just don't bother purchasing or the quart of oil unless you can buy both a quart and have funnel at the same time.
If you have a funnel at home, don't bother topping off until you get home, the car will be fine.
Dumping out half the quart of oil is both economically and environmentally irresponsible. Where exactly did you dump it? the trashbin?
Low on oil is not something that comes out of the blue; and is something you have a grace period to address. It's not like a flat tire where you must stop and fix your problem. If you drive 5miles on the flat, you now you have a destroyed rim.
(Having no oil is a different story, where you probably need to find out the root issue of why all your oil disappeared suddenly before even continuing)
If you have no funnel, just don't bother purchasing or the quart of oil unless you can buy both a quart and have funnel at the same time.
If you have a funnel at home, don't bother topping off until you get home, the car will be fine.
Dumping out half the quart of oil is both economically and environmentally irresponsible. Where exactly did you dump it? the trashbin?
Low on oil is not something that comes out of the blue; and is something you have a grace period to address. It's not like a flat tire where you must stop and fix your problem. If you drive 5miles on the flat, you now you have a destroyed rim.
(Having no oil is a different story, where you probably need to find out the root issue of why all your oil disappeared suddenly before even continuing)
#14
Could the design and placement of the engine oil filler be worse? I had to dump out half a quart from a new bottle of oil just to be able to pour some in without getting oil all over the place.
Are you guys carrying a funnel with you, or do you have another method of topping off the oil level?
Thanks.
Are you guys carrying a funnel with you, or do you have another method of topping off the oil level?
Thanks.
#15
Put me in the "funnel at home" crowd. It's not the world's most convenient oil fill, but it's not too bad.
In case you haven't been clued in yet, it's a lot easier to pour from the quart jugs "upside down", with the long spout part at the top side of the bottle rather than the lower side as it probably seems natural to do otherwise.
My first car ('84 Mazda 626, 2.0L engine) had the oil filter approximately directly across the firewall from the glove box; the only way to reach it was to stand at the driver's side fender, reach behind the engine, betwixt the air filter and the starter motor, and grope around blindly. Various frame members and stiffeners and such blocked access from underneath. By the time I owned the car, it had been through enough oil changes that the wire to the starter solenoid tended to work lose when reaching around/through it to change the oil, and had to be reseated about every other oil change for the starter to do its thing.
My second car ('96 Geo Prizm, 1.6L engine) was a tiny bit of an improvement; the filter was on the front of the engine, right next to the exhaust manifold. One could at least see it, but minor burns on one's knuckles were not improbable.
Somehow, the Fit's oil filter placement really doesn't seem very bad to me.
In case you haven't been clued in yet, it's a lot easier to pour from the quart jugs "upside down", with the long spout part at the top side of the bottle rather than the lower side as it probably seems natural to do otherwise.
My first car ('84 Mazda 626, 2.0L engine) had the oil filter approximately directly across the firewall from the glove box; the only way to reach it was to stand at the driver's side fender, reach behind the engine, betwixt the air filter and the starter motor, and grope around blindly. Various frame members and stiffeners and such blocked access from underneath. By the time I owned the car, it had been through enough oil changes that the wire to the starter solenoid tended to work lose when reaching around/through it to change the oil, and had to be reseated about every other oil change for the starter to do its thing.
My second car ('96 Geo Prizm, 1.6L engine) was a tiny bit of an improvement; the filter was on the front of the engine, right next to the exhaust manifold. One could at least see it, but minor burns on one's knuckles were not improbable.
Somehow, the Fit's oil filter placement really doesn't seem very bad to me.
#16
I check my oil in the morning at home when I think about it. My car has started using some oil in the last 10-15k miles recently (at over 100k now). I probably don't use but maybe half quart during the whole oil life.
#17
Hello there!! So I carry this amazing funnel with me at all times
Could the design and placement of the engine oil filler be worse? I had to dump out half a quart from a new bottle of oil just to be able to pour some in without getting oil all over the place.
Are you guys carrying a funnel with you, or do you have another method of topping off the oil level?
Thanks.
Are you guys carrying a funnel with you, or do you have another method of topping off the oil level?
Thanks.
#18
I tried to google infor on it for you, to no avail. But the funnel itself is about maybe 3-4 inches long. It screws right onto the oil bottle, and has an adjustable flow at the other end so it won’t start pouring until you turn the lever for it to flow. It’s amazing. And I’m going out to work on my car shortly I will take a picture and send it to you. It has saved me a LOT of wasted oil!! I got it as a Christmas present one year a while back so I can’t even tell you where it was from. But I’m sure we can find it for you. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!!
#19
Any other time will lead you to inaccuratly low readings.
The practice of checking it at fuel stations started many years ago and was useful at the time.
But as engines became more efficient and long lasting (less oil burning with age) the belief that checking it at a fuel stop was merely to make more money for the gas station.
Last edited by BMWguy22; 02-14-2021 at 03:32 PM.
#20
But I was thinking about topping off on a long (2,000 mi.) trip.