Oil change today

[djj1973]

Changed my oil today... I've always used a measuring cup to measure the amount of oil that I put in the truck vs. just dumping the full 5 qt. jug and another half a qt. in. Well, went to check the dipstick and the oil "appears" to only be half way between the low and high dimples. So I pour in another half cup or so of oil to bring the level up. After I clean up I take a short 9 mile drive. Now, being the anal, do it right or don't do it at all, kinda of person I am, I get back home and I drain the oil back out of the truck and this time stick with the measuring cup for accuracy. My three concerns are:

1. When I drained the brand new oil after only 9 miles, it was already darker then it was when I did the oil change. (I'm using Castrol Syntec 5w-30). Is this normal ? I would've thought the oil would darken over time and use.

2. Is anyone else having difficulty reading their dipstick on the V6 ?

3. Does anyone else here measure their oil before pouring it in the engine or do you just dump it straight from the container ?

I did pour the same oil back into the truck, but the already dark color just bothered me.

P.S. This was done on a 2007 4.0 Liter V6.

Thanks,

DJJ

 

[Uneek]

2. Common problem on the 4.0 V6. No real fix for it, but others have tried drilling out the dimples on the dipstick or sanding in some hash marks in between to help with the reading. The real problem is when the dipstick is pulled out, it draws oil up the dipstick tube make subsequent readings difficult. The easist way would be check the oil level again the next morning.

3. I don't, I trust the marking on the sides of the oil bottle and put in 5.5 after every oil change.

 

[toyota1999]

Changed my oil today... I've always used a measuring cup to measure the amount of oil that I put in the truck vs. just dumping the full 5 qt. jug and another half a qt. in. Well, went to check the dipstick and the oil "appears" to only be half way between the low and high dimples. So I pour in another half cup or so of oil to bring the level up. After I clean up I take a short 9 mile drive. Now, being the anal, do it right or don't do it at all, kinda of person I am, I get back home and I drain the oil back out of the truck and this time stick with the measuring cup for accuracy. My three concerns are:

1. When I drained the brand new oil after only 9 miles, it was already darker then it was when I did the oil change. (I'm using Castrol Syntec 5w-30). Is this normal ? I would've thought the oil would darken over time and use.

2. Is anyone else having difficulty reading their dipstick on the V6 ?

3. Does anyone else here measure their oil before pouring it in the engine or do you just dump it straight from the container ?

I did pour the same oil back into the truck, but the already dark color just bothered me.

P.S. This was done on a 2007 4.0 Liter V6.

Thanks,

DJJ

I own a 1999 T4R, V6, 4wd. Pretty much anal also about these dipstick level/marking issues. It is hard to actually look into the dipstick level when the oil is fresh. What I do now is do 5.25 quarts ( manual say 5.5 qts ) and double check oil level in the morning. At least I have allowance to add if needed. Yes, I pour them off the bottle.

About your Castrol Syntec turning a bit darker after 9 miles of driving, I had the same scenario within 5 miles when I decided to change into Amsoil 5W-30 ( I am not an Amsoil dealer ). Castrol syntec seems to be darker than the GTX to begin with ( my opinion, I used both many times ). I will not be concerned about the darker oil color though esp. after only 9 miles. But again, do what makes you feel alright :wink2:.

Cheers,

Walter, Las Vegas

 

[djj1973]

I appreciate the feedback guys, thank you