Oil Missing

[ThomS]

I have a 05 MSM and have changed oil every 2500 miles since I got it. For the first time at when I changed the oil I only had three and half quarts come out. Now I do autocross this car alot but never used any oil before.
What do you guys think? What should I look at if anything, is this normal ?

[chuckerants]

The oil capacity is 4 quarts, but some oil does stay in the car no matter what. I just changed the oil in my car and using a 1 gallon jug to take to the parts store to recycle(4 quarts), I definitely got less than the full gallon.

The dipstick never read above or below the optimal line on my car. You should be fine.

[Kyp J]

I have a 05 MSM and have changed oil every 2500 miles since I got it. For the first time at when I changed the oil I only had three and half quarts come out. Now I do autocross this car alot but never used any oil before.
What do you guys think? What should I look at if anything, is this normal ?


Did you check the dipstick before you started? Not to be negative, but since my experience at the track when I didn't carefully monitor the engine temps or take any proactive measures to prevent overheat, I believe it is possible to overheat and not be aware of it. My engine cooked the cylinders and started pumping a lot of oil out the valve cover vent which goes into the throttlebody area before the throttle body. It liberally oiled the throttle plate and it was running down the inside of the the big intake hose. You might pull the intake hose and check for that. I hope it isn't there.

[ThomS]

Did you check the dipstick before you started? Not to be negative, but since my experience at the track when I didn't carefully monitor the engine temps or take any proactive measures to prevent overheat, I believe it is possible to overheat and not be aware of it. My engine cooked the cylinders and started pumping a lot of oil out the valve cover vent which goes into the throttlebody area before the throttle body. It liberally oiled the throttle plate and it was running down the inside of the the big intake hose. You might pull the intake hose and check for that. I hope it isn't there.


Kyp J No I didn't check the oil before I changed it just looked at the gal jug after it was filled. So I will check on your suggestions , no smoke is coming out the exhaust, if I was getting oil where you said in the MI then would iI not get smoke? But will check what you said. Thanks for the tip. One more thing my engine is as clean as a whistle so I would notice any leaks right away. The engine looks like it did the way it did when it left the show room, I keep it that clean.

Also thanks Chuck. Hopefully that is it .
ThomS

[Tom @ Fast Forward]

Probably a cup of oil left in the filter.

My suggestion is to monitor the dipstick regularly. I don't consume a drop in either car between 3000 mile changes.

[ThomS]

No no oil in the filter because it was changed

[ThomS]

I let the oil drip out for about an hour while I rotated the wheels on the 05 and the 02. Plus I did check the intake hose and found no oil in there. I looked over the whole engine and found no leaks. Like I said this engine looks like it just came out of the show room.

[Kyp J]

You must be really good to get the oil to drain into that little hole in a gallon jug. I use a great big pan and it still manages to get all over the place. Thats why I epoxy painted the garage floor before I moved into my new house.

Do you usually get a full 4 quarts into a jug on oil changes? I never check how much drains out but I occasionally check oil level and it never changes (except for that one time) and then it was not all that low. Just about a cup in the intake manifold and maybe that much spread around in hoses and in the blower. Some went out as smoke but only under load.

Glad you didn't have what I did. Can it ever get into the radiator in the case of head gasket failure? I know sometimes antifreeze gets in the oil.

[ThomS]

You must be really good to get the oil to drain into that little hole in a gallon jug. I use a great big pan and it still manages to get all over the place. Thats why I epoxy painted the garage floor before I moved into my new house.

Do you usually get a full 4 quarts into a jug on oil changes? I never check how much drains out but I occasionally check oil level and it never changes (except for that one time) and then it was not all that low. Just about a cup in the intake manifold and maybe that much spread around in hoses and in the blower. Some went out as smoke but only under load.

Glad you didn't have what I did. Can it ever get into the radiator in the case of head gasket failure? I know sometimes antifreeze gets in the oil.


WEll I did pour the oil into a flat bucket then into the gallon jug. Never measured the oil that I got out but usually the jug was full or very close.
I will keep an eye on it for now. Not sure about it getting into the radiator, maybe Tom will know or ask Kurt at mikes place.