2016 Kia Optima Engine Oil Capacity
Your 2016 Kia Optima engine oil capacity is 4.75 or 5.07 quarts, depending on its engine size. Check out this guide for all the details.
Written by John Davis
Reviewed by Melanie Reiff
From its upscale and quiet cabin to its fuel-efficient engine options, the 2016 Kia Optima is perfect for your morning commute or exploring the great unknown. But if you want to keep your Optima in pristine condition, you need to know its engine oil capacity—which is 4.75 or 5.07 quarts, depending on the engine size.
Modern car owners face an extensive list of automotive expenses. From
car insurance
payments to the cost of fuel and even routine vehicle maintenance
, it might feel like your ride is using your wallet as a punching bag. You can reduce some of those expenses by replacing your Kia's oil at home—but you need to check your owner's manual for the oil capacity first.Luckily, you're in the right place to find answers if you don't have a manual. Today, we'll cover everything you need to know about your 2016 Kia Optima engine oil capacity so you can change your oil like a pro.
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4.7/5 rating on the App Store | Trusted by 5+ million customers and 7 million cars4.7/5 app rating | Trusted by 5M+ drivers2016 Kia Optima engine oil capacity
The 2016 Kia Optima is available with a few different engine options, and your oil capacity depends on which engine is in your car. If you drive a 2016 Optima with either a 2.0-liter or 2.4-liter four-cylinder motor, your oil capacity is 5.07 quarts or 4.8 liters. However, if your Optima has a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, the oil capacity is going to be 4.75 quarts or 4.5 liters.
Before we go any further, it's vital that you understand the difference between your
engine's displacement
—the total volume of space occupied by your Optima's cylinders—and its oil capacity, which is the total amount of oil that the motor can store for lubrication. It can be easy to confuse these numbers—especially if you're dealing with multiple engine sizes and oil capacities and you're trying to determine your car's specifications. However, you need to remember that engine oil capacity and displacement are two entirely different numbers, and you should never use them interchangeably.
What kind of oil does a 2016 Kia Optima take?
Now that we've covered your Kia's oil capacity, we need to move on to its oil type. That's right—not all motor oil is the same, and you'll need to fill your Optima with the proper kind.
For your 2016 Kia Optima, you have a couple of options. Kia recommends using SAE 5W-30 in 2016 Optimas with the 2.0 T-GDI and 1.6 T-GDI engines, while SAE 5W-20 is the preferred oil for models with the 2.4 GDI motor.
If you're curious about the meaning behind those oil codes, don't stress. We'll break that down, too.
The "SAE" is an initialism for the Society of Automotive Engineers, the group of industry experts responsible for assigning these codes to motor oil.
The numbers, on the other hand, describe the oil's thickness or viscosity at opposite ends of your engine's temperature range. The first number in the code defines the oil's viscosity when the motor is cold—you can remember this number's meaning because it's next to the "W," which stands for winter. And the second number describes the oil's thickness when you're cruising down the road and your motor is hot.
These codes are important because they help us to identify the oil's intended purpose. We use thinner oils—which you can recognize by their small numbers—in automotive engines because thin oil can move through your car's motor efficiently.
How often should you change the oil on a 2016 Kia Optima?
Kia recommends replacing the oil in your 2016 Optima every 7,500 miles. However, some people prefer to track their oil change intervals by month. If that's you, you'll need to remember to change your oil every six months.
Keep in mind that oil maintenance involves more than replacing the oil. In between oil changes, you need to monitor your oil's level and condition regularly. We like to recommend popping the hood and inspecting your oil every other time you're at the pump filling up, but if that doesn't work, you should check your oil at least once a month.
When you inspect your dipstick, look for these signs that your oil needs to be replaced:
- The oil appears black or dark brown (clean oil looks very similar to dark honey and is slightly transparent)
- The oil is muddy, chunky, or sludgy in consistency
- The motor oil is gritty or grainy
- Your Optima's engine is emitting foul odors, like oil, smoke, or burning
- Your Kia's engine performance suddenly falls
- Your Optima's engine is making strange or new sounds, like knocking
How to change your 2016 Kia Optima oil and oil filter
Ok—you've learned your Optima's oil capacity and type. Now all that's left to do is grab your tools and get started replacing your oil. Speaking of tools, you'll need these supplies:
- A 17-millimeter socket and a ratchet wrench
- Something to lift your Optima off the ground, like ramps or a jack and jack stands
- A torque wrench
- An oil filter wrench
- Clean 5W-30 or 5W-20 replacement oil
- A clean oil filter
- A drain pan
- A funnel
- A towel or rag for the mess
But don't crawl under your car just yet—first, start it up and let it run for about five minutes. While this step isn't mandatory, it will cause your Optima's engine to warm up enough to help the oil drain quickly. Once your motor is hot, turn the car off, grab your ratchet, and start on the steps below.
- Remove your Kia's oil fill cap and the dipstick (this allows the oil to drain quickly by removing the vacuum).
- Get beneath your Optima and remove the oil drain plug. Use the drain pan to contain the used oil as it drains.
- While the oil is draining, remove the old oil filter.
- Lubricate your clean oil filter by adding a thin layer of clean oil to the gasket before screwing it into place. Don't over-tighten the oil filter—turn it on only until it feels snug.
- Reinstall the oil drain bolt and then use your torque wrench to tighten it to 30 lb-ft.
- Fill your 2016 Optima with clean 5W-30 or 5W-20 oil.
After you finish these steps, start your Optima one more time and let it run for about 30 seconds. Then,
use your dipstick
to inspect the oil level and add more if needed. Finally, you need to recycle your old oil. You can do this easily by transferring the dirty oil to the clean oil container and then returning it to the auto parts store.
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