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How Much Engine Oil Do I Need to Put In My Car?
I’m trying to change my oil for the first time, but I’m not sure how much oil I need to add. How much oil should I put in my car?
Patrick Price · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Changing your oil is a great first step in handling your own car maintenance! How much oil your car needs will depend largely on the size of your engine. Most cars need between five and eight quarts of oil, but you can check your owner’s manual to make sure.
It is important not to add too much or too little oil. Doing either will result in your engine not being properly lubricated. To find the exact amount of oil your car needs, you can check the owner’s manual. If you don’t have the hard copy anymore, you should be able to pull a digital copy online.
If you’d rather not bother with the manual, there is a pretty reliable way to estimate how much oil you’ll need. The size of your engine—and the number of cylinders it has—will dictate how much oil it needs. Here’s a quick guide:
- Four-cylinder engines typically need about four quarts of oil.
- Six-cylinder engines typically need about six quarts, but some will only need five.
- Eight-cylinder engines have a wider range. They could need as much as eight, but some still only need five.
Start with the smallest amount you might need for the size of your engine. After that, just check the dipstick. It will have a mark letting you know when the oil is too low as well as one indicating max capacity.
If your oil level still is showing too low after the minimum amount of oil for your engine size, add more in small increments until it is where it needs to be.
If you accidentally overfill it, you’ll need to drain the oil pan again and start over.
Once you’ve got your oil filled to the correct level, take a couple of moments to take care of your car’s insurance maintenance needs. You should be reviewing your coverage at least once a year. But don’t worry, this is the easy part.
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