Hi all,
Ever since I can remember my car has registered low on the dipstick after an oil change when the standard 5 quarts are put in. Why is this? I usually put in another half quart, which brings it close to the full line. The dipstick and sheath seem to be in place. I have a 1987 L98 (350ci) Iroc, and this came out of the factory with a engine oil cooler. I was thinking maybe the engine oil cooler or the oil filter give the car more area for the oil to go, therefor needing more precious oil to fill it.

Does anybody have this problem or and insight on it? It's really got me stumped.

 

The standard fill volume is 5.5 L, give or take. The dipstick is hardly a precision measuring instrument.

 

^^^^Actually it's not. The original owners manual states the oil capacity with a filter change is 4.7L (5 quarts), 3.8L(4.0quarts) without a filter change. Chiltons says the same.

And yeah, the dipstick isn't a precision instrument by any means, but it's stood the test of time and is generally accepted as a good indicator of oil levels.