If the engine oil dipstick reads low...is it always necessary to drain used car engine oil and replace the filter before adding more oil?
by 
Anonymous
ANSWERS: 4
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No, certainly not. Fill it up to the full point and be done. Get your oil changed every three months or 3,000 miles, whichever comes first, and you'll be fine. Don't overfill your oil, though. That can be worse than a little low.
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Only if it really makes you feel good and you don't care about the expense and resources. This is of course assuming reasonable consumption, otherwise you have more serious trouble. If you use a quart in 3,000 miles it is no problem at all. Consumer Reports, and another testing company compared engine oil change intervals. I believe Consumer Reports compared 3,000 and 6,000 mile oil change intervals and found no appreciable difference in wear at 250,000 miles. The other company tested 3,000 and 7,000 mile intervals, and found no difference at 300,000 miles. The engine oil, and oil change companies do a very thorough job of brainwashing everyone.
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I never add oil, if you used that much oil, the remaining oil is burned to the point that it should be changed. A few bucks for a little oil will make your engine last much longer. I would rather have a mechanic say "would you like your oil changed?" than have him say "your engine burns too much oil and has to be rebuilt for $1500".
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If it's between changes, no. Just add enough to bring it back to the full mark and drive on.
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