Rounding up/down when filling engine oil

Owners manual says 4.6 quart with filter and 4.2 quart without filter.

  1. Does this mean if you change the engine oil filter when changing the engine oil, you put in 4.6 qt of engine oil?

  2. This is not just for Rav4, but I’ve seen for other cars. The shops in my area tend to round up or round down the qt. If it’s 4.6 qt, they put in 5 qt, or it if says 4.2, they put in 4 qt. Is the amount rounded up or down small enough so it should not matter? I’m curious if anyone observed this rounding up/down of qt # when getting oil changed in your area.

It depends on the vehicle.

But yes.

When you replace the oil filter too, you remove additional oil from the system.

So you’re instructed to add extra oil to fill the new empty oil filter that was installed, so the oil level is correct when the engine is shut off.

Tester

Yes

I’m a diy’er so change the oil and filter myself. I just put in the amount it says in the owner’s manual. I don’t round. I verify the oil level is spot on the Full mark on the dipstick after idling the engine a bit first. It always is. It’s true it is a a little inconvenient when it doesn’t use an integer number of quarts, so you end up w/some oil left in the bottle. Somehow I manage :wink:

I do my own and mine call for either 4.5 or 4.0 with a filter. Yours takes 4 quarts and 19 ounces. I would not like them to put in 5 quarts instead. If you must have someone else do it, I’d rather they put in four quarts, then when you get home you can put in the 19 extra. I hope you aren’t using a quick lube place though with no guarantee what they put in or if they tighten the drain plug or filter.

The amount billed on the invoice is rounded up.
The technician puts in the amount of oil that is specified for the engine, the oil dispenser has a digital display, it is easy to put in the correct amount. The technician normally doesn’t check to see how much oil was billed, it doesn’t reflect the engine’s capacity.

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Oil change places charge for 5 quarts whether you take 2 or 5 quarts, if your car needs more than 5 quarts they charge more, if your car needs 5.5 quarts they charge for 6.

If you notice their signs inside, they all say up to 5 quarts. you pay for all 5 whether you get them or not.

Oil change & filter $69.95 up to 5 quarts.

$69.95??? Yikes! What ever happened to the $29.95 oil change?
I’m a DIYer as much as possible, and only once did I pay for an oil change, at an Esso station, when I started driving in 1973. But $69?

I do use what the book specifies, and carry the extra .5 quart in the trunk of the car, for use as make-up oil.

BTW, whatever happened to oil “cans”? Being involved in aviation, I know they’re used for turbine engines (Mobil Jet Oil II, for example), but I’ve been purchasing Aeroshell oil in plastic bottles since the late 1980’s in plastic, just like automotive.

Synthetic oil.

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Rounding up or down is probably just for billing purposes . All that matters is that after it is done that the oil level shows full on the stick.

That seems a bit high to me, unless it is for synthetic oil.
The dealership to which I take my car charges $51.20 for an oil change, and my 6-cylinder Outback takes 7 quarts–of conventional oil.

However, the real cost is lower for repeat customers like me because of their “pay for 3 and the 4th one is free” policy. That makes my actual cost per oil change only $38.40, which I think is pretty darned good, especially for a dealership.
:thinking:

I paid about $70 at the Acura dealer the one time I had them do it. But it was for semi synthetic. I do it myself now for about $30 in oil, $5 for a filter, 60 cents for a new washer, and about 30 minutes leisurely working.

Your answer is 100% accurate. They charge so much per quart and always round up on the invoice. I have never seen it rounded down.

My F150 with the 5.0 Coyote takes 7.7 quarts, dealer uses a synthetic blend and it is under $50. Plus 4th oil change free.
I have both the truck and the Mustang done there so either one can get the freebie.

If I was changing the oil on this vehicle I’d change the oil filter every time and round down to 4.5 quarts.

My car calls for 3.8 quarts, and I’ve rounded up to 4 quarts in the past and had no problems, but I prefer to set aside 0.2 of a quart and do it the right way. I’d never round up more than 2/10 of a quart.