# When should you add oil **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [November 14, 2016, 1:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-should-you-add-oil/96483 "2016-11-14T13:59:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2016, 10:33pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-should-you-add-oil/96483/21 "2016-11-14T22:33:20Z")
> [@Whitey](#): > > I just picked up some motorcycle yesterday, and the conventional oil was API SF/SG/SJ. The synthetic oil that cost twice as much was API SH. Where the heck do you buy your oil? Shortly after I bought my 2011 Outback 3.6R, I picked up a couple of qts of “conventional” Valvoline 5w-30, at Wal-Mart, and–to the engine’s credit–I still have 1 1/4 qts of that oil left. I just went down to the garage to check the specification of this oil–that I bought over 5 years ago–and it is **_SN_**! I also have a qt of Castrol “conventional” 5w-20 for my friend’s Rav-4 that I bought about a month ago (also at Wal-Mart), and I just checked that bottle also, and it is also **_SN_**. The place where you buy your oil has some **_seriously_** old oil that they are still selling! ---
**Author:** ![Whitey](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/whitey/32/24680_2.png) [@Whitey](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Whitey)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2016, 12:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-should-you-add-oil/96483/22 "2016-11-15T00:21:13Z")
> [@VDCdriver](#): > > Where the heck do you buy your oil? Coincidentally, I was shopping at Walmart. As a matter of fact, I was so surprised that I took pictures. ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/f/f418be412587fe0d00447b5c7a04c92b45c99e5f.jpg) ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/7/798c02bdd6333a8faea7b0f62166bdffab8014ed.jpg) ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/b/bdf417ccd134fc14759c12b1d498aa1af41bc7da.jpg) ![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/2X/0/0e6d1c9e8b4058f77bc53b2a34dec6d7ad97dc51.jpg) PS- I didn’t buy either one. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2016, 12:28am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-should-you-add-oil/96483/23 "2016-11-15T00:28:18Z")
Motorcycle oil, from Wiki; _Motorcycle oil_ _The API oil classification structure has eliminated specific support for wet-clutch motorcycle applications in their descriptors, and API SJ and newer oils are referred to be specific to automobile and light truck use. Accordingly, motorcycle oils are subject to their own unique standards. See JASO below. As discussed above, motorcycle oils commonly still use the obsolescent SF/SG standard._ Also I believe the the phosphorous and zinc levels in motorcycle and “Racing” oil is too high to meet recent automotive standards. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2016, 1:28am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-should-you-add-oil/96483/24 "2016-11-15T01:28:22Z")
Looks like those older class oils are correct for today’s motorcycles. Different requirements. But this is confusing, from the Mobil1 site: "Specifications and approvals Mobil 1 Racing 4T 10W-40 motorcycle oil meets or exceeds the requirements of: •API SM • API SL • API SJ • JASO MA 2011 • JASO MA2 2011 According to ExxonMobil, Mobil 1 Racing™ 4T 10W-40 is of the following quality level: • API SH" ---
**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2016, 1:30am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-should-you-add-oil/96483/25 "2016-11-15T01:30:28Z")
SJ and newer oils have lowered phosphorous and zinc levels to protect catalytic converters, especially on engines with substantial oil consumption. I can see it since car makers say it’s acceptable for an engine to consume a qt or more in 2000 miles. ---
**Author:** ![monkarl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@monkarl](https://community.cartalk.com/u/monkarl)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2016, 3:40am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-should-you-add-oil/96483/26 "2016-11-17T03:40:01Z")
> [@bertrand](#): > > how low down on the stick should it before you add oil If the oil is between the two dots, I won’t put more oil. But if the oil is below the last dot, I will definitely top it off. ---
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2016, 1:44pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-should-you-add-oil/96483/27 "2016-11-17T13:44:23Z")
I wonder how much oil loss might be due to wiping the dipstick compulsively? [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-should-you-add-oil/96483.md?page=1)