PriceProtect™
DriveShield™
GarageGuard™
Services
Insurance
Car Insurance
Compare Car Insurance with Jerry
Jerry’s Expert Advice
Car Insurance Estimates
Home & Renters Insurance
Renters Insurance
Repairs
Car Repair Estimates
Repair Estimates for Popular Services
Advice
Read Car Content
Browse Jerry Car Advice
Check Out Expert Car QnA
Learn About How We Create Content
Jerry Data & Research
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.
The
car insurance
comparison super-app Jerry
handles the heavy lifting by pulling customized quotes from the nation’s top insurance providers. You just need to download the app and pick the policy that you like. View full answer
- Gregory R.
WHY YOU CAN TRUST JERRY
Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
Join 4M+ members in lowering their car insurance
You Might Also Be Interested
Read Advice From Car Experts At Jerry
What Others Are Asking
Browse More Content
Insurance in Your State
Easiest way to compare and buy car insurance
No long forms
No spam or unwanted phone calls
Quotes from top insurance companies