Why is it that every time I change the oil I never drain out 8 quarts? The dipstick shows that the oil level is fine before the change. Is this common?

I think some stays in the oil cooler and lines. You can pump it out by just refilling the oil but not screwing the lid down tight on the filter housing. As soon as you start the motor it will pump right out and make a mess of everything. (can you guess how I know?)
After you do this your oil will look cleaner for a little while, since there is not a quart or two of black stuff still left lurking in the system.
Anyone have a better way of getting those last couple o' quarts out? -Andy

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andy t
'78 300d
'95 volvo 850, wagon
'86 300sdl - engine out, maybe I'll have it rolling by June

whole bunch o' bicycles

I noticed the same thing---you put more oil in than comes out.

Anybody have these issues:

1. The dpistick seems a tad unreliable--that it says you are low even after you fill it up with 6--8 quarts of oil?

2. The oil is still black even after you change it.

I have changed oil lots of times but only once since I bought my 84 300SD. I don't think I did anything wrong......

I think alot of the "missing" oil is in the oil filter too.

Gilly

The oil filter will hold quite a bit, and it doesn't drain very fast. The oil cooler holds about half a quart, at least, and if you do not remove the drain plug, it all stays in there, too. I don't know if all coolers have a drain plug, I know the 280 SE does. That nice beast uses 8.5 qts if you change the filter and drain the oil cooler....

You also leave whatever is in the oil passages and what doesn't drain off the head and out of the pan.

I don't worry about it.

Oil on a diesel prior to the 60x series will be black after a very short period, the eariler engines make more soot that the later ones. Even the 300D will be pretty black by the time I change the oil. Not a problem.

All of my cars use some oil, too -- the 300D will be a quart down by the time I change at 6000 miles or so, and the 280 uses a quart in 1500 (or less, I've not really kept track), so I tend to change the oil when the level is at the "add" mark, no need to waste oil. The Volvo is about the same as the 280, and I change the oil filter once in a while on the 220D, it uses 2-4 quarts of oil per tank of fuel...

Peter

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1972 220D ?? miles
1988 300E 200,012
1987 300D Turbo killed 9/25/07, 275,000 miles
1985 Volvo 740 GLE Turobodiesel 218,000
1972 280 SE 4.5 165, 000 - It runs!

So if there is still oil in the system and I add 8 quarts am I putting too much in? What effect will it have on the engine? How would i know how to fill it to the proper level? Maybe that is the reason part of my air filter gets ioly.

I found that filling my 300d with 7 quarts after a change works best. If I pour in the whole two gallons then the level is on the full mark but it will burn/drip etc. down to the 7qt mark pretty fast and hold there. When I get to the add oil mark it is right at 3000 miles so I just change it out. 7 for me puts it a little over half the two marks between full and add.

The manual for my 300Ds says 7.9 quart capacity, but I'll bet that they are considering a new engine with no previous oil. I've never paid much attention to the amount drained, but it takes 7 quarts to fill it when I also change the filter (which is every change).

That old filter is pretty heavy, so there's probably 1/2 to 3/4 of a quart there. I suspect the rest is in the passages, oil cooler, etc.

Regarding those devices that suck out the old oil, I'm still not convinced that they will get out all the sludge/debris that is on the bottom of the pan, so I prefer to drain mine conventionally.
It also gives me an excuse to look around under there for any items that could use a little attention.

just my $.02,
Wes