1998 gts owner step in!. . I just got my viper a week ago and it didnt come with an owners manual (already purchased one should be in mail) so i did some researching and searched on this forum and found out that it takes 8.5 quarts of oil. Soi did the oil/filter change, everything went smooth and i started adding oil. I figured I would put 8 quarts in then check, add, check, add . . after I put the 8 quarts in and checked he dipstick it seems over/high ?? the dipstick says low / 2 qrts / max. with only 8 quarts its alittle over the 2qrt line and in MAX is this normal? should i add another half quart? where should it be?. . I dont wanna start the car till i either add or drain the oil. Kinda alittle uptight right now any help is really appreciated. Thanks!
98 Gts oil change issue please help
- Thread starter APGTS
- Start date
10 quarts in my 2002 GTS.
I think the 98s should be the same.
I think the 98s should be the same.
GTS Bruce
Enthusiast
A 2002 is not the same. Later cars have a 10 QT oil pan. You should get one too if you want the bearings to live a long time. Also a modified windage tray,gates in the oil pan and an acr oil filter adaptor or a modified stock one.Depends on how hard you plan to drive it. Necessary mods for a track day for sure. And or short shift the motor. There's plenty of torque anyway. No reason to redline it. GTS Bruce
theres no hash mark at the top of MAX. Do you know how many quarts is recommended for a 98?
do you know how many quarts a 98 takes?
cfiiman
Viper Owner
When you start the car and run it for a minute the oil filter will hold some of the oil and the level will drop.
hmm good call. im going to do that and see what happens
AZTVR
Enthusiast
I have not seen a '98 dipstick so I can't be sure; but, it appears that APGTS is not inderstanding what the marks on the dipstick mean and isn't understanding what bluesrt is saying. Maybe a different 98 GTS owner can chime in.
Sounds to me like there are two lines on the dipstick. (Like my '02) One which is marked "LOW" and one which is marked "MAX." and the distance between them is marked as 2 quarts. Mine has different words.
The guys are saying to fill it to the top line. It sounds like you have filled it over the "max" line.
ya it looks over the max line the thing thats bugging me is it looks over filled with only 8 quarts. After thinking about it maybe cause i didnt start the car yet no oil went into filter
speedracervr4
Enthusiast
If it's over a little bit, just start the car and let it get to operating temp then shut it down and recheck the dip stick. Did you prefill the oil filter? Is the car level (so all the oil could drain)? Maybe a picture might help the situation. My 99 dipstick is pretty simple and I'm sure yours is similar. The one on my 05 SRT 10 Ram is worst dip stick ever created IMHO.
my 98 GTS takes 8.5 quarts....I change the oil and only put in 8. You always should start the engine when you change the oil/filter for a minute or so to get the oil to circulate, then take a reading and always prefill the filter and always make sure the old rubber ring came off when you took off the oil filter before you put on the new filter because you are gonna have a big mess when you crank it and always put oil on the new rubber ring on the new filter before you screw it on.......simple stuff here but maybe some might not know the small stuff.....last never use a wrench to tighten the new filter, just hand tight as you can turn it and remember that when you change the plugs in aluminum heads to always use anti- sieze on the new plugs........for sure if the heads are hot when you change them.......some people will think all this info is stupid but some people make these mistakes that have no experience and I am just trying to help.....( and about the oil amount, the 98 takes 8.5 qts total with the new filter change, unless someone has replaced your oil pan to one that holds more oil) 
Especially if you don't care for the potential mess of priming the new filter, its a pain but ideal to turn the engine over without starting (i.e. running just the starter motor) to circulate new oil and give the system some pressure before starting it. Again, not required but the best approach.
I know it was said above, but you have to start your car and let it run a few minutes, shut it off and then check the dipstick. Starting it will fill the oil filter (as said above) as well as fill all the lines and fill all the engine oil pathways. Once that is done, you will see that you need to add some oil.
so after starting the car, letting it run a few min, then giving it about 15min i checked the oil and its right at the max hash mark exactly with only 8 qrts. should i add an extra 1/2 quar or leave it? my biggest fear is not running enough oil and messing up the bearings.
v10enomous
Enthusiast
My 98 takes 8.5 with the filter. I put in 9 quarts last year and it read a little over. 8.5 this year and it was perfect.
How did you get under/raise the car to change the oil? Since the drain plug is on the side, I believe our cars have to be level in order to properly drain all of the oil. If you only had the front raised, some oil will be "trapped" at the rear of the pan, past the plug. About +/- 1/2 a quart from my best guess. I did the same thing my first time too lol
speedracervr4
Enthusiast
If it's at the max then leave it.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH I see. . .yaa my cars lowered and was such a pain to get up. I wound up driving it up on stepped 7 foot ramps i made out of 2x8s just to fit the jack under it. Then jacked the front alittle and snuck under their. . makes perfect sense that being on the angle traps some of the old oil in the pan. . . s**t lol
speedracervr4
Enthusiast
Yea I asked on post #13 if the car was level...I guess not.
ya i guess i just wasnt thinking. filled it up when it was level but drained on an angle . . stupid lol. . . damn ya think i gotta start all over again or just leave it? really hate to waste the 8 quarts of mobil 1
Leave it alone !!
Most of your questions have been answered above. I would just add that even though I drain our Vipers' oil hot, and seemingly forever...I NEVER assume that ALL of the oil is out. So upon refill (and YES, I fill the filter first), I always "go short" about a quart...check dipstick, adjust as necessary. Then, I start car, allow oil to circulate while driving easily for a few blocks...then recheck dipstick again. Maybe more importantly, I check the dipstick cold EACH time that I drive that Viper for the next several starts...as reminded by a post-it note on the windshield.
Enjoy your Viper this Spring !!
Most of your questions have been answered above. I would just add that even though I drain our Vipers' oil hot, and seemingly forever...I NEVER assume that ALL of the oil is out. So upon refill (and YES, I fill the filter first), I always "go short" about a quart...check dipstick, adjust as necessary. Then, I start car, allow oil to circulate while driving easily for a few blocks...then recheck dipstick again. Maybe more importantly, I check the dipstick cold EACH time that I drive that Viper for the next several starts...as reminded by a post-it note on the windshield.
Enjoy your Viper this Spring !!
v10enomous
Enthusiast
Leave it and change it a little sooner than you intended next time. Any real abrasives were in the filter and you got 85% of the toxins out.
1. When a manual says a motor has a 8.5q capacity that does not mean that you have to put 8.5q in it when changing the oil. Its not about how much oil you put in the motor. It is about how much oil is in the motor. Say you are only able to drain 7.5q out of the motor and 1.0q is left in it. Then you fill her with 8.5. Well 8.5 + 1.0 = 9.5 so you would be overfilled by 1.0 quarts.
2. When in doubt trust the dipstick.
Most sticks read a range from LOW or MIN to MAX or FULL. The top end of the range MAX or FULL = Full capacity spec(8.5q in your case), MIN = 6.5q.
3. 1996-1999 = 8.5q capacity
2000-2002 = 10q capacity
5. When filling up during an oil change there is no harm in intentionally under filling by a little(up to a full quart) then starting her up for a min then letting sit before checking the dipstick to add to the appropriate level. It is easier to add then to subtract.
6. No harm in running 1/2q over full. Some people purposely do it for specific events to help prevent oil starvation. When your going around long high-g turns some oil stays in the valve covers and the oil that is in the pan is sloshed to the side. This leaves less depth of oil (if any) over the pickup.
7. If you are concerned about oil starvation then you should purchase the 00-02 OEM higher capacity oil pan and add the simple easy to install baffle kit to it that JonB(@partsrack.com) sells. A new oil pan is pretty expensive but from what i remember used ones go for about 1/2 the cost.
2. When in doubt trust the dipstick.
Most sticks read a range from LOW or MIN to MAX or FULL. The top end of the range MAX or FULL = Full capacity spec(8.5q in your case), MIN = 6.5q.
3. 1996-1999 = 8.5q capacity
2000-2002 = 10q capacity
5. When filling up during an oil change there is no harm in intentionally under filling by a little(up to a full quart) then starting her up for a min then letting sit before checking the dipstick to add to the appropriate level. It is easier to add then to subtract.
6. No harm in running 1/2q over full. Some people purposely do it for specific events to help prevent oil starvation. When your going around long high-g turns some oil stays in the valve covers and the oil that is in the pan is sloshed to the side. This leaves less depth of oil (if any) over the pickup.
7. If you are concerned about oil starvation then you should purchase the 00-02 OEM higher capacity oil pan and add the simple easy to install baffle kit to it that JonB(@partsrack.com) sells. A new oil pan is pretty expensive but from what i remember used ones go for about 1/2 the cost.
