1zz bigger oil capacity??

[Ozzy]

So I've been told and found a few posts on internet as well saying that the oil capacity figure for 1zz engines was actually increased by Toyota, especially in the later facelift engines by roughly 500ml to 1liter more.

Apparently they just moved the level on the dipstick higher up, but nothing else really changed besides them fiddling with the oil control rings and whatnot.

Is this true? And doesnt that mean that those with PFL MR2s should technically be over filling their oil slightly, above the max mark??

[Carolyn]

Don't go putting in an extra half a litre.

They went from 3.7 to 3.9!

[Ozzy]

Oh lol, think I read it was 4.2liters including new filter. Still kinda weird and suprisingly never heard about this before.

[Dev]

From my understanding it was limited to certain models that use the 1ZZ engine.  They were supplied with revised dipsticks.
I would always trust the dipstick and not overfill because that can lead to starvation of oil to critical parts.

Most MR-S cars that have spun a bearing during high speed maneuvers did so because they were running low on oil. Before any performance driving its best to top off the oil.

Also there is a difference between dry capacity and wet capacity. Some people make the mistake of adding blindly the dry capacity without using the dip stick and as a result overfill the oil.

[Ardent]

recall this from the distant past.

But, my recollection is, as alluded to above, other variations/applications of the 1zz. But not ours.

I would suggest keep a close eye and top up to F if its using some, but no more.

[Ardent]

@ossy

Confirmed. I have found my source. It is from Toyota technical service bulletin. DO NOT overfill.
Suspect copyright issues if posted here.

But happy to direct you to it. (read send it you) If you PM an E mail address.

[Bossworld]

So are we definitely meant to use 3.7l?  Sorting mum's car this weekend.  I added 200mm to mine having read the thread (filled up with 3.7 last week).

Not massively concerned at a less than 10% overfill but the dipstick is a bugger to read even with the in/out approach.

[Ardent]

3.7 with new filter.

[Ozzy]

Aah, I'll stick to the normal capacity and full mark in future then. Was curious as I had never heard this before suprisingly and when I had it serviced 4 months ago, it seemed as if they over filled it slightly aswell.

Also not gonna lie though, I did already put in a little extra oil dew days ago, around 200-250ml and car actually seems much healthier/smoother and quieter now than before. Its not too much extra so don't think it'll cause any problems.

[Dev]

Unfortunately the sad reality with oil changes is, its done in a hurry and often times by the lowest skilled laboror that does nothing but oil changes.

They often don't drain the oil long enough, over tighten the drain bolt and overfill the crankcase because they add the capacity from looking at a book and not checking the dipstick.   
 
Overfilling the oil by just a little bit or even one liter will not damage your car right away however it is a silent killer of your engine for the following reasons.
  That bit of oil will make more than allowable contact with the crank causing foaming of the oil which will mix into the sump and starve your bearings but just enough to lubricate so you don't notice. It will be more apparent when you do any performance driving because that oil will move to the shallow side of the pan. It will take years off your engine over a period of time. 
Additionally it will find its way to the ventilation system and become injected into your intake making this dirty and also creating deposits on your piston and valves. 

Either way overfilling is self regulating and will bring the oil level back to where it works in the sump but you will be damaging your engine every time you do an oil change with no benefit.   

Trust the Toyota engineers as they are not so forgiving if someone decides to exceed their specifications.