topping off the oil

Top it off. Fill it up 'till you get to the full mark. Make sure you use the right kind of oil too.

I can check the manual to find what kind of oil, etc., but as someone who does absolutely no work on my own car, is there anything I need to do, or more importantly not do, that may not be spelled out in the manual?

Thanks for helping out a newb here.

Just pour the oil in the correct spot, and wipe up any spills.

Originally posted by buggravy@Dec 15 2005, 11:40 AM
I can check the manual to find what kind of oil, etc., but as someone who does absolutely no work on my own car, is there anything I need to do, or more importantly not do, that may not be spelled out in the manual?

Thanks for helping out a newb here.

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I may add that you need to either check the oil level when the engine is cold or about 15 minutes after you turn the car off. This is to let the circulating oil to return to the oil pan for a more accurate reading on the oil level. If it is still in the process of "draining down" it will read low even if it is really full.

Originally posted by Geneo@Dec 15 2005, 02:15 PM
I may add that you need to either check the oil level when the engine is cold or about 15 minutes after you turn the car off. This is to let the circulating oil to return to the oil pan for a more accurate reading on the oil level. If it is still in the process of "draining down" it will read low even if it is really full.

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Yeah, I checked after the car had been off for about an hour, and I'd only driven a couple miles prior to that, so the oil never really had a chance to heat up.

Actually, re: the right oil, the manual naturally recommends getting it from the dealership. Barring that, what would be an appropriate 5W30 to put in, to agree with what's already in there? Thanks for answering what I know are really basic questions here, and I apologize if I'm asking something I could find by searching. I'm just under a big time crunch over the next 24 hours, and don't have a lot of time to be pouring through posts. Thanks!

Any brand name 5W30 oil... just not synthetic

It makes no difference. You really need to find out why your oil level dropped so quickly. It should not be low after 3400 miles. Sounds like you did the factory recommended break-in.

Originally posted by lo bux racer@Dec 15 2005, 09:31 PM
It makes no difference. You really need to find out why your oil level dropped so quickly. It should not be low after 3400 miles. Sounds like you did the factory recommended break-in.

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Yeah, I followed the recommended break-in proceedure. I'm hoping maybe it wasn't filled completely from the factory. That would be lame, but better than burning a quart of oil. My driving conditions are fairly harsh - LA rush hour 2 times a day, so basically 45 minutes of start/stop, and lots of acceleration/decelleration up and over the hill, high heat, etc. Maybe those conditions could cause that kind of oil loss during the break-in cycle? I'll definitely monitor my oil level more closely now.

I'm more concerned that you were too easy on it and the rings didn't seat properly. I had that problem with my '93 Celica. It was the last time I followed a manufacturer's recommended break-in procedure.

Originally posted by lo bux racer@Dec 16 2005, 09:46 AM
I'm more concerned that you were too easy on it and the rings didn't seat properly. I had that problem with my '93 Celica. It was the last time I followed a manufacturer's recommended break-in procedure.

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I actually tried a happy medium between factory recommendations, and recommendations on the board, though I proabably leaned more towards the factory. I didn't go much over 4k rpm during the initial 1k miles, and didn't accelerate under full throttle, but I was mindful of decelerating under load, not lugging the engine, and varying engine speed (didn't have much choice on that one given my driving conditions). I tried, as much as possible, to stay out of the kind of traffic where I was idling a lot. If I had it to do over I'd do it a bit more agressively, but I didn't feel like I was babying it. Is there anything I can do at this point, or is it just what it is now?

I never got the Celica to stop burning a quart every 3000 miles. I traded it for my first Supra.