for some reaosn 1 i have never actually changed my oil before, for some reason my local mechanic is cheaper for an oil change than actually buying the oil and filter, and 2 i thought the car took 5 quarts, ijust did the oil myself cuz i didnt have time to take it to the shop. it was a little over full on about 4 quarts, ill admit my oil pan is dented in, not severely but possibly reducing oil capacity, so i have 2 questions, how much should the car normall take, and if my oil capacity has been compromised, should i be changingmy oil more often if theres less there?

Start the engine and check it again. The oil filter isn't full. Should top off just short of 5 quarts with a filter.

i ran the engine for a good 15 minutes, oil pressure was above 40 the whole time and level didnt go down

Then I'd say the dent in your oil pan is larger than you think.

so woul this mean that having less oil i should change it more often?

I would say it means you should remove the oil pan and either repair it or replace it.

Remember, oil is a coolant as well as a lubricant.

well my car rarely goes over 200 degrees, but ill look into it, thanks

Can we get a pic of the dent in your oil pan?

If it'* not too bad, a dent-puller might be able to restore it to full capacity. This also requires access to a welder to stitch up the dent-puller holes, tho.

Were it me, I'd remove the pan and give the dent the sledgehammer treatment from the inside.

I'd also note that your coolant gauge measures coolant temperature, not oil temperature.

i dont have a camera, but i would estimate the entire bottom ofthe oil pan isdented in about an inch, itihnk it happened when i hit this huge sinkhole this one time