confusing oil level indication

[colt45]

I had an oil change recently and i witnessed that the petron guy did put the right amount of oil (a little below the MAX mark). However, after using my truck for several days, i noticed that the dipstick level is way, way above the maximum mark. I checked it on a level ground while engine is cold. What could be wrong?

[cocoy]

the petron guy probably put too much oil. when u put oil u do hav to wait 5 to 10 minutes before u check the oil level because some of the oil is still circulating around the engine.so u hav to wait until it all drains down to the oil sump to be able to get the most accurate oil level reading.

[blink21me]

the petron guy probably put too much oil. when u put oil u do hav to wait 5 to 10 minutes before u check the oil level because some of the oil is still circulating around the engine.so u hav to wait until it all drains down to the oil sump to be able to get the most accurate oil level reading.

The Petron guy did a good job. He was being careful not to put too much nor too low oil that's why it's in a little below the FULL mark. Those guys are supposed to be trained not to overfill oil. You do not have to wait 5-10 minutes before you check the oil level, in fact, you do that while the engine is in it's normal running temperature. In order to measure the oil level accurately, you have to check it while some oil is still up circulating throughout the internals, why would you have to wait a few minutes?

When the engine runs and reaches its normal running temperature, the oil gets as thin as water as it heats up little by little. You are concerned of oil level when it's running, not when it's sitting down. If you measure it to FULL level when the engine is cold, you might not have enough back-up when the engine heats up due to normal very little burning of oil due to immature sorts of air leak.

How to measure the oil level right and accurately:
- let the engine heat up to it's normal running temp
- turn off the engine
- pull out the dipstick
- wipe the dipstick off with a clean cloth/towel
- stick it back in
- pull out the dipstick again
- read the oil level

[mbeige]

Cocoy is right.

Blink, why won't you have enough back up? Kaya nga full na siya, the engine has enough oil to circulate through the engine. When the engine is cold, all the oil is in the oil pan/s. That is the best way to measure the oil, because nothing is circulating in the engine. Excess oil will put too much pressure on the seals, gaskets and what not.

[slip-slick]

there are two marks on your oil dipstick. these marks have been calibrated for checking the oil level when the engine is cold and the oil has settled down into the oil pan. as long as you keep the oil level between the two marks, you're fine.

[blink21me]

Cocoy is right.

Blink, why won't you have enough back up? Kaya nga full na siya, the engine has enough oil to circulate through the engine. When the engine is cold, all the oil is in the oil pan/s. That is the best way to measure the oil, because nothing is circulating in the engine. Excess oil will put too much pressure on the seals, gaskets and what not.

You gotta measure to the FULL mark when the engine is warmed up. Say, if the engine is COLD, which means the engine has been sitting down for hours, and if you fill the oil to the FULL mark while it's cold, what do you think happens when you turn the engine on and warm it up as you drive it??? The oil goes up and thus the amount of oil that was in FULL when the car was cold, is NOW below the FULL mark because the engine has warmed up and in use...

You gotta understand that your main concern is for the engine to have the sufficient amount of oil while it's RUNNING, ***not while it's sitting down***.

The procedure of how to check the level of engine oil I posted above is the same procedure that was taught by my automotive teacher back in highschool, who worked for a Nascar Team as one of the technicians for more ~20 years...

[blink21me]

as long as you keep the oil level between the two marks, you're fine.

True, keep the oil level between the two holes when the engine is warmed up...

[slip-slick]

blink,
you're automotive teacher must've been high on gas fumes when he taught you how to measure oil level.

you measure the oil level when it's cold. if you have the correct amount of oil when its cold, you will still have the correct amount of oil when it's hot and running.

i just read your last post.. yeah, warm is ok too.. kaya nga may gap ung mark sa dipstick, it's not an exact amount.

[Elroi]

this is how i measure my oil level..

after the vehicle is used or warmed up. park on a level surface. turn off ignition. wait for a while (10-15mins) to let the engine oil to pour down to the oil pan. then check dipstick..

[blink21me]

blink,
you're automotive teacher must've been high on gas fumes when he taught you how to measure oil level.

you measure the oil level when it's cold. if you have the correct amount of oil when its cold, you will still have the correct amount of oil when it's hot and running.

i just read your last post.. yeah, warm is ok too.. kaya nga may gap ung mark sa dipstick, it's not an exact amount.

True, it's not an exact amount, so why don't you try filling your oil just above the LOW level when the engine's cold since it's still within the gap? Think of what might happen if the car is old and not in its excellent running condition? Even if you ask oil changers, well they might say it wouldn't really matter but if you ask someone who specializes in the automotive world, will their response be the same of those who just changes oil just for the heck of it???

And wow, saying my teacher was high on gas fumes??? He knows what he's doing and he's lived with it, he was a part of a racing team that enhances/makes their car reach and keep up with it's full potential, and those are the guys who are the most cautious even when it comes to just using a washer... And, I find your reply a little offending, if you fail to understand or disagree with someone else's post, just try to prove yourself... Ask one of them about oil level and they'll tell you to get it as close to the FULL level as possible when it's warmed up...

[slip-slick]

dude, you are over analysing this whole thing. for some reason you seem to think the amount of oil decreases when the engine is running, hence you want to add more. well it doesnt.

True, it's not an exact amount, so why don't you try filling your oil just above the LOW level when the engine's cold since it's still within the gap? Think of what might happen if the car is old and not in its excellent running condition? Even if you ask oil changers, well they might say it wouldn't really matter but if you ask someone who specializes in the automotive world, will their response be the same of those who just changes oil just for the heck of it???

And wow, saying my teacher was high on gas fumes??? He knows what he's doing and he's lived with it, he was a part of a racing team that enhances/makes their car reach and keep up with it's full potential, and those are the guys who are the most cautious even when it comes to just using a washer... And, I find your reply a little offending, if you fail to understand or disagree with someone else's post, just try to prove yourself... Ask one of them about oil level and they'll tell you to get it as close to the FULL level as possible when it's warmed up...

[NazQ]

From Halfords.com:

You’ll need a clean rag, a pack of engine oil of the correct type, and maybe a funnel. Before you start, park the car on level ground and make sure the engine has been stopped for at least 5 minutes.

From eHow.com:

Check the oil when the engine is warm. Oil expands when it's hot and contracts when it's cold; different temperatures will give you different readings.

[blink21me]

dude, you are over analysing this whole thing. for some reason you seem to think the amount of oil decreases when the engine is running, hence you want to add more. well it doesnt.

I'm not overanalyzing it, it's the reality... You wanna respond to my questions in the previous posts? I'm curious of what you might correct among what I have posted???

I'm not someone who just creates crap out of what I think, come on now, everyone learns in a way or the other, I don't mind to admit I am one of those who learns from anyone else who knows better than I do... Who told you that you have to measure the oil level when it's cold, anyways?

[mbeige]

Are you saying that when it's running at operating temp, that's when you check the oil and make sure it's at the FULL mark?

Or are you saying that right after shutting it down, you check the oil to make sure it's at the FULL mark?

Like NazQ posted, oil expands when hot. So if you measure your engine COLD, and it's at FULL, it will register slightly higher when it's already at operating temperature and the oil is HOT because it has expanded. Thing is we don't see this because the rest of the oil is still in and around the engine so you'll read a lower level.

On some diesel engines the turbocharger is cooled by the oil, and overfilling it will cause the gaskets and O rings to give in. This causes a runaway diesel to happen, the revs climb all the way up until the engine explodes or throws a rod. Overfilling is definitely to be avoided. So if I may ask you, how do you measure if one's engine is overfilled?

[colt45]

I did some research and it might have been caused by a blocked oil strainer or a faulty oil relief valve(located in the oil pump assembly). As in hindi umaakyat ang oil which might lead to oil starvation. Hmm, maybe that's the oil pressure gauge reading is quite low.

[blink21me]

Are you saying that when it's running at operating temp, that's when you check the oil and make sure it's at the FULL mark?

Or are you saying that right after shutting it down, you check the oil to make sure it's at the FULL mark?

I was saying to measure it after you shut the car off (I mentioned that in my first post in this thread), since you don't wanna attempt to do it while car's running, that, I'd say would take around three minutes after you shut the car off...

Like NazQ posted, oil expands when hot. So if you measure your engine COLD, and it's at FULL, it will register slightly higher when it's already at operating temperature and the oil is HOT because it has expanded. Thing is we don't see this because the rest of the oil is still in and around the engine so you'll read a lower level.

My thought is that even if the oil has expanded while the engine's warmed up, the reading will still run lower since a significant amount of oil goes up there; the difference between the area of the warmed up oil and cold oil covers ~ is less than how much oil would stay up throughout the internals when you just shut it off... so you would still want to make the reading while the engine is still warmed up...

On some diesel engines the turbocharger is cooled by the oil, and overfilling it will cause the gaskets and O rings to give in. This causes a runaway diesel to happen, the revs climb all the way up until the engine explodes or throws a rod. Overfilling is definitely to be avoided. So if I may ask you, how do you measure if one's engine is overfilled?

Overfiling is a no-no when it comes to all types of engine... I don't get the last question, maybe you meant to ask; how do I determine whether the oil reading is overfilled or not? As a response to that question, I'd still measure it when he engine is warmed up... Hhhmmm, that doesn't make sense, I've bees saying the same thing over and over, you can rephrase your question if you wish to...

[Psylocke]

How to measure the oil level right and accurately:
- let the engine heat up to it's normal running temp
- turn off the engine
- pull out the dipstick
- wipe the dipstick off with a clean cloth/towel
- stick it back in
- pull out the dipstick again
- read the oil level

You have to wait at least 5 mins to let the oil drain back to the pan. The dipstick is calibrated on this assumption.

Your instructions above don't have this 5min waiting time so it's wrong.

[blink21me]

You have to wait at least 5 mins to let the oil drain back to the pan. The dipstick is calibrated on this assumption.

Your instructions above don't have this 5min waiting time so it's wrong.

I don't time myself, like I said before, IMHO 3 minutes would do it...

[Djerms]

In my owners manual (isuzu), it specifically says there to measure the oil when the engine is cold, before the operation of the engine.

[mbeige]

Blink, in your first reply you said why to wait a few minutes? Then your last reply prior to this message says you wait for 3 minutes. I don't get you.

Yes, how do you measure if one's engine oil is overfilled? Diba when the oil exceeds the FULL mark? But question is when does that happen? Of course, when you fill up the engine knowing that when it was cold, the engine was already at FULL, and YET you still filled it up when warm. Correct?

Be it three, five, or ten minutes, the oil will still be warm. As long as it's between the full and low mark, then that's OK. But when it's cold, and it's between the full and low mark, then it's time to top it off. Correct?