Measuring Oil Level

[Bluemarlin]

I don't know if it's just me, but I have terrible problems trying to get an accurate read of my oil level on the dipstick. No matter how many times I dip and wipe, I still get a lot of smearing on the diptsick, which makes it hard to tell what the actual level is. So, I've just tried another method, that I read elsewhere online, and it works like a charm.

First get a length of 6mm (outside diameter) clear tubing, a few inches longer than your dipstick. Hold it up against the dipstick and, on one end, mark the low and high level marks with a permanent marker. On the other end mark the top of the dipstick.

Now, insert the tube into the dipstick hole as far as the top marker, and then put your finger over the open end and remove the tubing. The bottom of the tubing will have filled up to the level of the oil, and, if correctly filled, should be somewhere between the low and high marks. Job done.

[Linas.P]

That sounds like interesting solution, however my question is - how do you measure hot oil and whenever it has to be some sort of special material (PTFE?) as oil should be measured at working temp.

[Spock66]

47 minutes ago, Bluemarlin said:

I don't know if it's just me, but I have terrible problems trying to get an accurate read of my oil level on the dipstick. No matter how many times I dip and wipe, I still get a lot of smearing on the diptsick, which makes it hard to tell what the actual level is.

I agree and the more times you try the more oil is left on the tube so becomes harder and harder.

I find best approach is when cold after leaving the car for 24-hours, yes I know you are supposed to do it warm as the oil expands, but if you can't get a reading when warm it's catch-22, so just make an allowance that when cold it will be slightly lower.

[Linas.P]

19 minutes ago, Spock66 said:

I agree and the more times you try the more oil is left on the tube so becomes harder and harder.

I find best approach is when cold after leaving the car for 24-hours, yes I know you are supposed to do it warm as the oil expands, but if you can't get a reading when warm it's catch-22, so just make an allowance that when cold it will be slightly lower.

When I want to check oil temp, I generally set timer after driving the car for 15-20min and then measure. After 20 min oil is still warm, but already settled. Smearing is kind of bad on all Lexus I had, but generally I am able to see where oil film was even if it get's smeared. 

I mean tube trick sound like good solution, my only point is that ... if you measure hot oil with simple silicone, then you may end-up with pieces of silicone tube floating in your engine (not ideal).

[Malc]

is it ever that essential to get such a precise reading  

Malc

[VFR]

17 minutes ago, Malc said:

is it ever that essential to get such a precise reading  

Malc

No.  😉

[Bluemarlin]

18 minutes ago, Linas.P said:

When I want to check oil temp, I generally set timer after driving the car for 15-20min and then measure. After 20 min oil is still warm, but already settled. Smearing is kind of bad on all Lexus I had, but generally I am able to see where oil film was even if it get's smeared. 

I mean tube trick sound like good solution, my only point is that ... if you measure hot oil with simple silicone, then you may end-up with pieces of silicone tube floating in your engine (not ideal).

I checked mine cold, and it was in the middle. I guess you could use nylon tubing, which wont melt at engine oil temperatures.

[Bluemarlin]

28 minutes ago, Malc said:

is it ever that essential to get such a precise reading  

Malc

Not really Malc, but I sometimes struggle to get an imprecise one with the dipstick.