oil dipstick reading high

[fourbanks]

Iv'e noticed this year that my oil reading is on the high side by 1 inch with 6 months to go till my next service. My dealer expert Lexus master tec Tim says it's normal as i don't do that many miles at 4000 a year. He says it's just petrol and condensation building up. 

I guess I will need 2 services a year in going forward? 

[VFR]

I would not be happy with a reading that is over the full mark.

Petrol & condensation building up ? , both of the things that engine oil does not like and can lead to engine failure.

IMO

[Malc1]

Wot …….. your Lexus Main Dealer  is telling you that the overfilled engine oil ….. by a whole one inch on the dipstick is ok ! 

in a lifetime of driving I’ve only ever tried to keep the level at the top of the appropriate ( level mark  ) gauge when newly filled ……. and knowing to “ top up “ as necessary, if necessary,  until the next service 

Wots ok about the suggested petrol and condensation build up in the engine for heavens sake  ????? 
 

I think you have a Lexus Service Technician problem …… he’s overfilled it on the last service and can’t be bothered to sort out the issue ……. Waiting for it to  just “ burn off “ or be “ used “  

Back to the Main Dealer Technician to be more sensible methinks

Good luck 

Malc 

[fourbanks]

Thanks for your feedback. It did look slightly overfilled on my last service back in July, but to be honest my cars have always been slightly over in my lifetime of driving and never under

there is defiantly petrol in there, that's for sure. i will take it in on Thursday to see what he suggests but in reality i think i need another oil change i'm not sure the cost of that but i need to be careful nonetheless 

[RXtoNX]

I think I’d be asking the after sales manager to explain how this can be ok and why, if it is ok, there is a mandated level that manufacturers have for filling the oil level to.
If it’s a mixture of petrol and oil in there then they need to look at it. 1 inch of petrol just doesn’t naturally appear in the sump.

[Spock66]

23 minutes ago, Malc1 said:

I think you have a Lexus Service Technician problem …… he’s overfilled it on the last service and can’t be bothered to sort out the issue ……. Waiting for it to  just “ burn off “ or be “ used “  

Agreed, fuel and condensation would not account for the difference unless there is a major problem.

[fourbanks]

Thanks, Paul/Andrew 

it's a bit of a blow coming from the mouth of one of the countries only Lexus master techs based here at Gatwick who i trust in a dealership which is chaotic at times 😞

 

[Tel]

Try turning the Dip Stick the other way round.

A Rav of ours suffered similar & when the garage investigated the dip-stick read differently when the bottom of the engine cover was removed.

Tel

[Jon Dee]

Try researching engine "sludging". It's an age old problem with cars that only do low annual mileage and a lot of short trips. The engine does not get hot enough for long enough to drive off (via the PCV system) condensation and fuel that finds its way past the rings on cold starts when it is running very rich (equivalent to running with the choke on for you old chaps  

You need to do a decent motorway trip at least a couple of times a month and get the engine nice and warm for an hour or more. Start by changing the oil and filter using the same grade as usual (flushing the oil when the engine is sludged is not recommended) and going for a decent run as above. Check the dipstick and see what the oil looks like when you get home. Repeat as necessary.

Cheers...

[Malc1]

Fourbanks. Nick …….. so it would seem that Lexus has failed to tell owners that simply checking the oil via the dipstick might show a rubbish result and the technology of the dipstick is simply ‘ not fit for purpose “

no point the layman ever looking at the oil dipstick in future ……. any reading could be a misguided irrelevance 

 

Well done Lexus …… rubbish outcome for the average caring owner it seems 🤔

Malc 

[Malc1]

12 hours ago, fourbanks said:

I guess I will need 2 services a year in going forward? 

Noway  .  you have a 2 year young Lexus and presumably under some sort of Warranty that makes you having to use a Main Stealer for servicing etc ..........

Once a year full scheduled service should be quite adequate .  provided it's carried out competently of course ..........  suggest using a different Lexus Main Dealer maybe !

Malc

[Don C]

I go into immediate master doubt mode when I hear dealer expert master tech Tim, Fred or anything else.  It just means that Timothy the ex cold call sales guy has been on more courses that the others.   It is true that an engine with direct injection (ours has direct and indirect injection) can dilute the oil but if it’s done it by an inch and you can smell petrol in it, it ain’t going to evaporate it back under the fill line.  It just demonstrates his lack of experience and knowledge.  If you're sure he said condensation then he’s talking about water probably which as some of the others have alluded to above and that amount will ruin your engine but you’d see that because it turns the oil milky.  Petrol gets past the pistons under certain conditions but we’re talking towards a litre here.  It would be better coming out if there’s any doubt about what has caused it.  If the oil is still relatively clear as I would expect at 2000 miles, it’s just overfilled but if it stinks of petrol, some of that is dilution and it needs to come out rather than drained to the full mark.  You should pay attention and dip the oil the day after service because now there will be an argument about who’s paying and 0W/16 isn’t cheap.  

[fourbanks]

Hi don /Melcombe

you make good points. Tim the master tec at Gatwick has been with Lexus 21 years and am still waiting for his response to my query. He is good as far as I can tell and like him and trust him, but at the end of the day he may not like me? And that's something which is quite common i find, as I'm a very open person with a solid background. i think the staff in general at Gatwick are suspicious of me as i know the chief executive 

you might think there'll be bending over backwards to help out, but in reality you'll find you get the opposite treatment, which isn't great 

on a plus point, the Gatwick dealership is much better than the past, but the staff turnover still not as I would like. i prefer like i used to have next door at Gatwick Kia always known by all staff by my name

those days are over 

[PaulWhitt20]

Is it Mercedes that don’t have a dip stick (apart from the one behind the wheel)? 🙃

 

Sorry someone had to say it. 

[Bill Dawes]

In my experience over several car brands the oil level after a service is always on the high side.

There is bound to be a tolerence on this, I can't imagine the car manufacturers would mark the dipstick, for joe soap public use,  with the absolute limit beyond which it would damage the engine.

Bill D.

[Don C]

On 1/24/2024 at 7:54 PM, Bill Dawes said:

In my experience over several car brands the oil level after a service is always on the high side.

There is bound to be a tolerence on this, I can't imagine the car manufacturers would mark the dipstick, for joe soap public use,  with the absolute limit beyond which it would damage the engine.

Bill D.

It won’t but this is an inch over.

[Rizzoe]

Also noticed this when i picked up my UX on saturday. Oil level on the dipstick was a bit higher than the "Hi" notch. Was also told this was normal.

 

I checked the invoice and was billed for 4.3L of engine oil, which iirc is just about what this should take. i don't think they would add more oil than what was paid for...

[fourbanks]

Anyhow, friend's Tim based at Gatwick who is one of the most senior in the UK master tecs has said that's normal for a low mileage car user 

so that it's straight from the horse's mouth 😆

[Malc1]

the hay level has to be just about right and the right quality oats too  😉

Malc

[PRT68]

There may be another side to this. Are you checking the level when cold or hot? What does your manual say? 

When I had my ISF, I was also concerned, until I read the manual to find that it had to be read when hot, and when the engine had been off for 5 minutes. Level was correct then. 

[fourbanks]

4 hours ago, PRT68 said:

There may be another side to this. Are you checking the level when cold or hot? What does your manual say? 

When I had my ISF, I was also concerned, until I read the manual to find that it had to be read when hot, and when the engine had been off for 5 minutes. Level was correct then. 

When cold 

[NemesisUK]

43 minutes ago, fourbanks said:

When cold 

From the owner's handbook, basically check when at operating temp after witching off and waiting 5 min

[fourbanks]

11 minutes ago, NemesisUK said:

From the owner's handbook, basically check when at operating temp after witching off and waiting 5 min

Thanks i have done that still shows excessive. I'm trying to forget about it and trust in Tim, the master Lexus tec here at Gatwick Lexus 🤞

[Malc1]

is that the same Tim looking after Gatwick Boeing issues too 🥳😰😂👏……. all fingers xd then 👍

Malc 

[NemesisUK]

57 minutes ago, fourbanks said:

Thanks i have done that still shows excessive. I'm trying to forget about it and trust in Tim, the master Lexus tec here at Gatwick Lexus 🤞

What's the longest non-stop drive you have done in the car?

I think I would insist on the excess being removed. Easily sucked out via the dipstick tube, wouldn't take 30min for peace of mind.