I have tried holding the dipstick firmly, not allowing it to swivel while going down the tube. With the engine hot, park on level ground and shut off the engine. I guess it's some sort of design flaw. Insert the dipstick into the same tube that you removed it from to check the engine oil level on your ACURA. It's inside the hole. 1) Loosen oil-fill cap 2) Pull dipstick and pruposfully allow oil from the tip to wipe on the top-inside of dipstick-tube (this lubricates the O-ring when you re-insert the dipstick) 3) Wipe dipstick and reinstall taking care to seat the O-ring SLOWLY 4) wait at least 10 seconds 5) SLOWLY pull dipstick out and read it. Pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean, and insert it again. 2006 C280 4Matic. Also get something similar to sand paper, like that red coars pads and clean dipstick. Turn the engine off and wait 15 minutes for the oil to drain into the oil pan. Here you would just pull the dipstick out and read without the wiping step. When you check your oil, if it is dirty or smells of gasoline, itâs time for your oil to be changed. Something must be wrong, but what? This happens even if the car has not been started for a day or two. You should see a clear level line. Now, according to my manual for my 2003 f150, if the oil level is anywhere between the min and max indicators on the dipstick DO NOT ADD OIL. Its very difficult to read the oil level on the dipstick. BTW. After adding 5.5 qts oil I dipped to see where it was. The Toyota Corolla uses circles on its dipstick to help owners check their oil ⦠When it's lower on the dipstick, the warmer it is, the higher it reads. Hard to Read Oil Dipstick. the level observed on the dipstick does not need to be at the very top of the "SAFE" zone in order for it to properly protect moving engine parts. I never go by the amount of oil I put in, the best assurance that you have a proper amount of oil is by the dipstick, eventhough it can be frustrating to read. No worry. It is very hard to see the top of the oil level line against the orange, but that is on purpose because it's not important. Oil level difficult to read on dipstick. One side oil was half way up stick other side was showing 1/4 inch over full. The level needs to be between the min and max mark we saw earlier. It looks like honey. Lets hope the turbo-pug engine goes for a conventional design. Fresh oil has a color similar to honey. Also read reports the dipsticks don't always read the same , you would thing they are all in the same place on the motor ,and same dipsticks. After sitting all night (after having been driven 70 miles the prior evening), I removed the dipstick and saw the oil was broadly smeared and impossible to read -- on one side. Tried multiple times different readings every time. My 2012 5.3L would read overfilled with a cold, overnight oil level check after an oil and filter change with the recommended 6 quarts. Doing this it now reads full on a cold check and stopped burning oil. Oil runs up the side of the stick. Re-insert the dipstick into the engine, making sure it goes all the way in. The theory here is that the oil is adhering to the stick. It's design solution for a problem that doesn't exist. 182 0 16. Oil seems to stick on it now a little thicker making it easier to read. I drove 2,000 miles after an oil change, so I checked the oil. Otherwise, you could check the oil level after the engine has been off overnight. read after drying but so is any dipstick. Did my first oil change on the 2.0 last weekend and was having a real hard time getting a correct oil reading level from the dipstick, anyone else having the same issue? Oil expands with temperature, so it would read higher with hot engine. I did this, it helped a bit. I my oil was getting low so I refilled it by pouring a half-quart of oil into the dipstick chamber. Result: When extracted from the tube, there is oil smeared all the way up the dipstick. Didnât know about the other engine oil hole youâre supposed to use. I agree it is getting it from the tube. oil dipstick difficult to read Home ⺠Forums ⺠Stay Dirty Lounge ⺠Service and Repair Questions Answered Here ⺠oil dipstick difficult to read This topic contains 1 reply, has 2 voices, and was last updated by Its me 5 years, 3 months ago . 1. Take the reading off the damp dark spot on the paper. My car is also reporting P0171 and P0174 errors and Iâve read ⦠Here's a trick to reading the dipstick, gently roll the dipstick against a dark paper towel or news print and leave the dipstick on the paper. I went ahead and ordered Craven Speeds new dipstick to facilitate this. You should also check the levels using the oil dipstick â if youâre oil is clean but only reaches the âAddâ part of the dipstick, youâll need to add more oil. So I took my dremel with a sanding tip and roughed up the tip of the dipstick up to the full line. Same result: When extracted from the tube, there is oil smeared all the way up the dipstick. Pull it out and check the oil level. The dipstick on 2.0 is different than that of 3.6. Engine Oil Level Gauge Check the engine oil level at each fuel stop. Remove the dipstick again. It's VERY clear if the oil is covering the hole in the dipstick or not. It actually says this in caps. obviously you don't check it while the engine is running, and give it a few minutes to settle after you turn it off. And the oil dipstick is reading just about right when I let the Foz sit for a while, pull the stick, wipe it, reinsert, and reread. Sit tight for five easy lessons on reading your oil dipstick. And should I drive the car? You're probably right about the drain-down, but the oil itself expands when it gets hot, and with 10 quarts, the amount it expands is considerable - enough to read higher on the dipstick. I will do my own oil change ,go with 11 to start, new filter and see where its at on the dipstick. As you drive, some amount of oil is consumed and the oil level drops. Sounds strange to me. Follow instructions as described in the next step. The cross section of the pan where the dipstick goes is ⦠There are some basic similarities in cars when it comes to checking oil, but slight variations in dipstick appearance can throw one off. Same thing as stated before. How to check the oil level in your engine and read the dipstick To last longer, your engine must always have the proper level of oil. anywhere within the "SAFE" zone will do fine. I find it really difficult to read the oil level from the dipstick due to it being small and black. With the hood safely propped, pull the dipstick out and wipe the end clean with a towel or rag. The dipstick will have two marks at the bottom. Make sure the vehicle is on level ground. I usually check my oil level when in my garage, I have to take a torch out of the glovebox to give additional light on the yellow peril. If the engine oil level is below the min mark, you need to add engine oil. If the oil in your Equinox is dirty or smells like gasoline, you probably need an oil ⦠By checking the oil level, you can catch if it's getting low and top it up. If it is below the lower level, add oil to bring the level up to the upper level. If this is a dx or lx the proper amount for it is 3.2 qts w/o filter and 3.4 qts w/filter. Checking the oil on my 2012 5.3 is driving me nuts. It would burn the overfill oil off so started doing 5.7 quarts when doing an oil and filter change. I just got it in the mail today ...and i was SHOCKED to see such a small package... it made me really curious. because of oil's tendency to "stick" to internal engine parts, observed level will fluctuate depending on oil temperature, oil viscosity and oil condition. Dipstick, Hard to Read. As a result, the friction increases and the engine wears faster. Ok ok. Feel like a big dumb animal. I'm guessing that the engine with filter is probably right with 4.8 quarts in it, although my change used probably 4.66 quarts...because there is always *some* oil left in the engine's nooks and crannies. On the opposing side, however, it was quite clean and I was able to clearly see a horizontal line indicating the level was midway between the ticks marks. And when checking the oil I pull the dipstick out, wipe it clean, and wait about 10 minutes to reinsert the dipstick and check the oil level. Also, the oil level might show overfilled on the dipstick immediately after an oil change because all the oil put into the car in now in the crankcase, which is the place the dipstick measures. (Use only engine oil ⦠Lesson No. s-line stu Oct 11, 2009. s-line stu Registered User. In addition to checking the oil level, you also want to look at the condition of the oil when you have the dipstick out. Why is the oil on my dipstick completely clear? Otherwise the dipstick will read slightly low. It seems like most of us will agree...the stock dipstick is really hard to read... And with our CooperS burning oil like they do...we need to be on top of it. I read about leaving the dipstick out for several minutes somewhere else in this forum a few months back. An engine block heater is an electrical device designed to warm a part of the engine and/or the motor oil when the vehicle is not in use. This works great when you've just changed your engine oil and it's too clean to read. It says that anywhere between those indicator marks are an acceptable level of oil in the engine, and to only add oil if its below the min mark. As for the level I don't find it too hard to read. 2. It may have the wrong dipstick in it as well if this is a used vehicle. Wait a couple minutes for the oil to return to the oil pan. The only problem is that the dipstick is hard to read and it often takes several tries to get the viewing angle right so that I can read the level. I haven't noticed the dipstick being particularly hard to read. I saw a post talking about roughing up the measurement area with emery cloth or a green pot scrubbing pad. This is not my first oil ⦠1 - Retrieving the Dipstick. Checking your oil on a regular basis keeps your vehicle running smoothly and efficiently. read the owners manual: CHECKING THE ENGINE OIL See the scheduled maintenance information for the appropriate intervals for checking the engine oil. The amount of oil that will drip from the engine after that is quite noticeable, but will not make a significant difference on the dipstick. Is this a problem or will the cause a problem? 2. Now pull it out, but don't turn it upside down to look at it, this makes the oil run upward and ruins your reading. I will let it sit over night to drain, to get a good feel on where I ⦠Just changed the oil at 2500 miles and lubed chassis. Oil reduces the friction in your engine and keeps it running smoothly. Always wipe it clean before reinserting too otherwise the tube will become oiled and then you'll never get a good reading. You need to turn the dipstick around to find the level as the outside seems to get smeared on the way up but it is there. 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