Checking Oil Level

This sounds like such a noob question, but I run into this issue whenever I've checked the oil in my car. One side of the dipstick will be high, just about to the full line, yet the other side of the dipstick is almost to the low line. I'm checking in a level garage, and the car's been sitting in it all night.

 

I've taken the dipstick out, wiped it off, put it back in, take it out and that's what I see. I've repeated this a few times with the same result. Does anyone else notice this? Which sides oil level do you go by?

 

I'd hate to err on the side of caution, then find out my oil level was already full and now have too much.

 

Edit: I did find this thread after searching Google (first search on here didn't turn it up). Looks like I'm not the only one.

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/oil-dipstick-134244.html

I just split the difference and say its between the two points. Usually the difference between the two sides isn't as bad for me as you describe. One side is usually 1/4 or 1/3 lower than the other, no more than 1/2.

Do it per the instructions. You are over thinking it.

Scotty, it's above "low", but not by much on one side. If I knew that was the actual level, I'd like to fill it up some more, but since the other side is so close to "full", I'd be overfilling it if that were the actual reading..

Orient the stick exactly like the picture from the manual, tip down, notch to the left, letters visible in front of you. You are making this way more difficult than it is.

Scotty, I dont think you experience the same dipstick troubles that we do. On the front side of the dipstick it could say your oil level is full, but then on the back it could be just above the low mark. So its difficult to trust the reading on the front of the dipstick when reading on the back of the dipstick may be completely different by a large margin.

Scotty, I dont think you experience the same dipstick troubles that we do. On the front side of the dipstick it could say your oil level is full, but then on the back it could be just above the low mark. So its difficult to trust the reading on the front of the dipstick when reading on the back of the dipstick may be completely different by a large margin.

 

Exactly!

When mine is full, the passenger side of the dipstick is to the hole and the driver side of the dipstick is at the notch. I figured it was due to the dipstick curving and laying in the oil at an angle.

Does the manual tell you to read the back of the dipstick...no. Does it tell you to put the dipstick in backwards...no. If they wanted you to read the back, they would put the letters on the back side of the dipstick.

 

You are way over thinking such a simple task.

I understand what you are saying scotty, but its still unsettling. I've owned many different cars, and this is the first car I've owned that has this problem. Even with friends and families vehicles that I work on, the oil level on the dipstick is the same on both sides. I think relhok is right, its probably just the way our dipstick sits in the oil.

I'll throw my hat into this ring as well. I have the exact same issues with the front and back of the dipstick reading vastly different oil levels.

 

[...]Even with friends and families vehicles that I work on, the oil level on the dipstick is the same on both sides. I think relhok is right, its probably just the way our dipstick sits in the oil.

 

I've started experiencing some oil consumption (~1qt/3,000mi), so I check my oil religiously. I've always had my oil changed at the dealership strictly for the paper trail, and I always pull over a block away from them and look over the car to make sure they didn't screw up.

 

My dipstick always reads "F" front and back post oil change. After ~750mi, it's still "F" on the front, but much less on the back. Further driving results in both sides dropping very slowly. If I add oil, I can always cause the front of the stick to hit (and stay at) "F" before the back. More oil causes the front and back to even up . Is the car being overfilled (by the dealership and myself) and burning off the excess? Thoughts?

 

Summary:

• Fresh oil change: "F" front and back.
  
• After a few tanks of gas: "F" on front, halfway on back.
  
• Subsequent tanks of gas: Both front and back of the dipstick drop a tiny bit, always with the back reading significantly less.
  
• Adding enough oil will always cause the front and back to match up.
  

My father told me that this is a lot like measuring your penis. If you measure from the top to tip its going to be shorter than from the bottom to the tip. Clearly we are supposed to measure along the bottom.

 

Tip down, notch to the left.

 

Don't put any of your sticks in anywhere backward.

 

(get over it, its a joke)

It's not an issue of incorrectly inserting the dipstick; I'd be willing to bet that if I did insert it backwards (not even sure it'll fit) that the side of the dipstick facing the front of the car would always read significantly higher than the side facing the rear of the car, save for after a fresh oil change or topping off. If I forget to check my oil after two or three fill-ups, there's been times that the backside of the stick is bone dry but the front still has oil up above the L mark.

Maybe you guys need to go polish your dipstick. http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php/dip-stick-modification-55961.html?t=55961

 

Since you guys can't just read the dipstick and accept what it says on the front, go drain your oil. Add in 3.2 US quarts, take a reading and remark the dipstick for L on the front and back. Then add in another quart and mark it F on the front and back.