where should the oil on the dipstick read?
 

Guys, just wondering what the correct oil reading should be. I checked the oil this morning and it read halfway. I should I fill it up to full or let it warm up to operating temperatures, wait until it cools down somewhat and take the reading then? Should it read full when engine is completely cold? THanks.

Re: where should the oil on the dipstick read?
 

As a gas pumper for 5 yrs while in high school and college, I feel fully qualified to answer your question :).

Check when the car is at operating temp w/the motor shut off. Pull the dipstick, wipe it, insert it back (all the way), and pull and check. Under these conditions, it should always be full. Now, if memory serves me, from 'low' to 'full' is 1.8 quarts (*not* 1 as in most cars) so you have to take that into account. If the dipstick's showing halfway, then you're actually almost one quart low. In a car that only takes 4 quarts after an oil change, that's not healthy for the motor, esp. one that hits redline often (like mine :)).

I'd recommend checking the owner's manual on that 1.8 quart figure...I don't have access to my owner's manual right now. But I'm 99% sure it's correct.

I check my oil *every* time I get gas. Hey, it's a 20 gallon tank and takes awhile to fill up...what else are you going to do? Besides, lifting the hood gets all that heat out of the engine bay.

Hope this helps--

they do burn oil,
some more than others,
throw some oil in there to get it up to full.

if it's eatin oil real fast, then your engine may be gettin
old or weak or somethin

Thanks goodfella! I'll check the oil after the engine is warmed up (5minute drive to work). I alwasy carry a quart of oil with me in case. I just wasn't sure when to check the oil. When warm or cold. I think once the engine has warmed up to operating temperatures, it reads full. But when cold, it will read lower. I'm not sure as to whether this is oil dripping down onto to the dipstick and back into the oil pan. THanks again.:D

Alas, even seemingly simple questions have more than one answer for our cars. For street use the oil level should be at the top mark, measured as the previous posts say.

For track use(road racing or driving schools), however, lower the level by as much as 1 quart. I'm ususally a little conservative and run about 1/2 quart low. This helps prevent oil from being drawn into the intake at sustained high boost levels.

Arc Welder

I'll second that notion. If you have loose hose clamp the oil spray makes a mess in the engine bay if you run at 4 quarts full.

Also, I believe that from low to full is 1 quart low, not 2 quarts.

I'm like you, I run three-fourths of a quart low for high speed driving track events:)

If you have an oil leak and are stupid enough not to check, you'll find that the oil light will come on when the level just touches the bottom of the stick(when hot). From the bottom, 1 quart brings you up 1/2 way on the stick.

At least I know that the oil level sensor works...