I was reading through the archives on how to check your oil. Whether it should be when the engine has been run for a few minutes and is cooling down, or whether to check it when the engine is cold. It goes about 50/50 so I was hoping to get a final decision from you guys. Should the engine be cold, or should you let it warm up for a bit before checking?

Thank you.

 

Over night on a level floor. Most accurate.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Motts &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I was reading through the archives on how to check your oil. Whether it should be when the engine has been run for a few minutes and is cooling down, or whether to check it when the engine is cold. It goes about 50/50 so I was hoping to get a final decision from you guys. Should the engine be cold, or should you let it warm up for a bit before checking?

Thank you.</TD></TR></TABLE>

oil doesn't sit on the bottom of the oil pan once the car is on - so.. give it some time to make its way down, and then you'll get more accurate reading..

 

after the engine has been shut off you can give it about a minute for all the oil to settle down in the pan and then check the level.

 

if you check your oil after you run your motor.. its like half a qaurt you need to compensate for..

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by baonest &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">if you check your oil after you run your motor.. its like half a qaurt you need to compensate for.. </TD></TR></TABLE>

um no........doesnt anyone know how thin oil get when it's warm? it's like water!

when i say run the engine then lest it sit for a minute before checking i mean after it's been running for a good 15-20min of driving or 30min od idleing. most of the oil will drop to the bottom of the pan within 10 seconds of shutting the engine off and within the first miniute about 98% of the oil will be there.

if you let it sit overnight the extra .1 of the oil is whats dripping out of the filter and it wont be half a quart..........

 

It won't make a whole lot of difference.

Try it both ways, and see how much difference there is in the reading. I bet it's less than 1/4 quart. (The distance between the two holes on the dipstick is one quart.) Which means, not enough difference to worry about.

 

Straight from the owners manual.......
8. Let the engine run for severasl minutes.
9. Turn off the engine, LET IT SIT FOR SEVERAL MINUTES, then check the oil level.

If you wait overnight you will be fooled to think you have the right amount when in reality you have less (all is in the pan).

BTW, by know you all know that these V-tec engines consume oil, right? But you can consume less oil and have less chances of blowing a cam seal in a V-tec engines..particularly B18, by filling the oil midway between the hash marks. I have tries all scenarios and so have many of my customers and racers....it works.

 

i liked to let the car warm up, then wait about 5 minutes to check on a level surface. however, people from the board said to wait until completely cold ie overnight. upon trying that out, i found that when adding exactly 4.25qt of oil, the dipstick showed the oil level to be on the top dot. so, now i just do it the way i've always been doing it because when i used to check the oil level after warming up the car and then waiting about 5 minutes, the oil was right inbetween the two dots on the dipstick.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by bbqman &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">If you wait overnight you will be fooled to think you have the right amount when in reality you have less (all is in the pan).</TD></TR></TABLE>

Except that the oil is colder if you wait overnight, so it doesn't take up as much space as when the oil is warm. This offsets the fact that more has drained into the pan.

Try it both ways and see how much difference there is. You, too, will find that there is not enough difference to worry about.

 

I don't know....the problem with checking when the car is warm is that when you pull the dipstick the oil is scattered across it.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by bbqman &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
BTW, by know you all know that these V-tec engines consume oil, right? But you can consume less oil and have less chances of blowing a cam seal in a V-tec engines..particularly B18, by filling the oil midway between the hash marks. I have tries all scenarios and so have many of my customers and racers....it works.

</TD></TR></TABLE>

That means your filling your oil too low if it's between the two dots. It is supposed to be right at the top dot.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jdmspoonitr &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">the problem with checking when the car is warm is that when you pull the dipstick the oil is scattered across it.</TD></TR></TABLE>

That's why you're supposed to wipe the dipstick and insert it back into the engine before you check for a reading.

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by B2FiNiTY &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">That means your filling your oil too low if it's between the two dots. It is supposed to be right at the top dot.</TD></TR></TABLE>

You know, that's what I always thought, and the rule that I always use on my cars. But if you look in the owner's manual, it just tells you that the oil level is supposed to be in between the two dots, not necessarily at the top dot. Strange, but true.

 

I do pull it out and wipe it, then put it back in and recheck. Still when the car is warm there is still a good amount of oil all the way up the dip stick. Of course you can tell where the most of it is, but it leads me to believe that the reading might not be accurate.

I'll believe the words in the owners manual about the same as the technicians at the dealership. Neither of them is 100% correct.

 

Wow, thanks for all the replies. I wish I had an owners manual. I always thought fill it to the top dot, and if its at the bottom dot its one quart low. Well actually I know thats true since once it hit the bottom dot, I put in 1 quart and it went to the top dot. I have never heard that the owners manual says to have it in the middle.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Motts &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">I have never heard that the owners manual says to have it in the middle.</TD></TR></TABLE>

That's simply implied!
Obviously, it's not supposed to be above or below the dots!
The question should be whether to check it when it's "hot" or "cold".
And frankly, I prefer to check it warm, once oil had circulated through the head, and then you should check the level in the (oil) pan (i.e. motor).