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Odd Oil Reading

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  • 04-09-2008 10:22pm
    #1
    antodeco
    Registered Users, Subscribers Posts: 13,513 ✭✭✭✭


    Hey All,
    Checked my oil the other day (and today) and im getting a very strange oil reading. There is no oil along the dipstick markings at all, but its up along the side of the dipstick (the skinny edge). Any ideas as to why?

    Thanks


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    #2
    blackbox
    Registered Users Posts: 4,333 ✭✭✭blackbox


    If the oil is very clean it can be hard to see, but more likely your oil level is simply too low. Clean the dipstick very carefully with a clean cloth before dipping.

    Try adding half a litre to see if it becomes vislible on the dipstick.

    I wouldn't drive the car until you get this resolved.


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    #3
    Run_to_da_hills
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20,009 ✭✭✭✭Run_to_da_hills


    You might need a longer dip stick :D

    Jokes aside, was the car switched off for a while leaving the oil settle when you took the reading?


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    #4
    antodeco
    Registered Users, Subscribers Posts: 13,513 ✭✭✭✭antodeco


    Ive checked the oil after driving back from letterkenny. Ive checked it after not driving it for around 12 hours. Ive also checked it when its been moderatley warm.

    Ive added oil to it, and still no change. Its very clear oil that I have, so that might be it. Ive wiped it down and tried it, but didnt occur to me that I might just not be able to see it! Shall try again in the morning and hopefully thats all it is!


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    #5
    guil
    Registered Users Posts: 10,495 ✭✭✭✭guil


    stick ur finger to it after dippin it


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    #6
    crosstownk
    Registered Users Posts: 12,863 ✭✭✭✭crosstownk


    Could it be that the 'bit up the side' is what the dipstick is scraping from the dipstick guide as you insert it? Leave the car sit for an hour and see what happens.
    Untitled Image




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    #7
    blackbox
    Registered Users Posts: 4,333 ✭✭✭blackbox


    crosstownk wrote: »
    Could it be that the 'bit up the side' is what the dipstick is scraping from the dipstick guide as you insert it? Leave the car sit for an hour and see what happens.

    He says he's already checked it after leaving it for 12 hours!:o


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    #8
    antodeco
    Registered Users, Subscribers Posts: 13,513 ✭✭✭✭antodeco


    Ive checked after a few minutes, a few hours, straight away, hot, cold. Its very odd. As said, might just be hard to see.


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    #9
    crosstownk
    Registered Users Posts: 12,863 ✭✭✭✭crosstownk


    If the dipstick gets submerged in the oil then it should read correct.

    Try adding 0.25 litres and see what difference it makes.

    Sorry, missed the 12 hour bit earlier :(
    Untitled Image




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    #10
    L-M
    Registered Users Posts: 23,694 ✭✭✭✭L-M


    Well after al that driving and dipping and sitting and dipping i'm sure there is plenty of oils in it. If not the oil light would of came on. Something similar happened to be but i actually hadn't got oil in the car lol:o

    A lack of oil can cause damage, get a mechanic to check it just to be sure.


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    #11
    Oilrig
    Closed Accounts Posts: 727 ✭✭✭Oilrig


    Make, Model & Year?

    ...by the time your oil lamp comes on its curtains.


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    #12
    antodeco
    Registered Users, Subscribers Posts: 13,513 ✭✭✭✭antodeco


    Ive put in a good litre of oil over the past 6 weeks (2k of driving), so it shouldnt be low on oil. Car isint acting odd, or warnings coming up.


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    #13
    Esel
    Registered Users Posts: 22,322 ✭✭✭✭Esel


    antodeco wrote: »
    Ive put in a good litre of oil over the past 6 weeks (2k of driving), so it shouldnt be low on oil.
    No logic in that statement, tbh.

    Not your ornery onager



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    #14
    antodeco
    Registered Users, Subscribers Posts: 13,513 ✭✭✭✭antodeco


    What I mean is that Ive topped it up and have noticed no difference.


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    #15
    Pete67
    Registered Users Posts: 1,257 ✭✭✭Pete67


    Even fresh oil on the dipstick will be visible in good light, so it does sound as if you engine is still low on oil. Average car engines will hold between 4 and 6 litres in total, so it is quite possible that the level is low even if you have added a litre in 2000 kms of driving.

    Make sure the car is on level ground. Continue to top up the oil in small increments (0.25 litre) wait 5 mins after each addition before dipping. Always wipe the dipstick with a clean rag before taking a level. Continue to top up until the oil just reaches the upper (max) mark on the dipstick, and no more. Continue to check and top up if needed once a week until you determine how much oil it is using. All cars burn a slight amount of oil, and some leak a little too. You need to get a feel for how much is normal for your car. It should not need a lot. With a lot of manufacturers service intervals over 10k miles now, it is quite possible for the oil level to drop over time even when there is nothing wrong with the engine.

    BTW only a few cars have a low oil level warning light, most have a low oil pressure warning light, usually red. When this comes on, there is almost no oil in the engine, and the oil pump cannot pick up enough to maintain pressure and lubricate the main and bigend bearing journals. In other words your engine is about to die in a noisy and very expensive way.

    Make sure the oil warning light is working or you will not get any warning of impending doom - it should come on when you turn on the ignition before you start the engine, and go out a few seconds after the engine starts.


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    #16
    JoeySully
    Registered Users Posts: 1,276 ✭✭✭JoeySully


    reminds me of a funny story :)
    i checked my sisters car for oil one day and it was terribly low. she said she jsut checked it yesterday and it was fine so she dropped the dipstick and pulled it out and it was eactly at the max mark :rolleyes: So i tried again and wow it was at the min mark - what the hell i was thinking, so she tried again this time i watched her carefully - everytime she dropped the dipstick she would give it a turn or two which just took the oil from the edge of the dipstick pipe goin down :rolleyes: Wemen :rolleyes::rolleyes:


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    #17
    antodeco
    Registered Users, Subscribers Posts: 13,513 ✭✭✭✭antodeco


    Cool, thanks for the advice. I only put in .25l yesterday and didnt really seem to make much of a difference. Its an odd one alright. Something else I noticed was that if I turn sharpish right, the oil light flickers on and off for a second. Its odd aswell. Cant go out and check up on it today, Id be soaked in a second.


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    #18
    3ps
    Closed Accounts Posts: 723 ✭✭✭3ps


    you are deffo low on oil!


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    #19
    antodeco
    Registered Users, Subscribers Posts: 13,513 ✭✭✭✭antodeco


    3ps wrote: »
    you are deffo low on oil!

    Yeah feckit, might just lump a load in and see what happens! :D


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    #20
    HungryJoey
    Registered Users Posts: 2,192 ✭✭✭HungryJoey


    Do you drive the Leon, IIRC?

    Personally I'd do a full oil change instead of just "lumping" a load of oil in to the old oil. Empty old oil, change oil filer, replace with new oil and atleast you dont run the risk of over filling the oil which is a bad thing to do & you know exactly how much has gone in so you can monitor its oil consumption over time.


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    #21
    Tails142
    Registered Users Posts: 2,117 ✭✭✭Tails142


    antodeco wrote: »
    Yeah feckit, might just lump a load in and see what happens! :D

    No oil on dipstick

    light comes on when you go around corners..

    HOW MUCH MORE PROOF DO YOU NEED THAT YOU'RE LOW ON OIL :D

    There's nothing 'strange' about this at all :p


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    #22
    Rovi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,570 ✭✭✭Rovi


    Tails142 wrote: »
    No oil on dipstick

    light comes on when you go around corners..

    HOW MUCH MORE PROOF DO YOU NEED THAT YOU'RE LOW ON OIL :D

    There's nothing 'strange' about this at all :p
    Absolutely agree with the above.

    As a little experiment, dip the dipstick into the oil in the can and see if you can see that.
    Very clean oil can sometimes be hard to see, but it's only ever a matter of rotating the dipstick and/or holding it up to the light to see it.


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    #23
    jimmycrackcorm
    Registered Users Posts: 14,339 ✭✭✭✭jimmycrackcorm


    I once checked my wifes car (Seat Ibiza) and I thought the oil was low in it. so I put a litre in and waited 5 minutes, came back and checked again - still couldn't see the oil so I put a second litre in. To cut a long story short it turned out that I had overfilled it by 2 Litres....!


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