Check Oil Warm or Cold

[Gebo]

I was just YouTubing and I saw the Car Care Nut say to not check your oil after it sits overnight but rather check it after it warms up and
sits for a few minutes. He said if you checked after it got "cold" and you adjusted to the full mark that you would actually be over filling
you engine with oil. I always check my oil cold. Especially after it sits in garage over night. Have I been wrong all these 50+ years?

 

[drtyler]

What does your owners manual state?

Its not the same for every car.

 

[WobblyElvis]

I have done it both ways and noticed very little difference if any. Leaving the car overnight is the best method. Repeatable and easier to read the dipstick.
As for overfilling the engine. There is plenty room for error in that direction. Don't worry about it....

 

[Malo83]

Always check mine when cold.

 

[Hyundai Respecter]

Hyundai/Kia recommends checking it when it’s at operating temperature. So I check mine while I’m at the gas station.

 

[drtyler]

On one of my cars, the correct procedure is to check with engine warm and idling:

 

[Duffyjr]

I was just YouTubing and I saw the Car Care Nut say to not check your oil after it sits overnight but rather check it after it warms up and
sits for a few minutes. He said if you checked after it got "cold" and you adjusted to the full mark that you would actually be over filling
you engine with oil. I always check my oil cold. Especially after it sits in garage over night. Have I been wrong all these 50+ years?

Best way to tell would be to check it warm/hot what ever your manual says (if you can get a good reading) and see wear it's at, then you'll know what it's suppose to be when cold. On my Lucerne it's almost impossible to get an accurate reading when hot but from what I can tell it's accurate enough cold.

 

[2heeldrive]

I thought I knew the answer, cold after sitting overnight. Not always. I learn something new every day.

Here is what the owner's manual says for my 2017 Sequoia:

■ Checking the engine oil
With the engine at operating temperature and turned off, check the oil
level on the dipstick.
Park the vehicle on level ground. After turning off the engine,
wait more than 5 minutes for the oil to drain back into the bottom
of the engine.

And here is what the owner's manual for my 2018 Silverado says:

To get an accurate reading, park
the vehicle on level ground.
Check the engine oil level after
the engine has been off for at
least two hours. Checking the
engine oil level on steep grades
or too soon after engine shutoff
can result in incorrect readings.
Accuracy improves when
checking a cold engine prior to
starting. Remove the dipstick
and check the level.

. If unable to wait two hours, the
engine must be off for at least
15 minutes if the engine is
warm, or at least 30 minutes if
the engine is not warm. Pull out
the dipstick, wipe it with a clean
paper towel or cloth, then push it
back in all the way. Remove it
again, keeping the tip down, and
check the level.

​

 

[kschachn]

Here are a few previous threads on this popular topic along with ExxonMobil's recommendation:

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/check-oil-level-cold-or-warm.122726/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/checking-oil-hot-or-cold.112230/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/check-oil-when-cold-any-owners-manual-say-this.179739/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/honda-check-oil-cold-or-hot.268362/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/proper-way-to-check-oil-level.94162/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/hot-or-cold-when-checking.85152/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/why-doesnt-it-mater-if-you-check-oil-hot-or-cold.4845/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/when-does-your-manual-say-to-check-oil-level.152465/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/dipstick-and-temp-of-oil.9349/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/checking-oil-level.78271/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/thermal-expansion.164355/

https://www.mobil.com/en/lubricants...els-be-checked-when-the-engine-is-hot-or-cold

 

[JMJNet]

In my case, when I remember to do it. Sometimes hot, sometimes cold.
There is a range on where the level should be (inside a hatched area or between 2 lines), so it is not that exact anyway.

 

[Shel_B]

I have done it both ways and noticed very little difference if any. Leaving the car overnight is the best method. Repeatable and easier to read the dipstick.
As for overfilling the engine. There is plenty room for error in that direction. Don't worry about it....

Likewise ... years ago I started checking the oil first thing in the morning. I like the repeatability and I know that all the oil that can drain into the sump has drained.

The Car Care Nut is very OCD ... he's even admitted in at least one video.

 

[gman2304]

In my case, when I remember to do it. Sometimes hot, sometimes cold.
There is a range on where the level should be (inside a hatched area or between 2 lines), so it is not that exact anyway.

^^^ We have a winner….!

 

[Gebo]

What does your owners manual state?

Its not the same for every car.

I never knew this. Thanks!

 

[bullwinkle]

I think warm, when the oil has had a chance to drain back (10-15 minutes), & sitting on level ground gives the best reading. Overnight cold does seem to read lower, but I don't think a small top off makes that much of a difference.

 

[FZ1]

Good info, but, I'm gonna continue to AM check it.

 

[PimTac]

Some times you feel like a nut.

.


Sometimes you don’t.

 

[Gebo]

Here are a few previous threads on this popular topic along with ExxonMobil's recommendation:

https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/check-oil-level-cold-or-warm.122726/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/checking-oil-hot-or-cold.112230/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/check-oil-when-cold-any-owners-manual-say-this.179739/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/honda-check-oil-cold-or-hot.268362/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/proper-way-to-check-oil-level.94162/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/hot-or-cold-when-checking.85152/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/why-doesnt-it-mater-if-you-check-oil-hot-or-cold.4845/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/when-does-your-manual-say-to-check-oil-level.152465/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/dipstick-and-temp-of-oil.9349/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/checking-oil-level.78271/
https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/threads/thermal-expansion.164355/

https://www.mobil.com/en/lubricants...els-be-checked-when-the-engine-is-hot-or-cold

Thanks for the exhaustive info. You are the man!

 

[Gebo]

Likewise ... years ago I started checking the oil first thing in the morning. I like the repeatability and I know that all the oil that can drain into the sump has drained.

The Car Care Nut is very OCD ... he's even admitted in at least one video.

Well, I am, too. He is the one guy a truly trust concerning Toyotas and Lexus. The only thing I wonder about is his recommendation of 60k ATF drain and fill.

 

[Whimsey]

For S&G's I recently checked the oil level in our Ford 2.3 EcoBoost engine overnight cold and hot after sitting 15 minutes, as it says in the OM. The "hot" 15 minute wait oil level was only a minuscule bit higher on the dipstick than the overnight cold check.

 

[Shel_B]

Well, I am, too. He is the one guy a truly trust concerning Toyotas and Lexus. The only thing I wonder about is his recommendation of 60k ATF drain and fill.

Seems like good advice ... you'll note that in just about all of his recommendations he takes a conservative approach. That's a plus for me.