Checking oil level daily...

[tigrpal]

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Speaking of weirdness, I will admit I sometimes (ok lotsa times) like to open the hood of my van and just stare at the motor. Even better is when it's running. So far, I don't talk to it.

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...and I visualize spark plugs firing, pistons, going up and down, oil flowing through the engine, coolant flowing down inside the radiator...

 

[cowsareholy]

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Speaking of weirdness, I will admit I sometimes (ok lotsa times) like to open the hood of my van and just stare at the motor. Even better is when it's running. So far, I don't talk to it.

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ill admit i do the same thing sometimes, just watch it doing its thing

 

[4esorselrahc]

I like to just have a look at that shiny new engine under the hood of my new odyssey. Yes I check the oil at least once a week sometimes twice, but not every day. No consumption so far. This Odyssey is the first new car I've ever had, so clean under the hood I could eat off the engine.

 

[caprice_2nv]

I hardly ever park on flat ground and I'm usually in a rush, so checking my oil on my 87 Caprice with like 140K on it usually happens when I notice I've parked on flat ground and have time to do it. Driving about 3K miles a month means i usually check the oil on average close to 1000 Miles. This works out okay as the engine uses about 1qt between 3K mile OCI's. Not sure why it uses the oil but next year I'm replacing it with an 89 Caprice with almost 300K miles and no oil useage between 5K OCI's on the 305 TBI.

 

[beercollector]

Depends on the car. My first cars were a selection of beaters, '73 nova with the cloth sunroof that liked to catch on fire when the front brakes grabbed. Oil was the last worry. My last car was a Dodge stealth that I bought in 2001 with 78k, used about a quart per 3k by 90k, and the valve stem seals made pretty blue smoke by 128k when it was wrecked last year. One trip down to Santa Barbara it was using a quart every 100-150 miles, 11 quarts for around 800 mi round trip. Lots of checking! Now I've got a car with Nissan's VG30DE built in may of 1989 with 88xxxk and burns/leaks no oil, it really bothered me the first month or two to not have to constantly check and add oil or carry at least two quarts with me on longer trips.

 

[OriginHacker21]

I drive about 1k miles a week. I check the oil whenever I wash the car or feel something isn't right. I always check the oil every day for a few days after an oil change.

Yes, I'm with the group that likes to stare at their engine - yes, even better when it is running. I take those armor-all protectant wipes and keep the plastic parts clean. When I have lots of time - take a vacuum and get the little pieces of dirt/sand.

Can't hurt to check your oil often. I think it would surprise us all to really know how many people run with low oil. When I worked at wal-mart TLE (3 years ago) there were countless people pulling in with no oil on the dipstick.

 

[Brogy]

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Can't hurt to check your oil often. I think it would surprise us all to really know how many people run with low oil. When I worked at wal-mart TLE (3 years ago) there were countless people pulling in with no oil on the dipstick.

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So true, friend has a 1.6l nissan, thing only takes like 3 quarts to begin with, when I drained the oil out of it after I learned he was going on 10k on the quicky lube oil and filter, he only had a quart and a half left in there, between the filter and leftover im guessing. Oil that came out could have filled a soda bottle!

 

[buster]

Speaking of level ground, it's hard to find true level ground. I've seen oil levels vary so much just from checking it on different spots. On some spots, I think I'm low only to find out later that it was not really flat enough. Most are fairly level, but I can never really tell. Usually I just put my car in neutral and if it doesn't roll, I'll use that spot. I try and stay consistent too and continuously use that same spot.

 

[pidster]

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Speaking of weirdness, I will admit I sometimes (ok lotsa times) like to open the hood of my van and just stare at the motor. Even better is when it's running. So far, I don't talk to it.

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...and I visualize spark plugs firing, pistons, going up and down, oil flowing through the engine, coolant flowing down inside the radiator...

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At least I'm not the only one. Working on the car myself started that for me, as soon as I've repaired something and seen how the insides work I can't help but picture it going on while I drive, or, stare at the motor lol.

And I only do it sometimes...when alone...but...

I DO talk to my car

 

[Max_Wander]

oh, the satisfaction of admiring a quiet, smooth idling engine that you could balance a quarter off of. Thank #@$%! for very low-mileage JDM engines!

 

[4esorselrahc]

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Speaking of weirdness, I will admit I sometimes (ok lotsa times) like to open the hood of my van and just stare at the motor. Even better is when it's running. So far, I don't talk to it.

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...and I visualize spark plugs firing, pistons, going up and down, oil flowing through the engine, coolant flowing down inside the radiator...

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Nice to know I'm not the only one.

 

[obbop]

Check oil daily???

Blasphemy!!!!!!!!

Every time you open the hood/bonnet/large metal thing on hinges that pivots upon hinges allowing access to thine engine then pull out the dip stick you are EXPOSING your engine to COSMIC DUST!!!!!!

As you stare at that oil level indicator clutched within thine grimy paw, particulate matter is floating down, adhering to that dip stick AND entering your beloved engine!!!!!!

"...estimates that the earth may have a daily accretion of up to l0 million kilograms of cosmic dust. Later studies would confirm this thesis."

http://history.nasa.gov/SP-4202/chap13.html

There's a whole lot of other solids suspended in the atmosphere that trickle down constantly. Follow the link and shudder to the core of thine essence:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Particulate

Sadly, from this observer's viewpoint, those daily exposures of dip stick and engine to that vast amount of foreign objects is literally rape of your engine.

May the gawds of enginedom forgive thine transgressions.

 

[Aldaris]

I used to check oil constantly when I had my Supra. Now with my Lexus it's an exercise in frustration because I can't discern any oil loss at all from when I last changed it.

 

[defeated]

Curse you, obbop! Something else for me to obsessively worry about!!

Should I check my fluids and expose my motor innards to cosmic dust? OMG, what about when I'm changing the air filter?

 

[obbop]

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Curse you, obbop! Something else for me to obsessively worry about!!

Should I check my fluids and expose my motor innards to cosmic dust? OMG, what about when I'm changing the air filter?

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Thou art DOOMED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Triple_Se7en]

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You guys are nucking futs!! 215,000mi on a 4.3 GM and I never raise the hood between changes!

Bob

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Quite surprised you never had the infamous GM intake leak.

I would be checking that oil every three weeks or 1K at-least. Even if you feel no consumption occurs, you should still check it for dilution purposes associated with the intake leak. Some of those leaks gett big & nasty in a hurry. Others don't acquire major leaks.

Keep rolling that dice - or check that oil mark occasionally.

 

[Trucku]

I check it about every other day or so. Installed a new Frantz TP filter and want to see how long it will take for the oil to darken.
I check my fluid level a little after shutting her down, since I have a lot of plumbing from the dual remote and Frantz filters. If I kept her to level after long downtime she would be short of oil when running.

 

[addyguy]

On a weekend shift at the Wal-Mart TLE I work at, we get at least 2-3 cars that show no oil on the dipstick....drives us all crazy that people care so little for their cars....

 

[Vilan]

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Curse you, obbop! Something else for me to obsessively worry about!!

Should I check my fluids and expose my motor innards to cosmic dust? OMG, what about when I'm changing the air filter?

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That's cosmic dust that's plugging your air filter. You could probably sell it to the Smithsonian as an astronomical artifact.

 

[Patman]

I now do not check the oil level on either of my cars at all between changes. There is no need. My wife's Honda uses no oil at all (I measured how much came out on the last oil change and it was exactly how much I put in 4000 miles earlier) and I just can't get a proper reading on my Corvette's dipstick. So I measure it at the end of the interval to see approximately how much I am consuming. Then I know for the next interval approximately how much top up oil I will need.