Dipstick readings

[Falcon_LS]

I have a habit, or maybe an OCD, of checking my oil and coolant on a daily basis. Most of the time, I just pull the dipstick out, take a quick look at the oil level and put it back in. Once a week, I wipe it off, put it back in and check it the proper way.

This morning, I was checking the oil level on my Mercury and noticed it was half a quart low. I was alarmed, considering it read full just yesterday. So I wiped the dipstick and put it back in, only to get a full reading.

It was a relief, considering I've put only 2,083 miles on the current fill. It's happened on my other cars as well, and I was just wondering why this happens?

 

[willix]

It may read lower cold & higher hot due to expansion. if its in a the safe range on the stick you are good to go. avoid topping off until its actually "low"

 

[Spector]

Sometimes for me if the previous start was very short, say just moving it from the front yard to the back the oil does not drain back down the same way it does after a 10 mile trip, thus a different reading the next day, this happens on one of my vehicles, others it seems to make no difference

 

[scurvy]

Originally Posted By: Falcon_LS
I have a habit, or maybe an OCD, of checking my oil and coolant on a daily basis.

I'm not picking on you here, but generally I see many people say they are 'OCD' when it comes to vehicular maintenance as if it's a good thing.

True obsessive-compulsive disorder would mean you were forced by looming thoughts of death, destruction, anxiety & fear to check the oil sixteen times in a row, making sure you were facing due north and tapping the dipstick as you removed it, wiping it off seven times and reinserting it five times rolling it half a turn each time and if you don't do it exactly the right way something bad will happen and you must start over immediately. OCD is a serious anxiety disorder that destroys your life.

Checking your oil once each morning is not characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts or repetitive behaviors, nor is it damaging your life & relationships.

You don't have OCD. You are checking fluids vital to engine health (especially in the desert!) which is nothing but showing care for vehicles you maintain. Please don't use OCD as a way of describing how you care for your vehicles. It's just as inappropriate as saying you got 'raped' by a high cost repair, 'jewing' someone down on price or administrators acting like 'nazis'.

/soapbox

Originally Posted By: Falcon_LS
This morning, I was checking the oil level on my Mercury and noticed it was half a quart low... So I wiped the dipstick and put it back in, only to get a full reading... I was just wondering why this happens?


Dipstick wasn't fully seated when you pulled it out initially, but was when you reinserted to take the second reading.

 

[tig1]

I check fluids about every three weeks.

 

[Papa Bear]

Originally Posted By: Falcon_LS


This morning, I was checking the oil level on my Mercury and noticed it was half a quart low. I was alarmed, considering it read full just yesterday. So I wiped the dipstick and put it back in, only to get a full reading.


I would say that your dipstick wasn't fully seated from the last time when your reading was 1/2 qt. low. That is the only logical explanation that I can see.

If you are not seating the dipstick in the tube on a daily basis when you check your oil then you could be introducing silica and dirt into the crankcase, especially in your environment.

 

[Eddie]

I thought I had OCD as I check my oil level at ever fill up. Just cansled my future shrink appointments. Ha

 

[addyguy]

Like Tig, I check my fluid levels every 3-4 weeks.

 

[scurvy]

Originally Posted By: Eddie
I thought I had OCD as I check my oil level at ever fill up. Just cansled my future shrink appointments. Ha
See there, I just saved you a bunch of money & time. Donate some of it to BITOG.

I check oil & tire pressure at every fillup or at least weekly - this was a habit I got into when I first started driving the '78 Plymouth as it had a thirst for Castrol GTX 20w50 before the engine was rebuilt... wasn't uncommon to take on 20 gallons of unleaded 87 octane & half a quart of the white bottle at most fillups. All other fluids that are checkable (coolant, PSF, brake fluid) are done at least monthly.

 

[Falcon_LS]

Many thanks for the input!

I usually seat the dipstick, but I very well may have not done so properly, especially considering I was running late yesterday morning.

Originally Posted By: scurvy
Originally Posted By: Falcon_LS
I have a habit, or maybe an OCD, of checking my oil and coolant on a daily basis.

I'm not picking on you here, but generally I see many people say they are 'OCD' when it comes to vehicular maintenance as if it's a good thing.

True obsessive-compulsive disorder would mean you were forced by looming thoughts of death, destruction, anxiety & fear to check the oil sixteen times in a row, making sure you were facing due north and tapping the dipstick as you removed it, wiping it off seven times and reinserting it five times rolling it half a turn each time and if you don't do it exactly the right way something bad will happen and you must start over immediately. OCD is a serious anxiety disorder that destroys your life.

Checking your oil once each morning is not characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts or repetitive behaviors, nor is it damaging your life & relationships.

You don't have OCD. You are checking fluids vital to engine health (especially in the desert!) which is nothing but showing care for vehicles you maintain. Please don't use OCD as a way of describing how you care for your vehicles. It's just as inappropriate as saying you got 'raped' by a high cost repair, 'jewing' someone down on price or administrators acting like 'nazis'.

/soapbox

Originally Posted By: Falcon_LS
This morning, I was checking the oil level on my Mercury and noticed it was half a quart low... So I wiped the dipstick and put it back in, only to get a full reading... I was just wondering why this happens?


Dipstick wasn't fully seated when you pulled it out initially, but was when you reinserted to take the second reading.


I suppose that explains the quote in your signature!

I see where you're coming from, although I really didn't mean it literally. A lot of people barely open their hood, let alone check fluids, so it does come off as rather 'strange' to many.

 

[saberz]

Once a month I check it, at first I checked it often as I'd be checking the coolant res for leaks after repairing it.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: scurvy

True obsessive-compulsive disorder would mean you were forced by looming thoughts of death, destruction, anxiety & fear to check the oil sixteen times in a row, making sure you were facing due north and tapping the dipstick as you removed it, wiping it off seven times and reinserting it five times rolling it half a turn each time and if you don't do it exactly the right way something bad will happen and you must start over immediately. OCD is a serious anxiety disorder that destroys your life.

Checking your oil once each morning is not characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts or repetitive behaviors, nor is it damaging your life & relationships.

You don't have OCD. You are checking fluids vital to engine health (especially in the desert!) which is nothing but showing care for vehicles you maintain. Please don't use OCD as a way of describing how you care for your vehicles. It's just as inappropriate as saying you got 'raped' by a high cost repair, 'jewing' someone down on price or administrators acting like 'nazis'.

/soapbox



This is very true. I have mild OCD. A light switch has to "feel right" when I flick it, or I do it again (and again) until it does. The dipstick has to feel like it went in right... Or I do it again (and again). A network cable has to "click" right, or it goes in again.... RAM has to seat right, or it goes in again....etc.

It can be a bit of a pain at times, but at the same time, I'm pretty confident than when I do something... It is done correctly because of how I am about it. I'm spectacularly anal about torque specs, surface prep....etc. I'm the guy that does the intake torque sequence 15 times because they ALL HAVE TO BE PERFECT OR IT IS GOING TO BREAK!

I have a sister who is the same way. She has to turn a light-switch off a specific number of times, and then she'll tap it X number of times afterwards for it to be "right" before she can walk away from it.

Yet neither of us are neat freaks. Which is often what people think of when they think of people with OCD.

 

[bigmike]

I try to resolve my OCD by replacing it with something that I don't have OCD about. For instance, most of my life I had shag carpet and I vacuumed it twice a week because I couldn't stand the carpet "laying down." Therefore, I replaced it with commercial carpet that can't lay down. Now I vacuum when it is needed.

I've got alot of examples such as this, but you get the point. OCD isn't something that is much fun - it controls you and overtakes your life. You end up not being happy and working alot harder just "to make it right." I've spent alot of time trying to make sure that I can avoid circumstances like this that may hurt me and my relationships with others.

 

[mjoekingz28]

1/2 quart = 1 pint