my mom has a brand new 4.6 northstar and i pulled the dipstick for the first time today, it read right in the middle of the operating zone. do you guys like your oil level at the top of the range or will the middle be good to go? its probably a full quart to bring it up to the top of the safe zone.
dipstick readings
- Thread starter bigbrother8
- Start date
- Status
Anywhere between the add & full marks is fully safe to drive. I however, like to see the oil level near the full line because it provides me a safety margen in case of an unexpected leak.
I'm with Eddie, I keep it right to the full line.
Frank D
Frank D
Some things to consider:
1) Does the manual say to check it with the engine warm or cold? My Ford F-150 manual says warm (let it drain down for a few minutes after shutdown before checking) and if I check it cold, it reads lower.
2) If it says to check warm and you check it cold, it will read lower. If you fill it to the top when cold, it would then be overfull when hot. Some engines will rapidly burn that overfull oil off. You'll check it again later (cold) and say "Omygosh! it's low," and add some more.
3) When that happens a few times,you'll then be saying, " Ackkk! It's burning oil!" but it really won't be.
4) You might check the oil cold and note the exact position on the stick. Then get the car good-n-toasty, shut it down, let it drain down for five minutes or so then check again and note the level. The oil expands with heat and it will read higher. I do this to give myself a yardstick so that I can check the level hot or cold and know where it's supposed to be hot OR cold.
A small point, but worth checking IMHO.
BTW, I accidentally overfilled my Honda V6 a few years back. I figured, "What the heck, it'll burn off" and drove it for several thousand miles. It didn't burn off like every other engine I've had personal experience with, so I guess there are exceptions!
I'm wishy-washy about topping off. On one hand, you want all the oil that/'s supposed be in there... there. On the other, it's so pedantic to add oil by the cupful and then have opened quarts laying around to oxidize.
1) Does the manual say to check it with the engine warm or cold? My Ford F-150 manual says warm (let it drain down for a few minutes after shutdown before checking) and if I check it cold, it reads lower.
2) If it says to check warm and you check it cold, it will read lower. If you fill it to the top when cold, it would then be overfull when hot. Some engines will rapidly burn that overfull oil off. You'll check it again later (cold) and say "Omygosh! it's low," and add some more.
3) When that happens a few times,you'll then be saying, " Ackkk! It's burning oil!" but it really won't be.
4) You might check the oil cold and note the exact position on the stick. Then get the car good-n-toasty, shut it down, let it drain down for five minutes or so then check again and note the level. The oil expands with heat and it will read higher. I do this to give myself a yardstick so that I can check the level hot or cold and know where it's supposed to be hot OR cold.
A small point, but worth checking IMHO.
BTW, I accidentally overfilled my Honda V6 a few years back. I figured, "What the heck, it'll burn off" and drove it for several thousand miles. It didn't burn off like every other engine I've had personal experience with, so I guess there are exceptions!
I'm wishy-washy about topping off. On one hand, you want all the oil that/'s supposed be in there... there. On the other, it's so pedantic to add oil by the cupful and then have opened quarts laying around to oxidize.
Triple_Se7en
$50 Site Donor 2024
How does a warm oil reading read higher than a cold reading?
Originally Posted By: Triple_Se7en
How does a warm oil reading read higher than a cold reading?
He just explained it to you
Originally Posted By: Jim Allen
4) You might check the oil cold and note the exact position on the stick. Then get the car good-n-toasty, shut it down, let it drain down for five minutes or so then check again and note the level. The oil expands with heat and it will read higher. I do this to give myself a yardstick so that I can check the level hot or cold and know where it's supposed to be hot OR cold.
How does a warm oil reading read higher than a cold reading?
He just explained it to you
Originally Posted By: Jim Allen
4) You might check the oil cold and note the exact position on the stick. Then get the car good-n-toasty, shut it down, let it drain down for five minutes or so then check again and note the level. The oil expands with heat and it will read higher. I do this to give myself a yardstick so that I can check the level hot or cold and know where it's supposed to be hot OR cold.
The oil will not expand enough to show on the dip stick. The oil in the passages may have more time to drain into the sump to make it look that way however.
Most books say to only add oil when it gets down to the 'add' mark. This means to run using just over 80% of the oil capacity. Not something I am confortable doing. Be sure to never overfill it.
Most books say to only add oil when it gets down to the 'add' mark. This means to run using just over 80% of the oil capacity. Not something I am confortable doing. Be sure to never overfill it.
10-4 , thanks guys. ive always ran it at the top of the safe zone but was just wondering what all ya'lls thinking was. as for the hot and cold variations - im not sure but it would think that it wouldn't make too much of a difference if its at the maximum safe level at a cold check, even with the little expansion it shouldnt be that much to blow any seals especially with the oil circulating the system when running.
For 30+ years, more if you count me taking care of my father's cars, I've checked it on level ground first thing in the morning before starting and kept it at the full mark.
Frank D
Frank D
Water expands measureably when heated. So does air. Why wouldn't oil? Check out this chart:
PHP:
http://www.4
physics.com/phy_demo/Galileo_thermometer/galileo-thermometer-d.html
Anyway, don't be lazy. Try it! I have and it seems to hold true on most everything I have looked at. It's not going to go from half a quart low to full, but I haven't seen a car yet that won't change some. How much is variable and probably according to the difference in beginning and ending temps (i.e you won't see much on a 100F day, but you could on a 40 degree day). On my F-150, from 50F to 209F oil temps it was about 1/8 inch on the dipstick. Not sure how much volume that is.
Finally, my main point was just to check it the way the engine mfr says to check it. Hot or cold. How you or your Grampa did it for 30 years is immaterial (unless you are automotive engineers, of course), especially if you may have been doing it wrong.
PHP:
http://www.4
physics.com/phy_demo/Galileo_thermometer/galileo-thermometer-d.html
Anyway, don't be lazy. Try it! I have and it seems to hold true on most everything I have looked at. It's not going to go from half a quart low to full, but I haven't seen a car yet that won't change some. How much is variable and probably according to the difference in beginning and ending temps (i.e you won't see much on a 100F day, but you could on a 40 degree day). On my F-150, from 50F to 209F oil temps it was about 1/8 inch on the dipstick. Not sure how much volume that is.
Finally, my main point was just to check it the way the engine mfr says to check it. Hot or cold. How you or your Grampa did it for 30 years is immaterial (unless you are automotive engineers, of course), especially if you may have been doing it wrong.
Last edited:
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
