Dry Dipstick story

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
An old BMW using a quart every 2K or so?
Nothing unusual in that.


That's what I was thinking. On top of that, who knows what type of oil and viscosity range was in the sump anyway.

Some manufacturers like Subaru are putting low oil level indicators in their cars now. My 2014 XV Crosstrek has warned me a few times when it was a quart low.

 

[fdcg27]

Kind of a shame that a new engine is using enough oil that adds are required, although it was never unusual for a Subaru to drink a little oil.

 

[JTK]

Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Kind of a shame that a new engine is using enough oil that adds are required, although it was never unusual for a Subaru to drink a little oil.


I hear you. I know some owners don't think the recommended 0w20 has anything to do with it, but I have a hard time getting on that bandwagon. I've got 5w20 in it now (did an OC ~500mi ago) and I may go to 5w30 if it persists.

 

[fdcg27]

How much is it using?
I have read of relatively high consumption in some of the newer Subarus, and 0W-20 may be part of the cause.
OTOH, our newer Accord uses no noticeable amount of 0W-20 on drains per the MM out to 8K+.
We have two cars with earlier Subaru engines and both use more oil than the typical Honda has in our experience.
The '09 goes through a quart of 5w30 every 5.5K or so, while the '99 2.2 takes around a quart every 2K or so.
Neither engine has any oil leaks of any note, so I'm guessing that a little oil consumption is not unusual with these engines.

 

[wrcsixeight]

Update:

22 months later, I hear same BMW M3 coupe start up, Clickety clack clack clack whirrwhirr clack.

I run outside waving my arms, telling absent minded professor neighbor to cut the engine, its low on oil again.

He parks shuts down, hops in his other vehicle, BMW sits for 3 days.

Today, I notice 2 5 quart jugs of M1 5w30 a funnel and a rag sitting next to vehicle. A gust blows through, and one of the jugs blows over. I sprained an eyebrow.

Later I see neighbor, he says it took a whole 5 quart jug before reading full on the dipstick!!!

He then jumps in starts it up and the clickety clack clack goes away in about 3 seconds, and he drove off with a slight tapping, and thanks me for saving his engine, again.

I have no idea when he last had oil changed, as neither did he.

 

[callbay]

I stopped near where I live to help a 20 something gal that had her hood up. She said the engine started making a lot of noise. I checked the dipstick and it showed nothing.

I told her I had some oil at home and I would go bring it to her. When I got back she said is it Pennsoil. I said no it's not. She said that was what the oil change sticker said it had in it.

I tried to tell her that another brand would be fine and tons better than almost no oil at all but she would not listen. Sound familiar?

Anyway she drove off without my oil I offered her for free.

 

[PierreR]

Originally Posted By: Smoky14
In the early 1980's Yamaha stopped putting oil pressure warning lights on their motorcycles and went with a low oil level light.
So few engines are lost to oil pressure compared to low oil level that they made the change.

Makes me wonder why autos don't do the same.

Smoky


Jeep had both in the 93 grand cherokee.
93 was also the only year that had the oillevel sensor 94 and up did not have it for some reason.
The low oil warning light was in the VIC panel (vehicle information centre) in the center console.
When the oil level is below add on the dipstick it makes a square (supposed to be the engine) flash red and it will beep at you to look down at it.
The oilpressure gauge is in the instrumentcluster, dont know if newer ones still has it.

My brother came and asked me a few years ago if it was normal for the oillight in his volvo740 turned on when he turned left or right on the road.
I said no and went out with him opened the hood and pulled the dipstick and guess what, it was dry.
So we added first 1L, nothing showed up same at 2L, at 3 it started to show a little and after 4L in it it was at full.
That engine took 4L of oil if the filter was not replaced...

A coworker i had a long time ago came in to me and the other person who worked there and asked us if we could take a look at his chrysler voyager v6 because it didnt sound right when he started it (he was smart enough to stop it again after he heard the noise)
So we opened the hood and pulled the stick and it was dry.
We started to add oil to it and i dont remember how much oil those engine have in them but i belive we looked it up afterwards that we had added about as much oil as those engines are supposed to have in them.

 

[andyd]

My 30 yr old 528e came with a LOL light. Light goes off at a qt low. Also a L coolant light.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

Don't even know where to look for the dipstick. I check all fluid levels, tire pressure and brake lights every Sunday morning. And wouldn't you know it, visited a cemetery with family members about a year ago and sister in law pulls up behind me and tells me a brake light is out.Two bulbs in a pack so now I have a spare in the trunk. Has to be the first bulb I have replaced on a Toyota and/or Honda in thirty years.

 

[callbay]

When I was 16 my sister brought home an old rusty Triumph TR3. She had borrowed it from a boyfriend.

Being a young car enthusiast I asked her if I could take it for a spin. I did and I really took it through it's paces (drove it like I stole it).

After I got back I checked the oil. None showing on the stick! I added some till it showed full. I looked up the capacity and subtracted what I put in and it had only one quart in it.

Another one-

My son was given an older portable generator/welder by a friend. He started it and ran it to show me how it sounded. It has a V twin Wisconsin engine.

After he shut it down I checked the oil and it showed none on the stick. I drained out the oil and it had one cup of oil and it looked like it had some water in it.

Here is the shocker. The engine has a low oil shutoff! The wire was even connected.

 

[pandus13]

my '95 mercury mystique

first time we bought it, we went to an independent and change the oil.

wife heard some noises (1/2 year after and about 2,600 miles), neighbor check dipstick = none.

he give us 1 qt, and help us over the weekend to change the oil + filter, and got me started next weekend on back brake pads and windshield wiper-blades replacement and teach me how to check and fill tires pressure

Thank you Adrian wherever you may be

cause: rusty dipstick tube