I learned something about how to check the oil level on my 2016 CR-V last week.

[HowAboutThis]

This is a re-post of something I posted on the Honda CR-V owners forum:

I got 2 free oil changes with my 2016 CR-V EX when I bought it in February of 2020 with 19,877 miles on it. Now in October with 23,558 miles on it the oil life went down to 20 % so I got it changed for free at the Honda dealer last week. Being a regular viewer and poster on the web site BITOG I have read about some of the horror stories other have had with oil changes done at quick lube places and dealers of other brands of vehicles. So after I got the vehicle back, before I would even drive it off the dealers lot, I drove it to a different section of there large property where there was a level piece of ground and checked the oil. I was surprised that the oil did NOT fill in the top hole on the dip stick. I checked it many times, and only one time did the top hole show oil filling it. So I took it back to the service department and went back in and spoke to the woman in charge of the service department. She asked "Did you let it sit for 15 minutes before checking it." I said no. She said "Check it again after it sits for 15 minutes." I said it is not on level ground now. She said that she would have someone pull in in to the staging area where it was flat and let it sit for 15 minutes and then have it checked. So someone pulled it in, shut it off, and let it sit. But shortly after it got in one young man said he wanted to see what the oil level read now. She said you have to let it sit for 15 minutes. But he opened the hood and checked it without waiting and said it reads low. Then about 12 minutes later he read it again and it read OK. He let me check it myself and the top hole was filled with oil when I checked it.

So, along with being on level ground, another thing you have to do to get a good reading on the oil level is to let it sit for 15 minutes without the engine running before you check it, to get an accurate reading. I did not know that before.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Stay safe everyone.

When road tripping I check at every fill. If it shows up on the dipstick within a couple minutes of shutting the car off on the Hondas, Toyotas, and Subarus I've owned it's as good as full, I've found. It's usually about 1/4 to 1/2 on the stick and if I waited it'd be 3/4 to full.

 

[dubber09]

My bud's Porsche wouldn't even show you level on dash (no dipstick) until 30 mins after you fill it with oil.

 

[srfdude]

After driving and the oil is hot, no way should it take more than 1-2 minutes to drain into the pan. Hot oil flows like water! Of course if you change oil and the engine is cold, it will take awhile. Just think of PF's "oil races".

 

[ZeeOSix]

I always wait 15 min before checking the hot oil level, regardless of what the manual says.

 

[tcp71]

From the 2017 F150 owner’s manual. Look at #4 under “engine oil check”. Plenty of 2.7 twin turbo trucks were vastly overfilled by dealers when that engine came out in the F150. With the non cartridge oil filters, the anti drainback was built into the oiling system and needed 15 minutes to get a correct reading. It’s very common on modern vehicles. 1 or 2 minutes is NOT long enough.

 

[nthach]

I usually do an oil check when I refuel, but if I want to be sure I’ll do one when the car’s been sitting idle for an hour or so.

 

[Job]

I rarely check the oil. If I know it isn’t using over time, I figure it’s ok and so far it always is. It usually would be after sitting hours if checked. Others in family never check oil, not on their lives would they.
It would be nice to have a clear window port on the oil pan, with a line at the proper level, and with a camera it could be shown on the dash screen. A maintenance item would be to clean the window and camera. Sort of like on an air compressor pump that have oil sumps. So much cleaner than the dipstick. Feel free to patent this and make millions. I don’t care.