Problem with GC

[LarryL]

Just did my first oil change with GC gold, and there is a problem. The oil is the color of my dip stick and on my 03 4Runner I can't read the oil level accurately. It is just about impossible to see where the oil level is on that gold colored dipstick. Any great ideas and an easy way to read the dip stick.

 

[ewetho]

I have seen that after watching the guys use a bilstein engine flush machine. Carefully I guess. Will darken a little after few miles but will be a problem again next oil change. Hardships of great oil. Oh well.

 

[oilyriser]

I had a black disptick. Sandpaper and a solvent rinse cured the problem. It took a lot of work to sand off the blackening effect, though.

 

[G-MAN]

Just look around and find a pile of dog poo and stick the end of the dipstick in it. Then stick it in the engine and check the oil.

 

[Cooper]

Usually a dipstick isn't as shiny as the motor oil. Why is it an issue? Look at the dipstick in a different light, does it have any fluid on it?

 

[craigq]

Did you try getting a reading off of the other side of the dipstick ? Periodically I can't get a good reading off of the front side so I rotate the dip stick and the oil level is easier to see on the reverse side.

 

[John Hilmer]

It ain't easy is it? I've got the same problem with my '03 ECHO. Clean oil on that plastic yellow/orange stick is just about invisable. I've settled on removing the stick, wiping it dry, wait about 3 minuets or so, (I had trouble with the stick dragging oil into the tube) dipping and removing said stick and looking for a light angle that would reveal what was wet and what wasn't. I still have troubles with this. John

 

[LarryL]

I've tried everyting, both sides, flash light, bight sunlight, at night with the garage light, at night with the flash light, and maybe it'll be better with the oil darkens a bit.

 

[John Hilmer]

Now you have me wondering if there might be a safe way to add color to aid in this dilema. The GC stays so clean looking for so long it really is a problem. I'm 6K into a 10K OCI and I still have a very hard time seeing where I'm at for sure. John

 

[LarryL]

Where are the professional oil mixers on this board? Adding a dye sounds like a good idea.

 

[RichD]

You guys can't be serious. Clean the dipstick with a rag, insert fully, remove and see the level. If you can't tell what area is "wet" with oil and what area is dry, step away from the car, you shouldn't be allowed to do any maintenance on it whatsoever. :-) Regards, Rich

 

[JAG]

I'd take a little piece of paper and place the edge of it above the oil line and slowly push it towards the oil line. When the paper quickly soaks up oil, that is the spot. On some engines with clean oils, it is very difficult to see the line. Rich, you've just gotten lucky so far!

 

[gasguzzler]

What I usually do is get a piece of Scott shop towel (blue colored), fold the towel around the end of the dipstick with the oil and press down on both side of the towel. This allows the oil to be absorbed into the towl. Since the towel is blue, the part that absorbed the oil becomes darker than the rest of the towel. Obviously this doesn't work too well if there is a lot of oil on the dipstick so I do this a couple time to get an average reading. Seems to work fine for me.

 

[RichD]

Luck has nothing to do with it, I have a number of vehicles where the oil is a similar color as the dipstick. Point is, you should be able to see wet oil on an otherwise dry dipstick regardless of the color if you have decent lighting. Regards, Rich

 

[John Hilmer]

RichD, thanks for your very helpfull post. Obviously you don't have the same troubles that Larry and I do. I could take some pictures to show that the plastic stick I have is also very glossy and that adds to the frustration, but I'm sure it isn't worth the effort given your perspective. Jag & GG, thanks, I've tried this and it does help but I have to wait a bit between extracting the stick and taking the reading as the tube seems to re-wet the stick from the oil dragged into it unless I let it purge itself for a few minuets. I decided against doing this at a gas station, I get ugly stares for being slow. I don't loose oil so I just check it on the weekend. It really isn't as easy as it seems it should be. I can see where you folks might see this as ridiculous, it isn't. I have no troubles with reading the wifes Camry level, it is metal. John

 

[RichD]

John Hilmer wrote > > RichD, thanks for your very helpfull post. (I sense a bit of sarcasm) :-) I admit it wasn't terribly helpful. > Obviously you don't have the same troubles that > Larry and I do. No, indeed I don't, I have a variety of dipsticks in various cars and equipment and haven't exactly encountered that much difficulty currently or in the past. I guess I would need to see one of these glossy color matching dipsticks. What car typically has these? LarryL mentions his '03 4Runner and my brother has one that I can check. You have an ECHO but I don't know anyone with one of those. This appears to be a Toyota issue? Maybe they are overengineering/finishing their dipsticks with too fine a finish and hence the problem. :-) I'll check out my brother's 4Runner. Regards, Rich

 

[trooper99]

Repaint the dipstick with some high temperature flat paint. Not sure if the additives in the oil will desolve the paint or not, but there shouldn't be much paint on a small dipstick anyway. Might be worth a try. -Mike

 

[t0ked]

If the plastic dipstick is too shiny, why not just sand it down a bit with something rough (across the short way, not up and down the stick as capillary action might draw the oil up) clean it up real good and go from there?

 

[GMorg]

Dye, baby, dye: http://www.autobarn.net/tratp3400060.html

 

[Terry]

Larry, G-o-d Bless ya. I procured a new set of bifocals and that helped me.