Where do you keep the oil level on your dipstick?

Engine hot or cold? I always measure with the oil hot and I try and get as close to full as possible for no other reason than it makes it easier to see any changes in level over time. If I then look when the engine is cold then it's typically at or above 2/3 the hash.
 
On our 06 Infiniti M45, which loses 1 qt ~2000 miles, I will add 1 qt every 2000 miles. The dipstick on this car is atypical in that there's about 2qts between the full and low marks. So after 2000 miles, the oil level is about at the midpoint on the dipstick and adding 1 qt gets it back to the full mark.

On our 18 CRV, which is a fuel diluter, I underfill the sump at oil change by about 0.3qt. It's a 3.7qt capacity, so that means I put 3.4qt in. This gets the oil level at about the midpoint on the dipstick. This serves two purposes:
1) the orange tip on the dipstick is super hard to read oil levels on and the fuller it is, the harder it is to tell. At the midpoint, it's easier to see the oil level.
2) it makes it easy for me to track fuel dilution and leaves a little clearance to keep the sump from going beyond the full mark. So if/when the oil level reaches the full mark, I can see how many miles it took to "gain" 0.3qt of fuel and have an estimate of fuel dilution %.
 
Full mark all 5 car's.On fleet I change oil with about less half quart over beacause they dont check their oil level,some half to 2 quart low when oil change due around before 6 months.Full of reminder to check oil regularly oh well one day engine issue's.
 
Half way between the dots is my minimun. Fortunately no current oil users here. (still check it regularly) But I have owned a few in the past.
 
Somewhere between the full line and slightly above the full line going by the lowest oil mark on the dip stick.
I flip it and check both sides.
 
I topped off the oil in my 2008 Silverado (5.3) so my wife could travel several hours to a work visit. It was down a quart. The engine really needed an oil change (Mobil 1 - every 6,500 miles) but got caught short on time. Anyway the next day a lifter began clattering. It ate the cam lobe in short order. Not uncommon on these engines. I’ve often wondered if that new quart of oil loosened some junk that caused the situation but needless to say that 5.3 was done.
 
I fill mine to around the middle of the safe range and it stays there. One time I ran a 5,000-mile oil service interval with the level barely above the low mark and you would never know the difference. If it's in the safe range then it's fine -- this is the recommendation of most manufacturers. The only situations where you really need to keep the oil level at or near the full mark are: oil burner or leaker, severe service usage, participate in racing/competition, or if you tend to push the service interval too far LOL.
 
I'm a bad bad man... I keep the level wherever it happens to be by the time I remember to check it after the initial fill. Sometimes, it's half a quart low. Sometimes, 2 quarts. I also play fast and loose with oil changes. The way I see it, I'm replacing roughly 50% of the system capacity between changes (3 quarts/5k mi) so a 7k mile interval on either 5w30HM or 10w30HM is fine.
 
I try for the top when i change oil. But anything over half way is fine. If i am driving to california from wisconsin I try to change oil before the trip. I always carry a couple quarts spare.
 
I rarely waste my time checking the oil level after the oil change service. Sometimes I don't check the dipstick during the service; just dump in the oil and slam the hood. They don't use oil, so there is little reason to check it. The Tundra and TSX have over 212K. Pretty boring engines...
 
Half way between add and full because Mercedes sent me a bulletin stating this will reduce aeration and oil consumption through the PCV. That was in the 1990s for an inline diesel, but I just got in the habit.
 
Usually about halfway, but it doesn't matter so long as it's maintained between the add and full marks. The engine doesn't know the difference between 4.5 quarts and 5.5 quarts if reasonable service intervals are maintained and the oil is in good condition... and I am not beating the tar out of it LOL.
 
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