Oil Checks

DannyW · 27 Jun 2007 at 20:45

Hi,

When you check the oil on a car are you supposed to do it when the engine is hot or cold, checked mine about 3 weeks ago was on max, just checked it now (engine been on 5 mins) was in the middle??

Oblivious · 27 Jun 2007 at 20:45

GT3 · 27 Jun 2007 at 20:49

Jez · 27 Jun 2007 at 20:50

MrMatteh · 27 Jun 2007 at 20:51

boiling

but seriously

ideally check when cold/warm and after the engine has been sat for a few mins to allow the oil to settle

Adz · 27 Jun 2007 at 21:07

ideally check when cold/warm and after the engine has been sat for a few mins to allow the oil to settle

Exactly. If you check it immediately after turning off you're going to get a bit of a shock

.

DannyW · 27 Jun 2007 at 21:12

Adz said:
Exactly. If you check it immediately after turning off you're going to get a bit of a shock .

lol yeah thats what I did, ill check again properly tomorrow

Adz · 27 Jun 2007 at 21:16

Having the oil on the max marker isn't generally a good thing though. There should be a little 'notch' described in the handbook which is the optimum level.

marl · 27 Jun 2007 at 21:43

Check when cold and don't overfill as bad for seals.

Dogbreath · 27 Jun 2007 at 22:56

Adz said:
Having the oil on the max marker isn't generally a good thing though. There should be a little 'notch' described in the handbook which is the optimum level.

Pretty much every car I have owned has has Max and Min, nothing else. Keeping it on Max is fine, overfilling it is not such a good idea.

[TW]Fox · 27 Jun 2007 at 23:01

Read your handbook becuase every car is different. Oil level on my Mondeo for example was checked from cold yet the 530i must be checked when warm approx 5 minutes after turning the engine off, on a full moon only when the day is a Wednesday.

Adz · 27 Jun 2007 at 23:03

[TW]Fox said:
Read your handbook becuase every car is different. Oil level on my Mondeo for example was checked from cold yet the 530i must be checked when warm approx 5 minutes after turning the engine off, on a full moon only when the day is a Wednesday.

I just rely on the computer to tell me when I'm out of oil

"Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep"

Adz · 27 Jun 2007 at 23:04

Dogbreath said:
Pretty much every car I have owned has has Max and Min, nothing else. Keeping it on Max is fine, overfilling it is not such a good idea.

Sorry I lie, there isn't a notch, I'm thinking of the notch for min/max. There is however a diagram in the handbook telling you where the oil level should sit between those notches, at least on the cars I've owned

.

thedazman67 · 27 Jun 2007 at 23:55

read the owners manual. Mine states the engine oil should be checked after the engine has been running and been switched off for approximately 5 minutes to allow the oil to drain back into the sump.

thedazman