Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8
It always amazes me that people make all sorts of deductions from looking at, smelling, rubbing, etc., the oil.
Well yeah. If the oil is gritty, you have something wearing itself out inside the engine. If the oil smells like gas, you have blowby or a fuel system problem. And if the oil is nasty looking, well, that just speaks for itself....because it's probably been a while since it was changed. 35 years of engine experience has shown me that the dipstick is a great tool for determining the condition of an engine at a quick glance.