Trouble reading the dipstick..?

[hate2work]

I changed my truck over to the Amsoil ASL 5w-30 synthetic oil, and I can't find it on the dipstick!! I mean, it's there when I run my finger down it, but I really can't see where it's at on the dipstick!!

Thanks to Hermann for helping me with putting the right amount in, as I would have over filled it had I gone by the OM.

Does anybody else have this same problem? Is there a trick of the trade that would help? The dipstick is silver, would it help to color it?

TIA~

 

[Audi Junkie]

dab it with some paper to see the level. checking it cold helps too.

 

[jorton]

Pull out the dipstick for several seconds before checking the level so that any oil in the tube can drain down into the pan. Then check the level and lay the stick on a piece of paper like AJ said.

Or, wait a month or two to check the level when the oil is a little darker.

 

[hate2work]

Originally Posted By: jorton
Pull out the dipstick for several seconds before checking the level so that any oil in the tube can drain down into the pan. Then check the level and lay the stick on a piece of paper like AJ said.

Or, wait a month or two to check the level when the oil is a little darker.


I don't think the dipstick is impeding the "oil in the tube" from draining down. But it does seem to pick up some residual oil when it's pulled out. Not so much when it's cold though.

Waiting for the oil to darken to check the level after an OC? Not sure about that one...

 

[zonestar]

Good to read others have this problem. I thought it was because of maybe needing new glasses. I have found it helps if there is a lot of daylight. I have about decided to drill some small holes in mine.

 

[Paul56]

I have a similar issue reading mine for the first X number of miles after an oil change.

I need to hold it up to the light and twist it back and forth so I can see the oil "bubble" on the stick. Where it stops "bubbling" and ends with a line across the stick is where the oil level is at. I know... very unscientific and unsophisticated. When I'm driving the car I go through this ritual *several* times in a week. I'm sure the initiated around me wonder what the heck I'm doing.

 

[hate2work]

I'm finding others on the web with the same problem.

One guy who has the same engine as I do simply puts in 6 quarts and calls it good. Keep in mind that the dealership says 5.5 is full and the OM says it takes 6.1 quarts to fill it.

Since I put in the 5.5 quarts as recommended by my dealer, obviously I have a half a quart left.

What are the ramifications of me simply adding that last half quart and possibly overfilling by a small amount?

TIA~

 

[Patman]

My dipstick on my 98 Corvette is virtually useless. For the first couple of years I had the car I didn't think it burned any oil, because the dipstick would always show full. But then I decided to start measuring exactly how much oil came out at the end of every oil change, and found out that it actually uses about a quart every 4000 miles.

So all I do now is wait until I'm at the halfway point of my OCI (50% on my OLM that is) and add a quart. At the end of the interval I'm usually still down a little bit from the 7qts I initially put in, but that's already a half quart over capacity anyhow.

 

[Patman]

Originally Posted By: hate2work

I'm finding others on the web with the same problem.

One guy who has the same engine as I do simply puts in 6 quarts and calls it good. Keep in mind that the dealership says 5.5 is full and the OM says it takes 6.1 quarts to fill it.

Since I put in the 5.5 quarts as recommended by my dealer, obviously I have a half a quart left.

What are the ramifications of me simply adding that last half quart and possibly overfilling by a small amount?



Shouldn't hurt a thing. As I mentioned in my post above, I run a half quart over in my Corvette (and have even gone a full quart over many times with no problems) and in my wife's car I would typically put in 4.0L of oil, even though the manually calls for only 3.6L. In fact, on the last oil change I poured the entire 4.4L jug in and it hasn't caused a problem. I just didn't see the point of saving that last 0.4L of oil from the big jug (especially since I wanted to use that empty jug to put the used oil into)

 

[hate2work]

OK, thanks for that, Patman

 

[Bryanccfshr]

I do the same with my vehicles hate2work. My tacoma takes 5.5 and the jeep 6. They both get 6. Like Patman I use my emptly oil containers to take the used oil to recycle. It is also an excellent way to monitor consumption compared to a dipstick.

 

[hate2work]

Originally Posted By: Bryanccfshr
I do the same with my vehicles hate2work. My tacoma takes 5.5 and the jeep 6. They both get 6. Like Patman I use my emptly oil containers to take the used oil to recycle. It is also an excellent way to monitor consumption compared to a dipstick.


OK, good point, thanks for that, Bryan

 

[Hermann]

Hate2work, Glad the info helped. The Tacoma dipstick is a real bugger to read. I found that a pair of high power reading glasses (3.5's) that I have for reading fine print sure does help also. I can usually start seeing mine on the stick by 600 miles without the extreme magnification.

 

[TallPaul]

My motorhome dipstick is hard to read, but now that I drilled several tiny holes in the stick, it's easy.

 

[jorton]

Originally Posted By: hate2work
Originally Posted By: jorton
Pull out the dipstick for several seconds before checking the level so that any oil in the tube can drain down into the pan. Then check the level and lay the stick on a piece of paper like AJ said.

Or, wait a month or two to check the level when the oil is a little darker.


But it does seem to pick up some residual oil when it's pulled out.


Dipstick has o-rings near the T handle. Works like holding your finger on top of a straw.