Dipstick, screw in or not?

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I have a Coleman Powermate generator with a Tecumseh HM-100 engine. The dipstick is on the upper threaded oil plug.

If you screw the dipstick in all the way, and then unscrew it to read it you will get a different reading compared to just placing the same dipstick in the hole and removing it. The difference is about as much as the low to high oil levels on the dipstick.

So the question is should you screw the dipstick in all the way and then unscrew it to get the reading of how high the oil level is, or should you simply place the dipstick in the hole without screwing it in, to get the reading of the oil level?

I looked in my Tecumseh manual but it does not give that detail.

Please include any reference from any manual you have regarding which way is the proper way to take this oil level measurement.

Thanks in advance for any reply.
 
Normal method is to not screw it in, but I confess I do not have your engine just lots of years with lots of OPE.

Any manual that does not state which way is very poor.
 
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With my Honda mower you unscrew the dipstick but when checking the level you push the dipstick in until it bottoms out but you don't screw it in.
 
Having to unscrew the dipstick, pull it out, wipe it, insert it, screw it down again, unscrew it, pull it and read the level is way too much work, so I'll say you unscrew the dipstick, pull it, wipe it, plunge it in, pull it out, check level, stick it back in and screw tight. I'm now dizzy. You could call the manufacturer to make sure.
 
Why not simply take a reading both ways, find a comfortable for you oil level, then measure without screwing it in?
 
Similar issue with my GF's Yamaha Breeze scooter at the moment. I say screw out, but it's a bit of a soap opera (see below, if you're not busy).

Last week, had the usual required row about the 1 minute delay caused by my insisting on checking the oil level on GF's scooter before letting her start it, which I try and do every month or two, because she would run it empty.

E.G.

"I don't see the point" ses she

"That's because you are a Taiwanese idiot" ses I , (Silver-Tongued Cavalier stylee)

Anyway, level was OK, but it was a bit black, which I mentioned to her.

This week, she tells me she's taken it to Yamaha, who said the oil was VERY DIRTY (An exaggeration, and apparently somehow my fault) and it was overfilled.

According to her, the mechanic said that checking the oil cold (which I do) will result in an under-reading, and you should check it hot after the engine has run up to temperature.

This sounds the wrong way around, so she probably just reversed what the mechanic said on the assumption that I must be doing it wrong.

It does seem likely that the mechanic said it was overfilled though.

When I started checking the oil I wasn't sure whether you should read the dipstick screwed in or not. The consensus view is not, which of course gives a higher fill level.

Perhaps Yamaha mechanics (rightly or wrongly) don't follow the consensus?
 
Tecumseh doesn't exist anymore.They are done.Certified Parts Corp owns whats left of that wretched company.
 
During operation, the dip stick is screwed in. That's the way I would take an oil level reading.
 
Is this an engine where you can see the oil in the sump with the stick removed?

I remember when those didn't have sticks, and you were supposed to just fill them until they dribbled out the hole... on a NASA-certified level surface, of course.

You could always put in the rated amount of oil then see where the stick lands and how you have to manipulate it to make it right.
 
Originally Posted By: eljefino


You could always put in the rated amount of oil then see where the stick lands and how you have to manipulate it to make it right.


That's what we did with my parents' new lawnmower. There are no instructions for operating the dipstick. In the case of their lawnmower, with the rated capacity, it has to be screwed in all the way to read
 
Thing that gets me with my "chondas" is that the fill hole/ dipstick is at a 45 degree angle with the base, so to put the stick in, halfway, unthreaded, you need a steady hand to get the stick at the same 45 degree angle. There's nothing to align it better until you "bottom out" but even bottomed out you can shear sideways and mess up the reading.

TL;DR it also has a low oil sensor, so, who cares? An $89 engine has this but a $10k saturn will burn off all its oil and throw a rod, by comparison.
wink.gif
 
On any OPE engine I've owned with a screw-in dipstick, you didn't need to screw the dipstick in for an oil level check. The old push-in ones were no brainers. Certainly can't have that.
 
LOL, one of those "no definitive answer" threads for the specific engine the OP is asking about.

Like others here, my workplace OPE that DOES address this issue always state to measure without the dipstick screwed in. This doesn't mean that the OP's engine is the same.

I just dealt with this same issue on a 10 year old Craftsman mower my adult daughter inherited. Nothing in the owners manual. I shot for halfway in between the two methods. A tad above the low mark when unscrewed. A bit above the high mark when screwed in.
 
Originally Posted By: JimPghPA
Please include any reference from any manual you have regarding which way is the proper way to take this oil level measurement.

Thanks in advance for any reply.


It took me less than 30 seconds to find this information for Briggs and Stratton engines. I've always checked those types of engines with the dipstick seated or tightened.

Quote:
If the engine includes a dipstick cap, remove the dipstick and wipe it with a clean cloth. To ensure an accurate reading, reinsert the dipstick completely. Then, remove it again and check the oil level. If the dipstick cap is a screw-in type, ensure an accurate reading by screwing in all the way before removing it a second time to check the level. The oil mark on the dipstick should be between the lines shown on the dipstick (image C)
. It should never be above the FULL line or below the ADD line.


Link

And another 30 seconds to find this from Tecumseh.

Quote:
I. Oil Fill Cap/Dipstick
If your engine has an oil fill cap/dipstick go to step 1. If your
engine does NOT have an oil fill cap/dipstick, see "II. Oil Fill
Cap/Plug" instructions below.
1. Be sure engine is upright and level.
2. Unscrew oil fill cap/dipstick from oil filler tube and wipe
dipstick clean. See Figures 8 and 9.
3. Screw oil fill cap/dipstick back into oil filler tube. Tighten
securely.
4. Unscrew and remove oil fill cap/dipstick from oil filler
tube. Note oil level. If oil reading on dipstick is below
“ADD” mark, slowly add oil to reach “FULL” level. See
Figure 7 on page 4. Afterward, continue reading
instructions below.

5. Screw oil fill cap/dipstick back into oil filler tube.
Tighten securely.
6. Wipe away any spilled oil.
 
My Honda mower book indicates to not screw the stick back in. My Briggs genset engine has NO dipstick, TWO filler caps, and the oil is supposed to be up to the bottom of the fill pipe opening.
 
This thread has me thinking. I need to read the manual on my Deere STX30. I've always screwed it in before reading, just assumed that the stick should be fully seated.

With that said, I've been checking the oil and maintaining the level in this manner for the last 6-7 years and the thing still runs like a top and uses no oil.
 
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