Trouble Reading 2018 Civic Dipstick

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It's the orange plastic thingy on the end of the dipstick. I feel like the 0W-20 oil, being so thin, exacerbates the problem.

Seems like by the time I can pull the dipstick out, before I can get it horizontal, the oil has run down to the end, preventing an accurate reading. And then, when I hold it horizontal for a few seconds, it pools in the little trough on the plastic thing.

It's the girlfriend's car. I changed the oil and I'm trying to monitor the level, especially since these are known for fuel dilution.

To me, right now, it seems like it's about 40% of the way from the low mark to the high mark.

Last change was done by the dealer and they overfilled it by a quart. That was obvious. I used the amount called for in the manual (3.7 quarts) when I filled it.

Anyway, I'm attaching some pics.

74A399AC-46C8-4730-9039-C2DA115CA70C.jpeg


B107295F-2C8D-4C87-95BC-FFD1E9D0E086.jpeg


54DB01E4-A23F-42C9-A846-6C17C444E356.jpeg
 
What a strange idea to put a trough on there!

Anyway, as long as it's b/t the black dashes, you'll be fine (and so will the car).
 
Liquids don't flow against gravity. The upper mark is filled, so you are over filled.
I assume you cleaned it off and reinserted and that's what we're looking at.
 
Some Honda 1.5T owners have found that removing the orange plastic bit makes it easier to read with the upper and lower marks still marked with the slots in the metal.

Checking the oil when cold may also make it easier. Agree that it's poorly designed.
 
Add some ArcoGraphite to make it darker
smile.gif


Not a great engineering advance there over the crosshatch textured metal DS. Requires advanced tech education to discern level. Dealer only!
smile.gif


I would check cold after an long sit. Pull strigh up and keep it at a 45 deg below hroizontal. But that may not be practical for you.

Anyway, there appears to be oil on the stick - so you good
smile.gif
 
I just changed the oil in my wife's Civic EX-T this weekend and had exactly the same complaint.

I poured in 3.5 quarts going by the marks on the jug, drove it around for a few minutes, then parked in on a level surface and let it sit for a bit. Even with reading glasses, I still couldn't determine the oil level because of that [censored] orange plastic thing on the dipstick. Fresh Mobil 1 is almost transparent which didn't help, but the only part I could see that looked like it was actually submerged in oil was the tip, yet everything else was wet-ish. I pulled, looked, and wiped it four times and still couldn't tell for certain. I dumped in the remaining half quart, saw that the submerged tip looked a bit higher and decided to call it good enough. What a dumb design.
 
Originally Posted by john_pifer
Seems like by the time I can pull the dipstick out, before I can get it horizontal, the oil has run down to the end, preventing an accurate reading.


If you wipe it off before putting it in, the oil should still leave a wet spot on the highest point even if most of it has run down, and you should be able to differentiate it from the dry area above it. I see oil above the plastic so I'd say its overfilled.
 
Just pull it straight up. Then play a bit with a light reflection (put it at an anlge) and you'll clearly be able to see where the oil stopped. This is really not that hard to read. In your case it appears to be overfilled.
 
Yeah the trough isn't that bad if the stick doesn't have as much oil as it does in the picture.

You need to:
1. Let the oil settle and check the level cold.
2. Wipe the stick clean, then re-insert.

I doubt that the end would have enough oil such that you can't get an accurate reading if you do it on a cold engine after a wipe.
 
Originally Posted by ARCOgraphite

Anyway, there appears to be oil on the stick - so you good
smile.gif



^^ THIS^^

OP,
I think you are overthinking it.
 
Old motorcycle's wrench trick is white touch-up paint or nail polish on the sight gauge of a dipstick to provide some contrast.
 
I roughed up the orange plastic on mine with sandpaper to take the sheen off, to help distinguish the oil sheen vs the plastic sheen...I think it may have help a bit.
 
Do not tilt it back like you're holding it in the pictures, the oil will run up the stick. Pull straight out and read in that position.
 
Originally Posted by MrQuackers
Unless you have a 1994 Celca, you're gonna have nothing but troubles



hehe..I see what you did there.
 
Thanks for all the replies, guys. I'm going to check it cold a few times and report back.

I have no doubt the level is between the L and H marks, so, it's good. I'd just like to be able to know what's going on with the level with a bit more precision. Especially since it's only got around 18,000 miles and I just started doing the oil changes. I need to determine whether it's using any oil, and also whether the level is going up due to fuel contamination.

Usage is a mix of short trips during the week (her commute is only 3 miles one-way), and longer trips on the weekends, with pretty frequent out-of-town trips.
 
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