Checking Motor Oil Level (?)

I've never noticed a difference. BUT: Wait 5-10 minutes after shutting off the engine before checking it, so it's got time to drain from upstairs to downstairs. My Taurus used to read 1/2 quart low if I checked it right after shutting off the engine. Never tried it with the Tacoma.

Back when I worked in a service station (1965 or so), we started the gas and washed the windows before we popped the hood to check the oil. That usually gave enough time for everything to drain back into the crankcase.

Remember when they were "service" stations, not just "gas" stations? Maybe calling them convenience stores with gas pumps would be a kinder term... :>))

Tom - Vista, CA

On my Tundra I had a difficult time getting used to the (extra) long dipstick. Oil would drip down the stick making it difficult to read the oil level. I learned to wipe the stick clean, insert it back for minute, then gently remove the stick and read it. Park your vehicle on a level surface. It doesn't make a difference if the oil is hot or cold.

I like to make the check on a cold motor because the oil has a chance to drain. But, there is no reason you can't check a warm motor if you wait for the oil to drain.

PS The wait time is about a minute.

One should always pull the stick, wipe it, then insert it again to pull for the reading.

You will get a more true reading after the oil has drained out of the engine and into the sump, but it isn't that big a deal. A fraction of a quart of difference in the level makes no functional difference except at the very bottom.

If cold oil sticks to the dipstick better, check that. With very clean oil, sometimes the best way to see the level is to pull the stick and immediately lay it on its side on a piece of cloth. The cloth will absorb the oil to the level on the stick and be more visible.

Ken

why not check it when it is hot and when it is cold and see if there is really a difference?

You mean, conduct a simple experiment and trust what you see with your own eyes? That's insane! Better to spend a month finding real knowledge on the internet. :-)

Actually, that's why I'm here. When I check it cold, it's near full, when I check it hot, within a minute or so of shutting down, it's *way* low.

So my question is, did the designers intend (design for) the oil to be checked quickly after shutdown, like used to be done in gas-stations in the US, or after the oil has had time to dribble back down into the pan?

I was very surprised not to find this in the owner's manual, given that it makes such a big difference.

For every car I've ever owned in 35 years, the manual has said to check when cold.

It shouldn't make any difference hot or cold, but if the engine has been run you need to wait a few minutes for it to drain back to the pan.

That sentence is a contradiction. It *does* take time for the oil to drain back into the pan, therefore it *does* make a difference. In some engines, it can mean a reading that's off by quite a bit.

I found my Tundra oil stick very difficult to check. The point is that it shouldn't be. When the engine is warm, oil tends to make reading the oil accurately nearly impossible. The tube that the stick goes into is long and turns direction so while the stick is moving in the tube oil is smeared all over it making it difficult to read. Plus I'm disappointed with the procedure to change the oil. Instead, vehicle designers are too busy working on the appearance rather than making the vehicle easier to maintain. But, maybe that's what most Americans really want--a good-looking vehicle. BTW, I didn't buy my

2006 Tundra because of its appearance; in fact, I think its rather ugly compared to other trucks.

You guys are spending far too much energy on this.

You are never going to pour in part of a quart of oil.

When you stop for gas, lift the hood after the pump starts and check the oil. the time from when the engine is switched off to the time you fuss with the credit card machine or cash eater, then start the pump is more than enough for the oil to drain to the crankcase enough to know if you need add a quart, or not. And, if you feel that you need a quart, and a cup still remains to drain down to the crankcase, it isn't going to matter in the grand scheme of things.

If you lift the hood on Saturday morning to do the semi-annual glance, then pull the stick and see what it says. You won't have to worry about the errant cup of oil that hasn't drained to the bottom yet, because all of the oil that matters will have drained several hours ago.

Thanks Joe!

No it's not.

It *does* take time for the oil to drain

I think I mentioned that above.

therefore it *does* make a difference.

No it doesn't. The OP asked if the oil level should read the same on the dipstick with the eng hot vs cold. Hot or cold engine, the oil level should still read the same. If the engine was just shut off you may need to wait a few minutes so that all the oil drains back to the pan but it should still read full on the dipstick

In some engines,

Oh...OK. You're choosing to focus on temperature, and based on that, what you're saying is true. However, my guess is that everyone else here understands that for purposes of THIS discussion, "hot engine" means "I just turned it off". Time, in other words.