dip stick

I check my oil at every fill-up, as well as change my own oil, and I don't remember my '05 having the problem. I know the bend you mention, so it has the same dip stick.

Have you tried twisting the dip stick to the limits of the tube curve to see if you scrape less oil on the way out?

One question that came to my mind reading your post was how many people have never checked their own oil?

My 07 has the exact same problem. I recently changed the oil and checked it a number of times after the job, never getting a decent reading. Finally, just trusted that I had put in the proper amount by the capacity listing, less about a third of a quart.

I figured that if I let it sit overnight, it would read better. Nope, same thing.

I've had other vehicles that did this, but usually they would always have a spot where the oil went all the way around the dipstick. This is the hardest stick to read I've ever had.

Frank

Yes. Toyota has a bad problem with oil dip sticks. With your vehicle resting on level ground allow it to cool for a half hour. Wipe off the stick, insert all the way, wait a second, then pull out. Usually one side shows a good reading, the other not. If you want to try it again, wait a half hour. At least that works for my Tundra.

I went out and checked my '05 tonight.

If I twist the stick certain ways, I can duplicate the problem you guys are seeing. If I get it JUST right, and keep the ring parallel to the radiator as I remove and insert, I only get the false strip along one side. As I was checking I remembered my early oil checks two years ago, and remembered that it took a bit of getting used to. The motion seems to have become automatic over time.

I had a vehicle years ago, that had a stiff, braided cable for a dip stick, with only about a 6" half-round or flat section at the bottom. Don't hold me to it, but it might have been a Ford HiCube truck with a

their auto transmission dipsticks have the same problem.

: >I've got an interesting problem with my 2007 Tacoma Access Cab. The V6 : >engine oil dipstick tube is not straight (by design, it seems). When I go : >to check the oil level, there is a lot of oil all up and down the dipstick. : >I can't get a very accurate reading at all. : >

: >I've tried to clean the tube by pushing a string down it and hoping it would : >absorb the oil there but that didn't work. I don't want to try using a : >piece of cloth attached to the string fearing that if the piece of cloth : >came loose and got into the crankcase, there's be hell to pay with the oil : >pump, etc. : >

: >Anybody have the same problem? Anybody have any ideas? : >

: >Thanks for reading. : : : Yes. Toyota has a bad problem with oil dip sticks. With your vehicle : resting on level ground allow it to cool for a half hour. Wipe off : the stick, insert all the way, wait a second, then pull out. Usually : one side shows a good reading, the other not. If you want to try it : again, wait a half hour. At least that works for my Tundra.

Thanks to all who responded.

Bearman