Oil Dipstick problem 1.8L Corolla '97

[mitch01]

Hi, over the past couple yearrs I been monitoring an oil loss problem.

I've noticed that on more than one ocassion when i've added oil and the level was slightly below the Add Line it took 2 quarts to bring the level to the Full line. I've always waited half hour after running the engine for my oil to drain to the crankcase. Its finally occurred to me that somewhere in the life of my car the wrong dipstick may have been inserted into the tube.

Can someone with a 1.8 L Corolla engine help me by doing the following?

Measure from the end of your dipstick to the Add line, measure from Add to Full marks, and measure the Entire length of your dipstick? I'd like to compare the measurements with mine.

I'd be very grateful if someone could help me with this ,

thanks

Mitch

[kevmac]

Take a picture. Don't know for sure on the 1.8 but the dipstick is flat all the way through on the 1.6. I believe the difference between low and high is only 4 to 6 oz based on memory.

This photo shows the same color and shape as mine. The fill gauge is longer on this one though:


Don't overfill! Check the Haynes book for quantity and go from there. I use about 4 quarts because I have an oversized filter. The stock 1.6 used 3 quarts + ~5 oz.

[Bitter]

my 7afe dipstick was a cable with a thing at the end with cross hatch, not a flat metal stick. hope that helps.

[mitch01]

Sorry it took so long for me to get back to you. The oil level has finally reached the add line. I just added one Qt and now the level is about 2/3's the distance between Add and Full. So here I am again, either the manual is wrong and about a qaurt and a half is represented between the Add and Full lines or I have an incorrectly marked dipstick. I guess, since no one has offered measurements on a 1.8 stick for comparison, all I can do is buy a new one and compare.

thanks

Mitch

[mitch01]

when you say that "the difference betweeen low and high is 4-6 OZ" , do you mean the difeerence between low and High on the 1.6 and 1.8?

thanks again,

Mitch

[kevmac]

Here's what you must do:

change your oil and filter and add exactly the amount that is required. Then compare that to your dipstick. For 1.8L, Haynes says 3.7 quarts (~4) so if you add nearly 4 quarts, where is the dipstick (after running the engine a minute to fill the oil filter)?

BTW, your checking the oil after the engine is off for a few minutes, right?

[trife96]

Originally Posted by Bitter

my 7afe dipstick was a cable with a thing at the end with cross hatch, not a flat metal stick. hope that helps.

They had two variations of the dipstick but they are the essentially the same. Same length. I would make sure you don't have a leak somewhere. Also keep in mind these cars do tend to burn a little bit of oil.

[mitch01]

kevmac, on next oil change I will add 4 qts (with a new filter) and note the level. I assume that wherever the level ends up on the dipstick, that is the correct Full line?

Thanks trife96. Still if anyone has the supposed different 1.8 L dipstick, I'd like to know its length, the distance from the bottom to the Add mark and the distance from the Add mark to the Full mark. Surely someobody here has one and can help me remove this as a possible source of error?

thanks for your helpful comments and ideas,

Mitch

[kevmac]

Maybe one of these pros can tell the exact oil fill quantity at change with a stock size filter on a 1.8L.

[Bitter]

i've always put in 4qts after filling the filter and had it just a hair above full.

[mitch01]

I just finished filling the engine up to the full line and it took exactly 2 qts from Add to Full.

mitch