Checking Motor Oil Level (?)

Should motor oil level be checked with the engine hot, or
cold?

Believe it or not, I can't find that info in either the
owner's manual or the service manual for my 1988 Toyota
pickup (it may be in there, but I didn't find it).
-- Thanks,tbl

"tbl" <hate@ThatSpam.net> wrote in message
news:jnoj72trb7m7q8ba1dt8m399ojhped171q@4ax.com...[color=blue]
> Should motor oil level be checked with the engine hot, or
> cold?
>
> Believe it or not, I can't find that info in either the
> owner's manual or the service manual for my 1988 Toyota
> pickup (it may be in there, but I didn't find it).
> -- Thanks,tbl[/color]

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.

JoeSpareBedroom wrote:[color=blue]
> "tbl" <hate@ThatSpam.net> wrote in message
> news:jnoj72trb7m7q8ba1dt8m399ojhped171q@4ax.com...
>[color=green]
>>Should motor oil level be checked with the engine hot, or
>>cold?
>>
>>Believe it or not, I can't find that info in either the
>>owner's manual or the service manual for my 1988 Toyota
>>pickup (it may be in there, but I didn't find it).
>>-- Thanks,tbl[/color]
>
>
> 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.[/color]

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.





"tbl" <hate@ThatSpam.net> wrote in message
news:jnoj72trb7m7q8ba1dt8m399ojhped171q@4ax.com...[color=blue]
> Should motor oil level be checked with the engine hot, or
> cold?
>
> Believe it or not, I can't find that info in either the
> owner's manual or the service manual for my 1988 Toyota
> pickup (it may be in there, but I didn't find it).
> -- Thanks,tbl[/color]

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




"Phisherman" <noone@nobody.com> wrote in message
news:9u6k72tul1ekdnnct27m220clumbv0crd9@4ax.com...[color=blue]
> 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.[/color]

tbl wrote:[color=blue]
> Should motor oil level be checked with the engine hot, or
> cold?
>
> Believe it or not, I can't find that info in either the
> owner's manual or the service manual for my 1988 Toyota
> pickup (it may be in there, but I didn't find it).
> -- Thanks,tbl[/color]
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?


"tbl" <hate@ThatSpam.net> wrote in message
news:jnoj72trb7m7q8ba1dt8m399ojhped171q@4ax.com...[color=blue]
> Should motor oil level be checked with the engine hot, or
> cold?
>
> Believe it or not, I can't find that info in either the
> owner's manual or the service manual for my 1988 Toyota
> pickup (it may be in there, but I didn't find it).
> -- Thanks,tbl
>[/color]

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. :-)


"AndThenSome" <AndsThenSome@newsgroups.net> wrote in message
news:Tyekg.115934$dW3.112768@newssvr21.news.prodigy.com...[color=blue]
> why not check it when it is hot and when it is cold and see if there is
> really a difference?
>
>
> "tbl" <hate@ThatSpam.net> wrote in message
> news:jnoj72trb7m7q8ba1dt8m399ojhped171q@4ax.com...[color=green]
>> Should motor oil level be checked with the engine hot, or
>> cold?
>>
>> Believe it or not, I can't find that info in either the
>> owner's manual or the service manual for my 1988 Toyota
>> pickup (it may be in there, but I didn't find it).
>> -- Thanks,tbl
>>[/color]
>
>[/color]

On Thu, 15 Jun 2006 14:56:51 GMT, "AndThenSome"
<AndsThenSome@newsgroups.net> wrote:
[color=blue]
>why not check it when it is hot and when it is cold and see if there is
>really a difference?[/color]


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.
--
tbl

"tbl" <hate@ThatSpam.net> wrote in message
news:dh43921uitie5i186gjls3q5el4e3abetj@4ax.com...[color=blue]
> On Thu, 15 Jun 2006 14:56:51 GMT, "AndThenSome"
> <AndsThenSome@newsgroups.net> wrote:
>[color=green]
>>why not check it when it is hot and when it is cold and see if there is
>>really a difference?[/color]
>
>
> 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.
> --
> tbl[/color]

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

"tbl" <hate@ThatSpam.net> wrote in message
news:dh43921uitie5i186gjls3q5el4e3abetj@4ax.com...[color=blue]
> On Thu, 15 Jun 2006 14:56:51 GMT, "AndThenSome"
> <AndsThenSome@newsgroups.net> wrote:
>[color=green]
>>why not check it when it is hot and when it is cold and see if there is
>>really a difference?[/color]
>
>
> 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.
> --
> tbl[/color]

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.

"Mike" <mik@localnet.com> wrote in message
news:Qhhkg.3672$Oh1.2236@news01.roc.ny...[color=blue]
>
> "tbl" <hate@ThatSpam.net> wrote in message
> news:dh43921uitie5i186gjls3q5el4e3abetj@4ax.com...[color=green]
>> On Thu, 15 Jun 2006 14:56:51 GMT, "AndThenSome"
>> <AndsThenSome@newsgroups.net> wrote:
>>[color=darkred]
>>>why not check it when it is hot and when it is cold and see if there is
>>>really a difference?[/color]
>>
>>
>> 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.
>> --
>> tbl[/color]
>
> 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.
>[/color]

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.

On Thu, 15 Jun 2006 17:04:49 GMT, tbl <hate@ThatSpam.net> wrote:
[color=blue]
>On Thu, 15 Jun 2006 14:56:51 GMT, "AndThenSome"
><AndsThenSome@newsgroups.net> wrote:
>[color=green]
>>why not check it when it is hot and when it is cold and see if there is
>>really a difference?[/color]
>
>
>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.[/color]


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.





"AndThenSome" <AndsThenSome@newsgroups.net> wrote in message
news:Tyekg.115934$dW3.112768@newssvr21.news.prodigy.com...[color=blue]
> why not check it when it is hot and when it is cold and see if there is
> really a difference?
>
>
> "tbl" <hate@ThatSpam.net> wrote in message
> news:jnoj72trb7m7q8ba1dt8m399ojhped171q@4ax.com...[color=green]
>> Should motor oil level be checked with the engine hot, or
>> cold?
>>
>> Believe it or not, I can't find that info in either the
>> owner's manual or the service manual for my 1988 Toyota
>> pickup (it may be in there, but I didn't find it).
>> -- Thanks,tbl
>>[/color]
>
>[/color]