Maddog

I need your help guys………on a UK MY99.

Yesterday I checked my oil level when the car was semi warm and found the level on the dipstick to be below the minimum. (Car was on the flat and I left it standing for quite a while before checking it).

Left the car overnight and rechecked oil level to find it the same, so after work I purchased the “liquid gold”. (£30 for 4 litres of Mobil One Motorsport).

Car now warm after a good run up the motorway on the way home and once again left car standing on the flat to allow the oil to drain back to sump, only this time oil level was back to normal, (near the upper level).

Left the car a good while again and done a recheck, oil level still showing a normal reading.

Started the car up later (which is now semi warm) and ran for a few minutes, switched off, waited 10 minutes and rechecked. Oil level now showing the same as previous evening i.e. just below minimum.

Took car out round the block to get it warm again and rechecked oil level, no change, still below the minimum.

My question is……eventually!……..should I top up the oil level, or leave it.

Does the Impreza have a baffled sump? and hence i`m obtaining a different reading when I check the oil?

Don`t have any visible leak on ground or undertray and with car only having done 10,000 sympathetic miles (most of the time) I don`t perceive the car is using it. (I checked previous threads and concensus is that oil usage is negligible for healthy Scooby).

Maddog

Nobody checks their oil then?

Sonnyrider

Obviously not

Maddog

Thanks Stef

When I first checked the oil level the previous evening, it was below the minimum and upon rechecking the following morning ( a good 10 hours), it was still below the minimum, yet when I came home from work the next day ( 12 mile journey) and checked the level before I was about to top up, it was showing a normal reading.

I took the car out for 5 mins later on in the evening and rechecked the oil level when I came back.
I checked the oil level to find it was below minimum again even after leaving it for a considerable time.

I have now came home from work today and checked the level again……….it’s showing half full.


What’s going on? Are there baffles in the sump that are holding more oil than others when the oil drains back?……..hence the inconsistent reading?

Stef

I was told it can take ages for a correct oil reading to be given after the engine has been running, up to a few hours.

Stef.

Sonnyrider

The oil expands when warm.

SecretAgentMan

...and when the engine has been running the oil has been "pumped" into it...after some time it'll have resettled in the sump.

:-)

My GT arrives on Wednesday!!!!

Maddog

Thanx for the replies guys.

Sonnyrider.....I knew about expansion when oil was warm but good point anyway...to those that don`t know, there is a notch on your dipstick (OIL LEVEL DIPSTICK!!!) above the full mark to indicate for expansion.

Secretagentman.....I left the oil to settle overnight and still didn`t change.

I have now added what must be less than 1/4 of a litre to the engine ( I didn`t want to run the risk of oil starvation)
and no matter when I check it, it is now showing full. ( Unless its checked immediately after switching off, when it shows half).
My dealer told me to add only small amounts of oil at a time as it is easy to overfill.

Surely the Subaru is not that pernickety, its only a tray to hold oil when it runs off the engine?

[This message has been edited by Maddog (edited 23-04-2000).]

johnfelstead

sounds to me as though you arent pushing the dipstic in fully sometimes.

I know it sounds stupid but on some cars it is very easy to get false readings from the dipstic not being fully home?

JamesS

I had the same worry - checked the oil cold, just below the low level mark.

Checked again next day - was OK. It was the camber of the road where I had parked it.

It would seam the oil level is VERY sensistive to angle. ie car must be on a level road to get a true reading. I know it sounds silly but the car was only `leaning` over by a tiny amount.......

taug6

You'll find that exactly the same happens with the gearbox oil. Make sure that you check the oil levels when the car is on the dead flat.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:<HR>Originally posted by JamesS:
<B>I had the same worry - checked the oil cold, just below the low level mark.

Checked again next day - was OK. It was the camber of the road where I had parked it.

It would seam the oil level is VERY sensistive to angle. ie car must be on a level road to get a true reading. I know it sounds silly but the car was only `leaning` over by a tiny amount.......[/quote]