do ya do this when engines warm or cold

had a garage do an oil change i think they have over filled

got 2 holes on the dipstick take it this is lower and higher levels

then a bit higher is a notch whats this for ??

 

hi mate

best way is to check it when cold, try and get as flat and level surface as you can

first hol is minimum

second hole is max

the notch is when the engine is at full temperature i.e. hot, the oil should be there (just in case you check it after a drive . note here ive heard you should wait 5mins before pulling the dipstick so it settles)

this is my understanding, someone will correct me

 

Yup, best check any engine oil when engine is cold, and on level surface. The Impreza takes around 4.5 litres of oil at best, so if they pumped 5 into it then yes over filled, and could give you more running problems than you need. The dip stick levels are always a little confusing, but use the dimples as a min and max, and stay just shy of the upper most mark (furthest from the end).

 

You can do it when the engine is warm or cold, most useful time is probably about five minutes after switch off - so everything's still hot, but the oil flung around the crankcase and heads has had a chance to drain back to the sump.

The notch is supposed to be the absolute maximum allowable hot oil level. In practice though allowing it to get near that high tends to result in a lot being vented. If your hot level is above the top hole at the moment, draining a bit might not be a bad idea.

 

thanks for the replys boys its off back to garage definatly sounds like it has to much in