mrtheedge2u2

Seen a few different methods.......leave car for 5 mins to cool down and then check. Check from cold, check when warm......

what is the best way to accurately check your oil level?

Graz

I can check it on the iDrive, even tells me when it needs topping up

Allan

iTrader: (1)

Run from cold for 20 sec, check level within 30 sec, well that's on my car anyway

Broomer

It doesn't matter too much to be honest, but from cold is going to be the most accurate as that's the time when all of the oil that can drain back into the sump is going to be there.

The worst time to check is just after switching the engine off, especially if it's cold!

billythekid

Lots of ways - for lots of engines.
Best bet is to read your handbook.

ditchmyster

iTrader: (7)

The old fashioned way is to check it when it's warm, i do it when i get home after a run every week or so, leave it for 15/20 min on a flat surface so most of it has drained back to sump, then check it a couple of times just to be sure, at this point it wants to be a nats **** width under the full mark to compensate for the small amount left up top, then if it's a bit low i'll just put a splash in and follow the above procedure the next time i go out.

But at the end of the day if your checking it weekly and it's using lots of oil then something is wrong and wants investigating, i've never had a car that uses lots of oil, but i change oil on all my cars every 3/4000 miles or 6 months, which ever comes first and use dependant, ie more motorway = less frequent as any fuel in the oil is burnt off, lots of short journeys then more frequently as the oil will be full of unburnt fuel.

I was taught to do it when warm as the oil becomes thinner and increases in volume, which makes sense to me.

I changed the oil in my WRX after ish 1000 miles but that's because it spent 6 months in the garage, there's probably nothing wrong with it, but i'm old school and was always taught to do regular changes so as to prolong engine life, but i did grow up with old fords where if they got to 100k it was like 300k these days.