Paul Tama

guys i need some advice,

i had the scoob serviced last wednesday (30,000 mile service). intending a spirited motorway drive on saturday, thought i would check the oil level - only to find the dip stick bone dry.

must b honest, car was cold - but i thought that was when u r meant to check. anyway drove straight down to the scooby garage where i had the car serviced ready to kill someone, checked the level and the reading was fine.

the guy at the garage wasn't really sure whether i was telling the truth as there was a clear reading - but he gave me a litre of oil just in case.

do i have a problem here??

yes i have checked and there is no leak

SuperFlyGuy

Best time to check oil is in the morning after it has stood over night. You should be near to the maximum on your dipstick, I would worry a bit if it was bone dry. Make sure the car is perfectly level (ie not on a slope) when you dip the oil.

Check again tomorrow morning and top up as necessary. You cannot get a true reading if the engine is warm.

Paul Tama

cheers m8, i'll check it again.

if there was a problem, shouln't this have been spotted during the service??

SuperFlyGuy

Usually when your car is serviced it is hard to determine when the car is full of oil immediately afterwards....If you can appreciate the oil filter holds a certain amount of oil and thus when it is changed the new one rarely gets filled up prior to installation.

The service technician fills up the oil to max on the dip stick but once the car has been started and the oil circulates and fills up the new filter your oil level is immediately low.

I usually pour in 4.25 Litres of oil then dip and adjust the next day (the engine holds around 4.5L). This is the reason I do all my own servicing then I can only blame myself if I underfill / leave the sump nut loose....

Paul Tama

i'll check again tonite 2 b sure.

will i do any harm if i over fill with oil or will it just burn out???

Jiggerypokery

Over filling is not good, yes it will burn out, and yes it will do damage. Your cat won't like it.

SuperFlyGuy

DONT OVERFILL........NOOOOooooo!!!!!

It will almost certainly clog up all your breather hoses and disrupt your sensors at BEST!!!!

As long as you are showing above the minimum (even after leaving the car for 30 minutes after driving) it should be fine. DO NOT OVERFILL

Paul Tama

no overfill, i wont do it i promise. thanks guys cos if u didn't tell me i would have done it tonite.

what gets me is if i check after 2/3 hours once its been switched off it's ok. but if i check after the car has not moved for a day - DRY.

i dont want to seem paranoid, i just love her so much and i've restrited myself to 3000 rpm gear changes since sat just in case

SuperFlyGuy

It can be a bit awkward to get an accurate reading on your dip stick but I would go with the reading you get after being stood all night - all the oil should have run down into the sump by then. Even after 2-3 hours you may still get traces of oil within your dip stick housing giving the impression of an oil level.

Check both surfaces of the dip stick - the oil should coat all the way up the surface to a level. Extrude the stick out slowely after wiping and pushing firmly into the holder.

DO NOT OVERFILL!!!
(edited to say do not overfill)

[Edited by SuperFlyGuy - 4/22/2003 2:13:06 PM]

Paul Tama

yo superflyguy,

i wont overfill and i will have a good check again tonite. the car's still under warranty, so if i still cant get a reading, i'll take it to subaru later this week.

cheers m8