Empowering Car Owners The Science Behind Hot and Cold Oil Checks

2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 - check oil hot or cold? ... Cold before you start the engine will give the most accurate reading. If you are on a ... Park your car on level ground and make sure the engine is turned off and cold. Pop the hood and locate the dipstick. Pull the dipstick out of the engine and ... Do you check oil hot or cold? You'll want to check your owner's manual for the manufacturer's recommendations. Most manufacturers used to recommend allowing the ... Manual says: Check oil with hot engine - turn engine off - wait about five minutes then check level. The level should be (ideal) at the full ... When the engine is hot, the oil is thinner and less viscous so it runs down the dipstick faster. When the oil is cold, it's thick and much ... It is best to check the oil when hot as was mentioned. this is so you do not over fill the engine and create frothing. If you fill the oil to ... Checking it cold shows low. I've always checked it hot, but all depends on vehicle manufacturers some want it checked cold some hot. Dodge wants ... The dipstick should need a good push when installing indicating a proper seal. ... Push the dipstick completely into the valve cover and quickly ... You could either check it stone cold or (as I believe the owner's manual says) warm, 10-15 minutes after shutting off the engine. Ideally you should check when the car is warm but has been off for about 5 minutes. This ensures the oil has drained down to the sump you are ...