Empowering Drivers How to Check Oil Hot or Cold

Imagine a dipstick going into a pan of oil that has accumulated over night...straight in...how is it going to be inaccurate? Normally you check it cold - or at least wait a few minutes after running the engine so the oil has chance to drain back to the sump. Otherwise you might ... When it shows 2 differing levels on the dipstick, the lower one is accurate. About one half inch too high is right at the limit for me, any ... Always check engine oil with the engine off. Service info usually says to check while the oil is warm, fluid expands when it gets hotter so the fluid level ... As far as when to check it, best to check when warm and after the engine has been shut down. Depends how the dip stick was designed to be ... 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. Always check mine cold. Light colored low viscosity oil makes level hard to see at best of times. Like. Maybe 10 minutes or so it will read full on the stick because the oil is hot and expanded. 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 ... Since the oil level is checked in the reservoir, checking cold may check low. Start the engine and run for a few minutes (Honda recommends about ...