There does not seem to be a very accurate correlation between the dipstick and the oil level guage. With the engine up to operating temp and the guage at about 1/3 up from the lower limit the dipstick shows about 4/5ths full.
My question now is... If overfilling the oil causes oil to be sent into the airbox, and the SAI system gets it's air from the airbox, could this be a cause of SAI problems?
Oil going into those small passages certainly wouldn't do them any good!

 

I think my gauge and dipstick are quite consistent, but it is often hard to get a true reading off the stick as the oil seems to get all over the curly part when you are putting it in and out. Over-filling is bad and messy, so don't take any chances.

 

@Reynard38: I guess you didn't read the owner's manual

It sez "The engine oil level is sufficient if the needle is horizontal.

Do not refill with oil until the needle enters the lower third of the guage."

 

Dan,

Thanks so much for the tip. Yes I read it. My original post however was not a question re: the correct amount of oil to run, but rather the correlation of guage to dipstick readings.

 

Been covered before and the consensus was that it varies from car to car. Once you learn what coincides between gauge and dipstick, you are good, but should trust the dipstick over gauge if in doubt.

 

What do you consider operating temperature?

 

That depends upon where you are in the oil cooling cycle. At about the point you show, if it has been running only a short time, the oil shifts to the oil cooler in the front. So, if that hasn't happened fully, you have to wait a bit to let it all get out there before you can get an accurate read on the guage. On the other hand, if the oil has already settled into the oil cooler, then the point you show should give your guage a decent reading. BUT, as has been said, every car is different and you have to kind of figure it out for your vehicle.

 

Reading the dipstick is a real PITA.....when you have done an oil cahnge and the oil is nice and freah and clean I find it almost impossible to guess the level the oil is really at. Does anybody have any tips? As to difference between gauge and stick....when I guess from the stick the car is at max the oil gauge need just gets out of the red, so if I were to fill using the gauge my guess is that I would overfill by at least a 1/3 to 1/2 a quart.....

 

"Reading the dipstick is a real PITA"

Amen. Reading that dipstick sucks.

 

I mentioned this in a previous thread but one way to get around the tough dipstick read is to dremel a small notch in the stick during an oil change. You can also dremel a few notches as you add in the oil during the change (one for the second to last quart added to know when it goes down a quart).
Since all the oil isn't out of the car during an oil change it isn't perfect (would certainly be better if you started with a bone dry car) but it is helpful in making the read more consistent.

 

How does putting a notch in the dipstick make it easier to read??? Do you have pics

 

"one for the second to last quart added to know when it goes down a quart"

Quart? What's a quart? Is that anything like a liter?

Seriously, great idea. Hey Alex, not to get off-topic but if you remember the thread from a few weeks ago about those cat bypass pipes on your car, what had to be done to prevent a CEL when bypassing the cats? Can this be done without ECU tuning?

Thanks

 

Try treating it like a rapier thrust - no pause, just insert fully and remove immediately without letting the dipstick rest at the deepest point of penetration - get nice, bright light at an oblique angle - that usually works for me. Although I admit, my gauge is trustworthy and correlates well with the dipstick, so I hardly use the dipstick at all.

 

David,
I will take a pic this weekend. Since I am mechanically inept, the notches show me how much oil usage I am having. I can see where the the full oil should be and also where one quart low is (where the lower notch is)..

Alon,
I have absolutley no CEL iisues with the bypass pipes. Another of my mechanic's customers had this done 18 months ago and also has never had a CEL come on. Here is my mechanic's email address for technical questions: yrojas@thegaraj.com. I will take a picture of the set-up and post on Monday.

 

[QUOTE=Alon
Quart? What's a quart? Is that anything like a liter?

[/QUOTE]

Liter?????????????????????????????