sonny1

What I did (long time ago) was to anodize that section of the did stick on a darker color, it shows perfectly all the time.Sonny1.

SOS

Someone needs to invent an easier to read aftermarket dipstick. It cant be that hard.

bobboinski

How about it, JoeFromPA?

963K993

My oil got dirty pretty quick when I replaced the valve covers and didn't have to add a quart every two weeks.

JasonAndreas

Has anyone tried the vastly superior (like most things on the) 964 dipstick? Will it fit? Same length?

CADguy

Yes, I agree, would be nice! A car I had years ago, maybe an old Bimmer, actually had the "critical zone" on the dipstick knurled so as to hold enough oil to be able to see where in the zone it was.

NYC993

Can somebody please enlighten me on this checking oil BS?
So I have been afraid to overfill the car with oil, but now starting to doubt if I've been checking it right. Warm engine, idling, flat surface etc. When I pull out the dipstick, there is plenty of oil on it and you can see it extremely well. Wipe it off, put the dipstick back in, take it out and you can see some traces of the oil to the middle or so. Do it again a few times and dipstick seems pretty dry to me. I thought that was fine. Another 993er looked at it and convinced me that it was fine. But it doesn't look like it was actually dipped in oil, i.e. looks nothing like when you take it out the first time.

For comparison I took the dipstick and dipped it into the oil bottle with clean oil. Yes, it's a bit tougher to see as it's almost clear, but you can see it was dipped into it.

This thread makes me think it's fine, but I'm a bit concerned that I've been running low on oil. Pictures would help.

mongrelcat

I don't check with the dipstick too often anymore, thankfully Mike J adjusted the float on my car during an oil change years back and now the gauge is usable... but when I do, it usually takes a few times for me to be relatively sure of the level on the stick. Usually the level is pretty clear on one side (only) on the flat part of the dipstick. But it does take multiple pulls, and being very careful to get all of the oil off the stick between tries.

u7t2p7

Take a drive over to Bob Kakascik at European Performance (Stable Energies) in Garfield if you have any concerns. Doubt it's low but can't hurt to have Bob take a look.

Quadcammer

Yury, keep in mind that you got 13 quarts floating around in there, so even being down one is not a big concern.

Does your gauge read anything when you are checking the dipstick?

If you are that concerned, you can add 250ml at a time, and keep checking the dipstick.

I find the dipstick so asinine that I just use the gauge, and I don't even watch that too closely.

NYC993

Thanks Quad, that's what I tell myself...there is plenty of oil. If car is stationary and I rev the engine slightly, there is plenty of oil on the dipstick.
I added a quart recently, and noticed there is more on the stick when I pull it out the first time. My gauge is useless. The needle may move a mm when the car is warm, but I didn't notice a difference from the quart that I added. It's been colder as well so engine is not as hot anymore.
I gotta fix the gauge so I can stop using the dipstick, too.

Mike J

You cannot fully trust the gauge until you have compared it with the dipstick readings and "know" your gauge. The dipstick is the base reference. I have done several adjustments to date, and the gauge is certainly non consistent across a set of cars (based on a sample size of 15+ cars). Quad, you have used your gauge enough to know what is good or bad, for a new user its not that clear.

I typically leave my oil level from the bottom of the twisted part of the stick to about 1/3 up, so I tuned the gauge to that area. You are right though, if I see the gauge register, it has enough oil -> its if the oil drops below the gauge range, its hard to judge how far. The stick has a longer range than the gauge.

You can use a paper towel and lay the dipstick on it, and pull it away - the oil level should show on the towel.

Cheers,

Mike

NYC993

Mike, I don't have trouble seeing the oil on the stick, my concern is the amount of oil on it. It makes me think that the traces of oil are from the pipe that dipstick travels through rather than from the oil tank, and that the oil tank might be pretty empty.

Mike J

Ahh, I get it. Its hard sometimes to see if its smearing or the actual level. I usually rotate the stick to see both sides and assess it, sometimes takes a few tries before I am relatively sure. If one side is wet but the other dry, then I know the oil is not at that level.

Busta Rib

Call me a contrarian, but I don't use the dip stick because it is difficult to read. Like Quad, I add just enough oil to tickle the needle on the gauge above the red zone and I'm good to go.