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My process is to check the oil first thing in the morning before startup. This variability tells me I should probably run the check a couple times to get a consistent reading.
I Measured gain today and I got a consistent reading of exactly in the middle. Not sure what happened the other day (stuck sensor?)
i think from .1 to .2 they changed the preferred time to check from when cold to when at operating temperature, so I try to follow the .1 manual recommendation (cold, and having given plenty of time to settle).
Your checking process for a .1 car is exactly correct. Cold in the morning, on level ground, before the first start. My wife's car does the same thing yours does, where it will show overfull and then the next reading is the bottom arrow, or anywhere in between. Knowing that she and I keep up with the oil level diligently, if I get a normal reading on the first try, I usually just leave it alone, but if I get one of those weird ones, I usually do 2 more to see what I get before reacting to it. I need to change her sensor but haven't gotten around to it. The one in my car is much more consistent - never varies by more than a segment.
Drained about a quart of oil today due to an overfill. Took me two dumps of the oil filter. Indi told me they put in 9 quarts... looks like more than that! This doesn't include what i mopped up out of the drain pan. Doing it myself from now on.
The differences in the oil readings is mainly a matter of the oil draining back to the oil pan. The cars computer compensates for the expansion of the oil based on temperature, and also for the drainback by monitoring the length of time the engine has been off, but it’s not perfect. This is because once the bulk of the oil has drained back to the pan, the remaining thin film of oil is very resistant to gravity and can take a long time to drain. If you want to prove this, the next time you change your oil drain it about hour after running the engine and then put the plug back in. Come back 6 hours later and remove the plug again and you will get another 1/2 L to drain out, and more after the next six hours. Some never drains, which is why engines and transmissions take more oil to fill after disassembly. Since 1/2 L is not going to make any difference to the engine, accuracy is not as important as consistency. You are really looking for a trend, so just check your oil level at the same way each time, either pre or post driving.
The measurement indicator really only displays the final quart of oil. It's not the entire oil capacity. Best practice for me is to check it often and if I get a lower than expected reading I make a note to check it again later and see. It varies a bit. I usually wait until it's half way down the indicator for two consecutive readings before adding anything. It's better to run a half a quart lean than overfilling.
Is this correct? The entire display = 1qt? So if it shows zero bars it is only 1qt low?
The difference between the minimum and maximum
marks on the segment display is approx.
1.2 liters. Each segment of the display corresponds
to a quantity approx. 0.4 liter.
I've found the measurement in the morning with a cold engine that counts down from 6 secs to not be accurate. I prefer the 5 min countdown after the oil has been up to temp.
03-04-2019 | 03:18 PM
