Stupid question... and no I am not female ;)

[izibecoz]

Ok -- I want to check my oil level, but finding it extremely difficult to read.

S2 Elise - the dip stick has a silly green end with cross hatches, but you just cant seem to read where the oil is ( and yes it has oil before i get wise comments! )

anyway - any tips on how to read this dip stick?

C

[Shug]

You're wiping the stick clean and re-dipping, yes?

I usually do it cold as the oil is less likely to pool in the cross hatches.

As for the female comment - my other half seems to manage it fine

[izibecoz]

yup - took the car for a drive to get the oil pumped around. left it on level surface for a few mins. then dip stick out, wipe, back in --- then cant read the fecking thing.

Its had an oil change about 3.5k miles ago so its clean oil, but i just cant seem to get an acurate reading,

[Shug]

So read my post again

Do it cold.

[tut]

.......and try using a magnifying glass.

tut

[izibecoz]

dont think i am getting my point accross... I have 20/20 vision but cant see where the level actauly is! the stupid green end, and cross hatches are difficult to read. I am sure if the oil was black then i would have no problem. however still not finding a level I am happy with...

Anyway - will continue to feck around with it, until i am happy i actually have a reading

[Shug]

Trust me mate, you are getting your point across, you're just not reading the solution.

Hot oil is thin - you can't read it when it's hot because it runs into the cross hatches and doesn't give a clear tide line on the dipstick.

Cold oil is thick - it doesn't flow as easily into the cross hatches and therefore leaves a more identifiable tide line between dry and wet dipstick.

Therefore, read the dipstick with the oil cold - don't run the car up and let it drain down. Clear enough?

[Rich H]

Modern oils tend to be really thin so are hard to spot especially when hot.
Give it a few hundred miles and it'll get a bit darker.

[izibecoz]

Ahhhhhh I get it....

Sorry guys - i read that best way to get a reading on the elise was to run the thing, then read the level.

Cheers
C

[CubanGav]

If it makes you feel better, I struggled to read my one too. I stuck a fag paper against it to make it show up. Accurate to tolerance of one fat finger it seems.

[izibecoz]

Ok so it is still hard to read... but looks ok to me level wise. topped up .5 of a litre anyway just to be sure.

whilst still getting some responses here - another question... what woudl cause the oil light to flicker, not all the time, but just occasionally. some times for longer periods of flicker, other times no flicker!!

Took the car out for a nice 30 mile blast last night on back roads, and no light at all.... first thing this morning, little flicker when started journey, then no flicker at all. Seems very weird that it is intermittant and does not stay on, or seem to have any ill effects?!

thoughts very much welcome...

[Dominic]

I'd guess the flickering oil light may be down to a bad connection somewhere; probably at the sensor.... but I'm no expert!

[thinfourth]

If you get a piece of chalk and draw over the are where you think the level is before dipping it is easy to see.

Be warned this comes from dipping tanks with hundreds of tons of diesel it might not be as wise for a sump with a few litres of oil

[Rich H]

Did you dip the LNG tanks like that too...

[Shug]

Ok so it is still hard to read... but looks ok to me level wise. topped up .5 of a litre anyway just to be sure.

whilst still getting some responses here - another question... what woudl cause the oil light to flicker, not all the time, but just occasionally. some times for longer periods of flicker, other times no flicker!!

Took the car out for a nice 30 mile blast last night on back roads, and no light at all.... first thing this morning, little flicker when started journey, then no flicker at all. Seems very weird that it is intermittant and does not stay on, or seem to have any ill effects?!

thoughts very much welcome...

So it looked fine but you stuck half a litre in it? That's the difference between half way up and all the way up the dipstick - too much oil is pretty much as bad as too little.

Agree with the above that the flickering light is likely to be either a bad connection at the oil pressure sensor, or a flaky sensor.