Checking engine oil..

[Nck_mun]

Best time to check engine oil levels. Cold? Warm? I find that with the dipstick on the 2013 vf Commodore is hard to get a decent reading.any advice/tips appreciated cheers.

 

[Sir Les]

Best time to check engine oil is after a run long enough to thoroughly warm up the engine. Park on level ground, switch off, wait 10 minutes for all the oil to drain back into the sump, then check the dipstick. (Pull dipstick, clean with non-fluffy rag, insert dipstick fully into engine, then remove again and check reading.)

 

[Ron Burgundy]

H

Best time to check engine oil is after a run long enough to thoroughly warm up the engine. Park on level ground, switch off, wait 10 minutes for all the oil to drain back into the sump, then check the dipstick. (Pull dipstick, clean with non-fluffy rag, insert dipstick fully into engine, then remove again and check reading.)

Yep. Owners manual says this.

 

[stooge]

Best time to check engine oil levels. Cold? Warm? I find that with the dipstick on the 2013 vf Commodore is hard to get a decent reading.any advice/tips appreciated cheers.

it does not matter if you are just checking it, hot or cold you will be able to see if you need to add more, just dont check with the engine running.

 

[J_D 2.0]

it does not matter if you are just checking it, hot or cold you will be able to see if you need to add more, just dont check with the engine running.

I just check it when it’s cold before I go anywhere. I’d much rather find out I’m low on oil before I drive the car than after I’ve taken it for a long drive to warm it up!

The variation in levels between hot and cold would be SFA (the cold oil will be easier to read on the dipstick too due to the higher viscosity). The most important thing is the car being parked on a level surface when you check it.

 

[Ron Burgundy]

it does not matter if you are just checking it, hot or cold you will be able to see if you need to add more, just dont check with the engine running.

He did ask about 'best' time. I.e. when is the reading most accurate....but agree, the level on dipstick between cold and hot reaading is not that much different

 

[stooge]

He did ask about 'best' time. I.e. when is the reading most accurate....

the best/only time is when the engine is not running.

the dipstick only shows the top 15% or something like 750ml~1ltr so even if it is on the half way line of the dipstick it does not really need oil added.

if you are looking at the dip stick and noticing a variance of 1 or 2 mm when hot/cold then you are overthinking the whole thing because there are 4+ liters in the sump that you cant see on the dipstick, keep in mind the pickup is on the bottom below that 4+ liters.

 

[Flaggers]

Does anyone else think the dipstick that comes with the LS3 (dunno if it's the same for the L77) is a pretty stupid design? All the twists in the stick and then the level lines are pretty hard to read imo. Never had a car where it was so hard to push the dipstick back in as well.

 

[figjam]

I check mine cold. At least every 2 weeks. That is if I have driven it, ( which is rarely in these unprecedented times. ) Works for me.
Another problem is, current oils are so thin and clear it is difficult to see it on the dipstick.
When it gets discoloured enough to easily see it, means it is time to change it.

 

[greenacc]

What's hard about it? Post a photo. Wipe and recheck it 3 times leaving it in for a few seconds before pulling out. The 3 readings should be almost identical.