My engine oil Dipstick!

[HALover9000]

Hello Guys.

My engine oil Dipstick!

I have a VT Supercharged. About 4 years ago I came here and made a post on this topic and here I am back again making the same post because this problem just keeps happening.

The problem: Every mechanic I take my car to "overfills" the engine oil by about an inch on the dipstick. Every time I get my car serviced I take it to a new mechanic hoping to find somebody who can fill to the line and everytime the same thing happens. Ive been through like 5 mechanics now.

Below a generous picture, its actually a bit higher but it ran down.

https://i.postimg.cc/CxwdXx4j/oil-1.jpg

Of course I enquire about why this happens and get various explanations such as: (I dont totally disagree with these explanations i just ...)

1. We measure the oil out first. These engines take 4.3 litres.
2. Its not hitting the crank else it would foam up.
3. We wont charge you for the extra oil
4. You have the wrong dipstick this isnt marked correctly
5. Holden decided to lower the full/add mark mid production run because the engines burn so much oil, so its ok but the dipstick is wrong.

When I had the Rocker cover gaskets done they leaked out after like 2 or 3 years again, I noticed this shortly after a service where the oil was way over the full mark. Im not that good with car mechanics but its my assumption that overfilling might not help the gaskets that much.

Anyway. Today after being told again I must have the wrong dipstick I did a little searching. I found this picture on these Just commodores forums right here.
https://forums.justcommodores.com.au/attachments/two-jpg.188885/
Picture from this thread here: https://forums.justcommodores.com.au/threads/dip-stick-mystery.261556/

So I called up Holden Service Centre. After telling them my cars VIN they were able to tell me thats a VT super charged and its oil dipstick is serial number 92063934 (middle of picture). Well this happens to be the serial number on the dipstick I have also. The claims I have the wrong dipstick seem incorrect.

If I had the top of those 3 pictured dipsticks then I almost wouldnt have any problem, but as I found out from Holden thats not the case I have the right one.

Another weird thing is that I have a Haynes service manual for commodore 1997 thru 2002 inc supercharged and all it says is V6 = 4.3 litre fill. This seems to backup the mechanics who all say they just measure out the right amount and poor it in. BUT THEN WHY do holden have all these different dipstick lengths!?

So if you read this far, the question im really asking to you guys based on that oil covered dipstick picture. Should I:
A. Go back to the mechanic and demand the oil lowered to the full mark (as holden confirms I have the correct dipstick)
B. Listen to just about every mechanic Ive ever met and just concede the Add/Full mark is to be ignored and that holden really had no idea where they were putting these little lines anyway.

 

[accentstencil]

Is the car perfectly level where you check the oil level?

 

[Dak]

4.3 would be a bone dry engine, you can never drain it all out so 4.3 is to much, my VX takes pretty much smack on 4 litres exactly when I do the oil and filter.

 

[HALover9000]

Is the car perfectly level where you check the oil level?

Outfront my house could not be more than 4 or 5 degree from perfectly flat and car was ice cold, also at mechanics its pretty flat and he admited that is reading like 1 litre high on the dipstick, but he tells me I have wrong dipstick. I took it there today for that cos he said just bring it over but then im there asking him take 500ml out and hes too busy to put it on jack so i go back friday he says. 3 times i have to go there just to get this oil change, and all the other times to all the mechanics ive lost so much sleep on this i swear. Under my car stripping sump plugs after literally paying ppl to do this job.

4.3 would be a bone dry engine, you can never drain it all out so 4.3 is to much, my VX takes pretty much smack on 4 litres exactly when I do the oil and filter.

Thats what im thinking. He said they did 4.5 to be 200ml over on purpose, says its what they do for VT V6. I swear this thing is at the full mark with like 3.7 liters becase I always take out like half an ice cream tub to get it just under full mark after like EVERY time i get it serviced lol.

What im talking about is that these oil dipsticks are not the same length see here. https://forums.justcommodores.com.au/threads/dip-stick-mystery.261556/

I have 92063934 and holden dealer confirmed that is correct one for my cars VIN being supercharged VT

I would love to know what serial numbers you guys have printed on your Dipstick? I bet for most VT natural aspirated they have 92065836 and maybe the SC models have 92063934? They are not the same length and I dont know why this is. I just have to put up with mechanics who wont pay any attention to where it says is full.

 

[Skylarking]

I always thought it was better to have a little more oil than not enough oil.

If it concerns you so much, drop the sump and take some measurements. That should clarify where the oil level is in relation to the spinning bits...

Heck, if your paranoid and OCD, add an oil sight glass to the sump

 

[Commovan]

In my VX manual it states that overfilling transmission can cause aeration of fluid which may cause transmission damage.
Maybe same could occur if oil is too high and excessive aeration from crank.

 

[MYVESSV8]

dipstick tube length, has it the correct one, as this would give wrong levels

 

[Immortality]

Don't worry about it. The later model commodores with ecotec take more oil but have the same sump...... You'll note the different dip sticks. The last of the ecotec engines(VY) have 4.8 litres I believe including the filter. I buy my oil in bulk and fill a 5 litre container to about 4.8 litres. I drain the sump and remove the old filter, fill the new filter and then dump the rest of the oil into the engine. When I check the oil level it is always over the full mark on our VX L67. I also know someone who actually had a sump off their ecotec and did a volume test of the sump which also confirmed the extra oil does not cause issues.

Here is a question. How or when do you check the oil level? Do you wait all night and make sure every drop had drained down to the sump or let the engine run, shut it down and check the oil level straight away?

Level ground does make a big difference. The ecotec dip stick does not go straight down into the sump, it comes in at an angle from the back towards the front so if the car is not level it makes a reasonable difference.

 

[stick3]

i question the newcastle city holden service manager about to much oil after its 2nd service 24 years ago and he said it can go above the dipstick line by 3rd of a inch
and every service the oil is the same on the dipstick and dosen t matter which company does the service its always over by a 3rd

holden new it could take more oil than the 4.3 ltrs

 

[lout]

i always thought it was 4.7 litres (5 us quarts)
i put 4 litres in, start engine for 30 seconds
then top up before shutting bonnet
i will take note next time how much i use
according to owners book it takes 4.8 litres