What a dipstick...

[scooby_doo_do]

On my 5.7 v8 chevy - i've worked out its a nightmare trying to find the oil level using the dipstick. One side's of the stick is fine and by the max, the other side is about 2 inches higher up. - So is it overfilled, or is it normal?

Any suggestions - other than empty and re-fill?

[Gulf -LS7]

im not following what you are saying?? are you dipping it cold or hot, how long after you have stopped the engine??

[scooby_doo_do]

Car's not been started for a week or two. Cold engine. had tried leaving the dipstick out of the engine overnight as well - but still has the same reading.

[Steve_D]

I'm still not understanding this.
It is not possible for the oil level to be two inches different on the front and back of the dipstick.

Steve

[highflyer]

This has got to be a wind up, just been out to dip my oil to try and understand the double sided difference but my level is the same both sides of the stick and reads just shy of the full mark, so sorry scooby I just don't get it.
Dont want to teach you to suck eggs, but pull the stick out wipe it off, then replace it, then remove it again and take the reading ?

[Pb3]

One point to note here is if you have baffles and all the windage stuff in the sump you may be getting a false reading and hense the difference from one side of the dip stick to the other.

How do I know this; a little experience and mis-reading my oil level for a while because what was happening was as I pushed the dip stick in it was not always making its way through a hole within the sump into the bottom of the sump containing the oil (hopefully). Instead it was catching the side of the hole and flexing to the side, and onto the top of a windage plate. When this happens it picks oil up (scrapes it off) and seems, may be depending on actual level, to give inconsistant and odd levels from side to side.

So how did I fix this, by twisting the stick slightly as I push it in and listerning to make sure I can not hear (and feel) any resistance as it goes home.

[scooby_doo_do]

Sorry guys, being deadly serious. I take out dipstick from cold. Clean it. Leave it overnight and then re-check. But I always have one level one side and another on the other. It's weird.

[suntiger1965]

come on guys....2 inches difference

ok because dipstick tube is bent one side of the dipstick rubs against the side hence the oil differnce.

if there was a 2 inch difference the dipstick would have to be 4 inches wide if oil was at 45 degrees angle.

[highflyer]

Can't beat an extra 2" eh ? isn't that the difference between oh and aaaah !!

Edited by highflyer on Tuesday 16th December 20:53