oil level confusion

[Daston]

Hi guys

Drove about 40 miles on Sunday, when I last checked my oil (straight after a run) I had to add 50ml to bring it to the top of the dip stick. However after checking it after the run on sunday it was showing 1/4 on the dip stick! I always check it straight after a run when the oil is normaly between 80 - 90c. Should i be leaving it for a bit before checking? Not sure how a dry sump system works

[Zippee]

They are a pain to get an accurate reading from but for mine I check it after a run when the oil is fully up to temp. I open the bonnet with engine still running, loosen the filler cap. Run round and turn ignition off, run back round - pull out cap, clean, screw back in to get the level and then take it out and check it. I find the oil drains out the tank fairly quickly so speed is of the essence when doing this.
Will be interesting to hear if I'm doing it right though!

[BGB autosport]

I dont think you are meant to screw it back in, just dip and remove. I tried it with the engine still running and get pretty much the same reading as when the engine is off.

[Mark A S]

Andy at APM told me to screw the dip stick back in to get a correct reading. I guess so long as oil is registering at least half way up and above, all should be well.

[Tuscanuwe]

I always have also diff. readings.
When i come home and stop engine direct after driving
i have higher level as when i leave engine idling for a minute with
800-900 rpms.
So with more rpm the sump pump will pump more oil from
engine to oiltank = higher level

Test it by your own!

Better to have filled up to max as to keep near min!

Uwe

[Daston]

cheers guys, I have started a spreadsheet to log the trips I do and how much oil I am using as it looks like one of my valve guides has gone. That way I know when its getting really bad. However it's a pig to get right! Drove 20 miles on a hoon the other weekend and had to add 50ml to get it to the top. Just drove around 50 miles to my Grandads funeral and didnt use a drop (acording to the dip stick)

[Chequred Demon]

After a year of ownership and constant monitoring, I think if you drive hard the system pushes a significant amount of oil out; far too much to be attributable to engine wear. On trackdays the oil consumption is horrific.

If you drive slowly then it doesn't seem to use any oil at all.

[RM75]

When I got mine back from being serviced the oil was about 1cm from the bottom when cold and maybe half way up when warm. However a week later it's now off the top of the dipstick when warm. As there's no way any oils been added I've just taken it to mean that the dipstick is not that accurate!

[VARLEYHYD]

Chequred Demon said:

On trackdays the oil consumption is horrific.

Only if the valve guide/seals or piston oil rings are shot

G

[Zippee]

Chequred Demon said:

After a year of ownership and constant monitoring, I think if you drive hard the system pushes a significant amount of oil out; far too much to be attributable to engine wear. On trackdays the oil consumption is horrific.

If you drive slowly then it doesn't seem to use any oil at all.

Not sure I agree with that. After 4000 miles in mine I've added only half a litre of 5/40. All on road but I don't drive like Miss Daisy.

[Chequred Demon]

Nahhh, i have had loads of old cars with both piston and oil seals gone and they always smoke and or smell of burnt oil. And always they use oil no matter how they are driven. It stands to reason this would be so.

In 10 laps of Sntetterton I can put in 1.5 litres of oil as there is non left on the dip-stick. Then it uses none for weeks or the level can actually rise!

edited to say: There is evidence of oil having been pushed into the air cleaner from the oil tank breather pipe. It doesn't do it on tickover though, even with the level on max. My next task is to put this pipe into a catch tank to see if that is where the oil is going. it would explain a lot, especially a misfire at high revs if too much oil is being pushed into the engine via the throttle bodies. I do not think it is a head gasket as again the combustion pressure would always push the oil out.

Edited by Chequred Demon on Wednesday 15th July 11:39

[Andy_350z]

Zippee said:

They are a pain to get an accurate reading from but for mine I check it after a run when the oil is fully up to temp. I open the bonnet with engine still running, loosen the filler cap. Run round and turn ignition off, run back round - pull out cap, clean, screw back in to get the level and then take it out and check it. I find the oil drains out the tank fairly quickly so speed is of the essence when doing this.
Will be interesting to hear if I'm doing it right though!

bang on right

[TVR_owner]

Chequred Demon said:

After a year of ownership and constant monitoring, I think if you drive hard the system pushes a significant amount of oil out; far too much to be attributable to engine wear. On trackdays the oil consumption is horrific.

If you drive slowly then it doesn't seem to use any oil at all.

Sadly we come back to the oil grade arguement. Use the correct oil for the task and the car should use a negligible amount at a track day, i.e. stay away from anything that ends in 40....

[willtvr]

BGB autosport said:

I dont think you are meant to screw it back in, just dip and remove. I tried it with the engine still running and get pretty much the same reading as when the engine is off.

I've found that this is the best way to get consistent results too.

[Whitey]

TVR_owner said:

Chequred Demon said:

After a year of ownership and constant monitoring, I think if you drive hard the system pushes a significant amount of oil out; far too much to be attributable to engine wear. On trackdays the oil consumption is horrific.

If you drive slowly then it doesn't seem to use any oil at all.

Sadly we come back to the oil grade arguement. Use the correct oil for the task and the car should use a negligible amount at a track day, i.e. stay away from anything that ends in 40....

What do you recommend?

[TVR_owner]

Whitey said:

TVR_owner said:

Chequred Demon said:

After a year of ownership and constant monitoring, I think if you drive hard the system pushes a significant amount of oil out; far too much to be attributable to engine wear. On trackdays the oil consumption is horrific.

If you drive slowly then it doesn't seem to use any oil at all.

Sadly we come back to the oil grade arguement. Use the correct oil for the task and the car should use a negligible amount at a track day, i.e. stay away from anything that ends in 40....

What do you recommend?

Recommend...

I can only go from experience.
When I had my Sagaris, it was on a diet of 15-50 Mobil One. My old race car lives on Castrol Edge 10/60. The race car uses no oil, the Sag used maybe a few mm on the dipstick on a good hot track day - say 250 track miles. It was changed every 1000 miles though.

[m3coupe]

TVR_owner said:

Chequred Demon said:

After a year of ownership and constant monitoring, I think if you drive hard the system pushes a significant amount of oil out; far too much to be attributable to engine wear. On trackdays the oil consumption is horrific.

If you drive slowly then it doesn't seem to use any oil at all.

Sadly we come back to the oil grade arguement. Use the correct oil for the task and the car should use a negligible amount at a track day, i.e. stay away from anything that ends in 40....

I use 5/40 fully synthetic and have not had to top up my oil since it's service in March. Showing above the full mark since then. Admittedly I don't rag the car too often, normally sit about 3000rpm give or take but not adverse to the shift lights coming on every so often when having a small play.

[TVR_owner]

m3coupe said:

TVR_owner said:

Chequred Demon said:

After a year of ownership and constant monitoring, I think if you drive hard the system pushes a significant amount of oil out; far too much to be attributable to engine wear. On trackdays the oil consumption is horrific.

If you drive slowly then it doesn't seem to use any oil at all.

Sadly we come back to the oil grade arguement. Use the correct oil for the task and the car should use a negligible amount at a track day, i.e. stay away from anything that ends in 40....

I use 5/40 fully synthetic and have not had to top up my oil since it's service in March. Showing above the full mark since then. Admittedly I don't rag the car too often, normally sit about 3000rpm give or take but not adverse to the shift lights coming on every so often when having a small play.

My advice was stay away from anything that ends in 40 for track days. I'm sure its fine for normal road use .

Edited by TVR_owner on Monday 20th July 04:26

[Chequred Demon]

It's a fair cop - society is to blame...but I thought every day was a track day and every traffic light was a drag race

[da_murphster]

So is ther eany agreement:

To screw or not to screw?

I thought the manual says not to screw?

Be interesting as when I top up and check 'unscrewed' I quite often will have to top up again soon after - I was thinking that I'm overfilling and its just chucking the oil out - 'screwed' reading would probably be about 1cm difference and could stop me wasting expensive oil?!