Hey guys,

I know this has been asked abt 500 millions times however i have seemed to have confused myself here with all the topics regarding engine oil levels and would like some clarification on the following;

1. This morning before i started the car i thought id have a look at the engine oil level, when checking it was on H - which i believe is a good sign. Car has done about 1500-2000km since last change.

2. I then thought ok let the car run awhile (around 10 mins) and check the level again - seemed low - lower than L! but i couldnt really tell as there was some oil at the bottom of the dipstick and some toward the H.

3. Then after about a 30 minute drive i decided to let the car sit cool for about 45 mins and then check the engine level again - it was 2.5 X above L.( btw the engine was BLOODY hot almost burnt my fingers trying to pull off the dipstick).

My question is, which reading is most accurate to indicate whether or not i need to fill her up with more black oil?

Im worried i may cause some damage to the engine as number 2. showed a not so clear indication of my oil level.

Thanks.

 

the first example is correct, but I'm sure you knew that. /thread

 

You need to first set a baseline, to ensure consistent future measurement. Here are some tips to set your baseline.
Engine needs to be "cold" as in around 70-80F (not warm to the touch), not run for at least 10 minutes (even to move the car), and the car must be sitting level (if you've modified your car and it doesn't sit level any longer, you may need to either park it on a slight incline or decline or slightly jack the front or back to level it) - I use a magnetic torpedo level and ensure the unibody "frame" rails are perfectly level, and that the engine cross-member is level (from side to side).
Once all these items are met, then check the oil. Pull out the stick and wipe it off and then re-dip it. Pull it out and first check the top side, then check the other side. The back side should be at the top line above the top X, or at least read up to the V portion of the top X. This is full; if it doesn't read full, add some oil to bring it to full. Additionally, if the ambient temp is below 75-85F, run the car for about 20 seconds to a minute (if it's relatively cold) to allow it to warm up to around 75-85F, let it sit for ~10 minutes for the oil to settle, and then measure.
Next, return your car to how it normally sits (if you had to adjust its position to perfectly level it), but make sure the car is still on a relatively level surface to reference the oil level (don't check your oil on a steep driveway or street surface). Give it a couple minutes to settle (10 minutes if you started the car) and then re-check the level (in the same way as noted before - both sides of the stick). Note where the oil level is, and this will then represent "full" when you measure the oil level.
Next, drive the car for at least 25 minutes to get the oil heat soaked and then return to your relatively level parking spot. Idealy this should be done for hottest conditions, and for the coldest conditions so that you can baseline your summer hot level and winter hot levels. Shut the car off and give it about 10 minutes for the oil to settle back in the pan and then re-measure (as before). The oil should read high on the dipstick (it may take 5 or more dips to get the residual splashed oil wiped away in order to get a good reading). A typical hot measure in the dead heat of the summer (90-110F) should be around the horizontal line in the "H" on the dipstick - or slightly less than an "X" over the full line.
If you run your car in the winter, your "cold" check may be a full X low. This is normal.
Synthetic oil will expand and contract more than conventional oil, so keep in mind your level will vary greatly based on how hot or cold your oil is. Setting a "room temperature", standard day (~70F) baseline is the best way to prevent these temperature variations from making you worry that you've either over-filled or under-filled your oil. Keep track of your consumption, but also keep in mind that as it gets colder, it may be the fact your oil is running cooler because of the outside temps, and therefore is not as expanded as it is in the summer time. Avoid the tendency to over-fill during the winter.

Summary: The oil level can be as high as the horizontal line on the "H" when the engine oil is at peak temperature in the heat of the summer and as low as one "X" low when the engine is bone cold in the winter time - if the oil level is checked when the car is perfectly level - and that's for the same "volume" of oil (just at peak expansion and contraction). A much better dipstick would have a "Max Hot, Min Hot, Max Cold, and Min Cold lines to properly measure the oil level. This process allows you to determine where those limits are by setting a standard baseline measure.

 

istdercollen, no more dot-com anymore! congratulations.

 

dude, I hope yu cut and pasted that.. other wise, I hope you can type really effin fast.

 

yeah, they hooked me up! it almost looks weird without the email address after it.

 

Nope, my slow-typing a$$ typed that from memory.
I've had to answer this question more than once. The dipstick on the S2000 is not user friendly and the manual does a piss-poor job clearing the "mystery" up for your average user.
Here's a good analogy to explain the process:
Many jet engines (turbo-props and turbo-fans included) have dipsticks of one sort or another. Some have dipsticks similar to your car's dipstick, others use different methods to determine oil levels such as sight guages on the oil tank or electronic oil level measurement devices. The ones that are equipped with a dipstick typically have a "Max Hot" to "Min Hot" range and a "Max Cold" to "Min Cold" range clearly marked on the dipstick. As long as the oil falls within those ranges (based on the temperature of the oil) - there's no mystery to the measure. Those same principles will allow you to establish your own ranges based on the procedure I previously outlined.
Jet engines all use synthetic oil - conventional mineral-based oil simply can't take the temperature extremes. -50C or lower at high altitudes and up to +105C leaving the oil cooler is a significant range.
One of the side effects of having an oil that can flow in the coldest of temps and not break down in extremely hot conditions is the fact it must expand and contract significantly to compensate for the different temperatures. However, all oil will expand and contract - which can lead to miss-read dipstick levels and all the problems that can bring.

The bottom line is if you took your baseline measure with your engine (and oil) at ~75-85F ambient, on perfectly level ground (with your car sitting perfectly level) and the oil level was perfectly full - and then magically lowered the temp to the coldest temperature you would consider operating your S2000, say 0F (to include the temp of your oil) - without losing a drop of oil from the oil pan - the level will read around 1-1.25 "X" lower than before. When that oil warms up - it will expand and if you fully compensate for the apparently low oil level (when the engine is bone cold) you will in fact over-fill your engine. It's okay to add a little oil in the colder months because the operating temperature of the oil will be lower as well. However, it's important to ensure that the "Hot" measurement doesn't get too high on the dipstick, so check the "Hot" oil level within 10 minutes (approximately 10 minutes to let all the oil drain back into the oil pan) of shutting off the engine to verify what the cold weather "Hot" level is. This will keep you from adding too much oil in the colder months. This issue always seems to show up around the change of the seasons.
Also take into consideration next spring that carrying over too much oil from colder weather will result in an over-fill condition as the ambient temps increase.

 

I agree: Establishing a baseline is the only way to keeping the oil level in check.

I do this on my first oil change of the car. I make sure I only do it in my garage. After putting the correct amount of oil (5.1qts for the S) I warm up the car to operating temperature. I then let it cool down for 30 minutes and check the level with the dipstick. On the S, the level on the dipstick on the passenger side is different on the driver's side by half an "X" (this is always the case in my garage). I compare all subsequent oil level checks between oil changes to these levels and I only do it in my garage to ensure I always have the correct amount of oil.

 

Wow that is very detailed and Thank you so much for that slipstream, cleared my question right up

Time to go check the oil again

Peace