Hey guys lately when I check my oil I get the weirdest readings, I usually do it when its warm, off for about half hour-ish. I take it out clean it, put it back in, usually the first time it will have oil about halfway to the L line but then the top half of the x's and up to the H mark it will have oil, but it will be completely dry in between the two, so I did it again then its completely covered in oil. Do it on more time and this time its below the L mark and nothing else. I dont know if I should add oil or what I dont wanna over-fill it. This has happened routinely the last 10 times ive checked my oil.

 

If an area on the dipstick is completely dry, then it never got immersed in the oil.

After you wipe off the dipstick, put it all the way in and pull it out immediately - don't wait. And try to pull it out as straight as possible without twisting or bending the dipstick. This will minimize smearing oil on the stick as you pull it out.

I suspect that you're bending the dipstick a little when you pull it out.

 

correct, if you see a dry area, the oil is atleast that low. I definitly agree that that our dipsticks kinda suck since they dont have much of a flat surface.

Just so you realize... the more time you put the dipstick in and out, the more oil your smearing all along the inside of the tube it sits in. I always pull it out fast the first time, wipe the whole thing (the whole length of it) and then take my reading. works well for me alteast.

I ive also noticed that one side always reads full because it somhow catches oil on it, and the other side gives me consistant readings of the level nearly every time. If i remember correctly, I think the side of the dipstick that faces the driver side tire (if the top of the dipstick is in the valve cover correctly) is the side that gives me good readings.

again this is my experience, yours may vary.

 

Take a cold reading, before you drive the car that day.

 

Which side should I be reading it on? The one facing the drivers side reads below the L, and the one facing the passenger side goes all the way up past the H.