If you have to put in 2 litres of oil does that mean I have screwed my car?
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From: Glasgow
If you have to put in 2 litres of oil does that mean I have screwed my car?
Urgent reassurance required!
I have had my car for almost 2 months and have done 1500 miles, and not hard miles either.
I love nice cars but haven't got a clue when it comes to anything more complicated than driving one. I checked the oil about three weeks ago and put in about half a litre of oil to be on the safe side as the levels looked ok. The thing is I can't really tell when it needs oil or not as there always seems to be some oil on the dipstick high up
Anyway, I have been meaning to check my oil for the last week but only got round to it tonight. I checked it again and same story, couldn't tell as there was some oil high up on the disptick. I thought that can't be right so I'll put oil in it to see if the level goes up. It did, and did so in such a manner that it made clear that the oil levels where far too low. I ended up having to put in 2 litres to get the levels up to the high line.
So......have I screwed my car up by driving it without oil, or have I put in too much oil
? I'm really p*ssed off with myself, and a bit p*ssed off that the car drinks so much oil!
All advice greatly appreciated
I have had my car for almost 2 months and have done 1500 miles, and not hard miles either.
I love nice cars but haven't got a clue when it comes to anything more complicated than driving one. I checked the oil about three weeks ago and put in about half a litre of oil to be on the safe side as the levels looked ok. The thing is I can't really tell when it needs oil or not as there always seems to be some oil on the dipstick high up
Anyway, I have been meaning to check my oil for the last week but only got round to it tonight. I checked it again and same story, couldn't tell as there was some oil high up on the disptick.
I thought that can't be right so I'll put oil in it to see if the level goes up. It did, and did so in such a manner that it made clear that the oil levels where far too low. I ended up having to put in 2 litres to get the levels up to the high line.So......have I screwed my car up by driving it without oil, or have I put in too much oil
? I'm really p*ssed off with myself, and a bit p*ssed off that the car drinks so much oil!All advice greatly appreciated
Joined: Jul 2002
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From: North Herts
Are you sure that you didn't overfull it 
You need to check it cold ie before having used it / move it, etc. - and check both sides of the dip stick. Also, the car must be horizontal. Sorry if you know all of this already
EDIT What I meant to say was you need to give the oil time to subside before checking the level.
You need to check it cold ie before having used it / move it, etc. - and check both sides of the dip stick. Also, the car must be horizontal. Sorry if you know all of this already EDIT What I meant to say was you need to give the oil time to subside before checking the level.
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From: Glasgow
Originally posted by Chris Type R
According to the manual, engine oil capacity is 4.8 litres, so if you put 2 litres in, the engine wouldn't have been entirely dry.
According to the manual, engine oil capacity is 4.8 litres, so if you put 2 litres in, the engine wouldn't have been entirely dry.
Chris,
Many thanks that's gone some way to reassuring me. As you say at least it won't have been entirely dry, hopefully I won't have done any long term damage! I will definitely be checking at least once a week from now on.
This must surely catch out loads of people though, that's a lot of oil for 1500 miles.
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From: ...by a lake...somewhere
Dog
remove the dipstick, clean it. Reinsert it. Wait 2 secs, remove it as vertically as possible, check BOTH sides, take the lowest measurement.
If you are unsure, do it again. Keep doing it until you are sure. DO NOT PUT ANY OIL IN, until you are 100% sure of the level. DO NOT GUESS.
Each X on the stick is 100ml (approx). In this game, less is more so be careful. Do not keep adding.
Be very sure. If you sig overfill do not drive the vehicle. If it is sig under the first X, fill, do not drive the vehicle until it is between those Xs.
remove the dipstick, clean it. Reinsert it. Wait 2 secs, remove it as vertically as possible, check BOTH sides, take the lowest measurement.
If you are unsure, do it again. Keep doing it until you are sure. DO NOT PUT ANY OIL IN, until you are 100% sure of the level. DO NOT GUESS.
Each X on the stick is 100ml (approx). In this game, less is more so be careful. Do not keep adding.
Be very sure. If you sig overfill do not drive the vehicle. If it is sig under the first X, fill, do not drive the vehicle until it is between those Xs.
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From: Singapore
Dogmatic I agree re reading the measurement. The oil is always on the X's just really weak. I was down to one X really, but the dipstick showed I was upto the top of the 4th X. very weird. Well I poured more in it just got thicker higher up the X's so I continued till it was thick to the top of the 4th X. That was two weeks ago, no probs so far.
Ps I have done 29k so can't really compare with you, however I did have an oil change only 2000 miles ago
Ps I have done 29k so can't really compare with you, however I did have an oil change only 2000 miles ago
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From: Lothians
I wouldn't worry too much - it is a nightmare to check, and it can use oil at such a rate that you think there must be more oil than the dipstick shows.
I explained to my dealer how difficult it is to check the level, and they said that as long as there is some oil showing on the dipstick you won't have caused any permanent damage. They have only come across 1 case of terminal damager where some young bloke (more money than sense apparently) never checked his oil and it ran dry.
Mine has on occasion been below the lower mark and I have not believed it until checking it properly.
Sounds like you will be ok.
I explained to my dealer how difficult it is to check the level, and they said that as long as there is some oil showing on the dipstick you won't have caused any permanent damage. They have only come across 1 case of terminal damager where some young bloke (more money than sense apparently) never checked his oil and it ran dry.
Mine has on occasion been below the lower mark and I have not believed it until checking it properly.
Sounds like you will be ok.
Joined: May 2002
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From: Sunny Norf*ck
Don't forget the F20C engine usually uses oil for the first few thousands miles or so. It should not be fully synthetic oil during this running in period
This is of course quite apart from the dratted dipstick draining challenge! I do it cold (several hours standing) or overnight, on a level surface.
So don't worry about using a litre or two.
My first S2000 (MY99) took 1.5 litres within 2000 miles, I recall, after which consumption tailed off to almost nil by 5000 miles and the same thereafter to 40000 + when I sold (after oil bolt recall at about 30000 too).
Rog
This is of course quite apart from the dratted dipstick draining challenge! I do it cold (several hours standing) or overnight, on a level surface.
So don't worry about using a litre or two.
My first S2000 (MY99) took 1.5 litres within 2000 miles, I recall, after which consumption tailed off to almost nil by 5000 miles and the same thereafter to 40000 + when I sold (after oil bolt recall at about 30000 too).
Rog
