I've been trying to read the oil dip stick, and it almost looks as if there's no oil at all. That doesn't make any sense, because the car is only a year old, and I know it's not leaking oil. Looking inside where the oil is poured, and there's a nice thin layer of oil over all the metal parts, so I don't think I'm actually low in oil. If so, then it's obvious I can't trust the dip stick. Has anyone else seen this? I can post a picture if it helps.
Having a hard time reading the dip stick
- Thread starter timur
- Start date
Also, have you changed the oil in that year? A new engine may or may not go through some oil. If I were you I would shut the engine off for at least a half hour, then check the dipstick, if you still don't see oil you have a problem. I would take it to the dealer and get the oil changed ASAP, or at least get it topped off.
was98strat
Member
Ok, Big thing to remember here is CLEAN OIL looks almost CLEAR on the dipstick!! Makes it almost impossible to read! Once you get a few miles on the oil change (like 2500km) then the oil starts to darken and be readable! Nothing new here happens with every car! What varies is the time required for the oil to darken!
A different thought here, that I never would have applied to any of my previous cars (VW / Honda / Nissan). My Mazda5's dipstick seems to be somehow "oil repellent". When I first pull it out, it looks like it has no oil on it. The solution is, stick it back down all the way and pull it out again. This time, it will have a familiar amount of oil film on it. I don't have a physical explanation for this effect, but it works every time. My 5 is 14 months old now, 17000 mi, and I've changed the oil 4 times always using 5w20. Reassuringly, oil consumption has been very near zero, unnoticeable with 3750 mi change interval.
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- 03.5 YLW MSP
whobodym said:
It's always a good practice to check the dipstick 3 or 4 times because of this and just to ensure your gettign the correct reading.
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- MP5T / 944
Royal Purple is easier to see.
Use paper towel and you will be able to see if there is oil on the stick. Then worry about the level
Use paper towel and you will be able to see if there is oil on the stick. Then worry about the level
