Does anybody else have this problem?

Every time I check my oil level (half an hour after driving the car), the dipstick has slicks of oil way higher than the "H" mark. I can't tell if its actually too high or not because the oil appears randomly splattered above the "H" mark, rather than uniformly spread out as it is below the "H" mark. I always get about 4.25 quarts out and put 4.25 quarts in.

 

Do you wipe it off, put it back in, then check it again?

 

yes, incessantly

 

You have to wait until the vehicle is stone cold before you can take an accurate reading.

 

really? page 8-10 in my manual seems to say different...

1. Park the vehicle on a level surface and apply parking brake.
2. Run the engine until it reaches operating temperature.
3. Turn off the engine. Wait more than 10 minutes for the oil to drain back into the oil pan.
4. Remove the dipstick and wipe it clean. Reinsert it all the way.
5. Remove the dipstick again and check the oil level. It should be between the H and L marks. If the oil level is below the L mark, remove the oil filler cap and pour recommended oil through the opening. Do not overfill.
6. Recheck oil level with dipstick.

 

i hate the 5th gen dipsticks.. ARghgh, takes me forever to read it because of those bumps that are on the stick. (What ever happened to making them flat?!) it gives false readings because the bumps on the stick runs on the side of the wall of where you put the oil in. So oil gets on it and it messes your reading, smudging the oil all over the stick.

 

well, since I can't really trust the dipstick, what are the symptoms of an overfilled oil pan?

 

so how many quarts do you guys put in... mines weird... ranges from 3.5 - 4.5 quarts. dont know why its not consistant

 

i put in 4.5 quarts

 

Depend if the engine is hot or not!! and how long you let it drain!

Cool engine = thicker oil and drain less easy then hot one!!

 

I swear to GOD, no matter WHAT I do (cold, hot, sitting w/ dipstick out for 10 minutes, sitting with dipstick out for 1 hour, anything) mine will NOT give an accurate reading for ANYTHING. It is really annoying, and potentially problematic, not right now as the car doesn't burn/use much oil at all (or so I think ), but later on down the road I won't be able to tell if it's low on oil!!! (until it's too late, i.e. the valves are clattering)

Does anyone know specifically WHY this dipstick is so screwed up? Is there any other dipsticks we can use (like an all-flat one from another car, or whatever) that might work better? I seem to recall that some oil return galley is above the dipstick (read it somewhere here on the org)

I simply do NOT want something STUPID like this to be the eventual downfall of my engine... I intend to make this car last a good long while...

 

Really, have you tried after 10min to get a proper reading? The disptick is smeared with oil and its impossible to know the exact level. See above. I would agree that after 10 min of sitting, the oil should be back in the pan and the reading accurate, but oil seems to stay in the dipstick tube and mess up the readings.

 

well, when I change my oil it takes less than 20 minutes so i guess I am getting a good reading after about 10 min. Just like taking a crap... patience, wipe, check, wipe again, check again...

 

Nissan is stupid, its the only car that ive ever seen were you have to wait 10-20min be4 you can get an accurate measurment Just toss in 4.25-4.5 and your good to go.

 

Post # 13 and 11 are still making me laugh! I go with the 4.5 qts at oil change which I do usually when engine warm. These dipsticks do kinda smear , but if you look real close you can see where SOLID oil on dipstick, Agreed best reading when engine COLD. My VQ never needs oil between changes as should all VQ's

 

When I check my oil, I just read the side of the dipstick with the crosshatch marks and it is right on the money. If you look at the back side of the dipstick, you are looking at the wrong side. It doesn't matter if the oil is hot, warm or cold.

 

i've never had a problem checking my oil level. Although the nissan dipstick is somewhat oddly designed.

 

spirilis: your trippin man, even my old 3rd gen had no problems with burning oil & it had A LOT of miles racked up on it. I doubt you'll have to worry about the VQ burning any oil any time soon. All engine burn a "little" oil regardless of how new they are, but not a noticable amount.

 

yeh wait until the car is cold then you can check the oil level

 

I tried again (after a 30 min cooldown) and I noticed that the oil is solid on the crosshatch marks up to the "H" and then appears in smears here and there. So I guess I'm fine. Just gotta know how to read the weird dipstick right.

 

I came to the same conclusion about the dipstick. You can only read that one side to get an accurate reading. Also the dipstick seems more sensitive to level parking than other vehicles I've owned.

 

maybe not, but all engines WILL burn oil eventually... those piston rings can't keep their size forever... especially not with the occasional redline revving under load... although I don't do that all that often, plus I use Mobil 1, so I guess I'll be fine, but I need to make sure!
I'm gonna try looking at the back side (which is always smeared like crazy, but maybe I can find a little consistency in the reading towards the crosshatches...)