After years of annoyance, I'm just curious if any of you can get an accurate oil level from the dipstick.

I use the procedure outlined in the manual - operating temp and then cool down - and yet, for both my 96 and my 2k, figuring out the oil level is like reading bones.

I get an oil dipstick with oil all over it, on one side only, etc - and maybe just maybe I can decipher the oil level after pulling it several times.

Is it me? Is it possible I can change my clutch - but yet not know how to check the oil.

Please make me feel like a fool and tell me how to do it.

Thanks.

 

I have no problems as long as the engine is cold.

 

You check your Oil??

I just wait till i see this...

 

That light indicates oil pressure, not level.

 

No one can ever make a joke arond here huh...

 

Not while I'm around.

 

I just purchased a 2002 Maxima the weekend before last, I felt pretty stupid too not being able to check the oil. I read the manual and it said to wait 10 minutes after the engine has been running to check it. That seemed to help a little. But like you said, one side of the dipstick shows oil all the up and the other side looks like I'm about a 1/2 quart low. Since I just got the car I don't know which side to believe. Either the previous owner really over filled it or I just purchase a Maxima that burns oil. I hope thats not the case. I was really hoping after I did the oil change myself I would be able to read that dipstick better. Sounds like that may not be the case though. Keep us posted if you figure something out.

Maybe we should have all purchased new BMWs, they don't even have dipsticks any more (according to Car and Driver). Just an idiot light. Sounds like the stupidest things I ever heard of.

 

sounds like the best thing i ever heard of...

 

I guess I just don't rust electronics enough. I like to pull the dipstick every once in awhile to make sure things look and smell ok. But then again I do trust the gas gauge so maybe it wouldn't be all bad.

 

i just say that because i have always been frustrated with trying to read the dip on my '92 and its just as hard to get an accurate reading on the '01

 

It definitely takes a few tries for me. Something on one side.. not much on the other. Its a cluter-f*&k! The damn thing burns oil for sure though, so I know what I need to do!!

 

So how common is it for Maximas to burn oil and how much is typical?

 

let the car sit for 30 mins... you'll get an accurate reading

 

Flat surface + overnight = best reading.

 

I'm not sure that's accurate. But hey, what do I know anyway . . ..

 

correct me if im wrong but does the oil light come at when it reads 5 psi or less?

 

+1 That's the best way to do it.

 

Accurate reading? You can EASILY get that 30 mins after shut-off. but consistant readings? hell no, esp. not with the vq35 dipstick. Every morning my oil level will be in different places, some higher, some lower. And yes, its checked the same way all the time on the same level surface.

I will assume the oil filter holds different amounts of oil each time and thats why the readings are so inconsistant. Keep in mind when you check your level 30 min after shut-off it will be slightly higher than compared to letting the car sit overnight and checking it. The reason is simple: oil expands when its hot.

 

i figured mine out a little bit after i got the car... what i do is make sure that the dipstick is in the correct way (in the 2k engine the yellow finger hole is facing up towards the sky, and not out in front of the car) then take it out and turn it around to the side where the H/L indicator is, and the oil on that side is your accurate level... on the other side, it's all over the place and i have yet to figure out how the readings can be so massively different on both sides of the dipstick, but whatever.. lol.. it works, and you can read it accurately that way

 

 

yeah theres alot of cars that confuse the mess out of me with different readings on the dip stick, on the maxima its just how the dipstick is placed in the oil. its quite simple though if try it enough

 

I checked mine last night after sitting for a couple of days. I finally got an accurate reading. On one side anyway. The other side was still all messed up. I was glad to see it was full though. I was getting concerned I had purchased a Maxima that burns oil.

 

 

Thank you for taking the time to add such valuable information to the thread.

For some of us this is new. We thought we could ask other Maxima owners for a little help. But apparently this is the wrong forum for that.

 

He's saying this topic has been discussed before.... thats all. Look, it took me 12 seconds to prove his point. http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=394952

 

Yeah, I know. Its been a bad day. But I'm new here and I've found that the forum can be a bit hostile to newbies. It seems unless you are trying to rice out your Maxima or add unneeded bling your questions aren't important. I was just trying to point out that some of us have just purchased Maximas and don't know everything about them. We never have seen this topic come up before because we've never been at the forum before. We just would like some help with the little things. It doesn't seem like we should be told were beating a subject to death when its the first time its come up for us.

Part of the problem is that the search feature is pretty limited, unless you are a supporting member, all you can do is a google search within the forum. This gives a lot if irrelevant searches that you have to sift through. Its not much help. So after a couple of hours of reading useless threads a new thread is posted. It just seems that if the poster couldn't give some useful advice why bother posting. I will say no more as now I am posting a useless post.

 

It looks like you know what you should do then. Donate only 20 dollars and you can reap from the benefits. The info is out there. Back on topic....

 

Leave your car overnight, check it in the morning. Make sure to take a few readings, they should be pretty consistent. This procedure can be performed on virtually any vehicle with a dipstick. We're not doing rocket science...

 

my dipstick is bent...I have never seen these for sale as replacements. Would the Nissan dealer normally have them in stock being that its not really a part that is replaced?

 

My stick is also bent . I mean dipstick...

 

i got a dipstick for a chrysler at a dodge dealer, so im assuming nissan would have them too

 

KA24DE motor has 75-85psi oil pressure.

I hope you don't run on 5psi.

 

That's good to know, Jay.