Checking Oil

[JohnD1079]

OK, when do you check your oil. when its cold or when its warm at op. temp.? dosent oil expand when it warms up? so when changing your oil, how do you know at what level to put it to since its cold when you put it in? i kno that the level changes on mine from cold to warm, so im just asking

[NorcoAccord]

OK, when do you check your oil. when its cold or when its warm at op. temp.? dosent oil expand when it warms up? so when changing your oil, how do you know at what level to put it to since its cold when you put it in? i kno that the level changes on mine from cold to warm, so im just asking

Check your oil before you start the car that way all the oil is in the pan, when changing your oil add 4 quarts, start the motor and check the oil, if its on the lower mark drive home and wait till morning to check again, if its still low add oil.

[cp[mike]]

i usually only check the oil after the car has been sitting for a significant amount of time, usually after a day at work or after sitting overnight...

[peteypete]

OK, when do you check your oil. when its cold or when its warm at op. temp.? dosent oil expand when it warms up? so when changing your oil, how do you know at what level to put it to since its cold when you put it in? i kno that the level changes on mine from cold to warm, so im just asking

check it when its cold. especialy after its been sitting overnight. or have the car turned off for at least 3 or 4 hours. all of the oil will settle down in the oil drain pan and you can get an actual reading. and also make sure that the car is on level ground or you get a false reading.

[Accord R33]

Also make sure you are on level ground.

[NAiL05]

i usually only check the oil after the car has been sitting for a significant amount of time, usually after a day at work or after sitting overnight...

Also make sure you are on level ground.

What those two said is what I do. Its pointless to check it with the oil warmed up or after you start it why? Because its gonna take quite a while before it finds its way back to the pan. Just do it every morning before you start your car and you should be fine.

[JDM_CB7_TX]

When I am changing the oil I let it run for about 3 to 4 minutes. Then let it drain and you will get the most oil out and then when you spin it around and are adding the oil it should be sitting good. Besides I think that a cb should take 4.5 qts. well mine does.

[NAiL05]

When I am changing the oil I let it run for about 3 to 4 minutes. Then let it drain and you will get the most oil out and then when you spin it around and are adding the oil it should be sitting good. Besides I think that a cb should take 4.5 qts. well mine does.

Pshh I suck it out with a straw. Uber clean.

[AccordXRacer]

Just check it the next day before you start your car, make the surface is level and dont overfill! You dont want to *uck up your seals.

[4CYLPOWER92]

and then when you spin it around and are adding the oil it should be sitting good.

[NAiL05]

What I said. The only reason why people start up there car and let the oil warm up is to thin it out so more comes out or some crap like that.

[F22HB]

What I said. The only reason why people start up there car and let the oil warm up is to thin it out so more comes out or some crap like that.

we're not talking about draining the oil, just checking it. For draining it, you want it very hot and just back from a long drive because its the only way to get the sludge and everything out with the oil.

[joba356]

I had a bad experience with this checking the oil thing,lol. Car was sitting overnight and went to check the oil in the morning before turning it on. Pull the dipstick and no oil on in? Put back in and pull but still no oil. Rushed to walmart and got some oil(walmart is open 24/7 nothing else is at 6am) Put some in the car just incase it was dry and when i took off the big cloud of smoke coming out and the car running shitty. You don't wanna know what happened after that. But the point im trying to get accross is that the car was on an angle in my driveway not ground level, so no oil was touching the dipstick.

[d112crzy]

as long as it's not lower than half a quart, you'll be fine.

You have to start your car after and oil change to prime it. If you don't start, you will have a false reading because the oil filter takes up at least 1/4 of a quart, depending on the size of the filter.

If your car is warm, fill it up to right under the full mark. It's not going to change dramatically when it gets cold.