Oil Level not same on both sides of dipstick

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by sas0611, Jun 14, 2009.

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  1. sas0611

    sas0611 Member

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    If this has been discussed before I am sorry. I've noticed this on both my 08' prii when changing oil. When looking at the oil level on the dipstick, one side of the stick will show the oil closer to the fill mark than the other. I try to keep my level about a 1/4 inch below the full line. This is where the contradiction occurs. If you look at one side of the stick you can be at 1/4 below full but when you rotate the stick and look at the other side you'll see it closer to 1/2 below full. I go with the side that shows it 1/4 below. If anyone chooses to answer my picky question, please refer to your opinion of the correct side as either -> the side with the min and max marks raised like a pimple, or the side with the min max mark sunken in like a basin. It'd be helpful if there was also lettering stamped into the stick - that way you'd know you were reading it right because the letter on wrong side would appear backwards.

    I can see how this could result in a slight overfill situation if you are inclined to add oil to what you think is the full mark and are using the side that displays it on the low side. When you flip to the other side it would undoubtedly appear as an overfill by about 1/8 - 1/4 inch on that side of the stick. Of course in this example I am assuming the low side is the wrong side.

    As always, thanks in advance for any answers.

    Steve
     
    #1 sas0611, Jun 14, 2009
  2. magruder

    magruder Average Member

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    Hi Steve,

    Although I do not share your enthusiasm with exact oil levels, I am going to go with the average of the two sides. The dipstick enters the oil pan at an angle, so one side is reading high and the other low. Therefore, the correct level is somewhere in between, and I go with the middle point. Please see the middle picture of my post "Replaced oil pan gasket".

    Regards,
    Dave
     
    #2 magruder, Jun 14, 2009
  3. dogfriend

    dogfriend Human - Animal Hybrid

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    #3 dogfriend, Jun 15, 2009
  4. PaulHS

    PaulHS Member

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    Um... there is the "obvious" solution: be sure to take your measurement on a level location.

    Ok, so you knew that...
     
    #4 PaulHS, Jun 15, 2009
  5. qbee42

    qbee42 My other car is a boat

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    This is because you are using multi-weight oil. For example, if you use 5W30 the 5 side will be lower than the 30 side.

    Sorry, I couldn't resist pulling your leg. I must of had too much coffee this morning. :D

    Tom
     
    #5 qbee42, Jun 15, 2009
  6. sas0611

    sas0611 Member

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    Alright, it really doesn't matter whether its and 1/8 of inch or half way between the marks. I am fully prepared to take ridicule but now it is more of a curiosity issue to me than a concern about obtaining the right fill level.

    I still would like to know why the different reading on different sides of stick. Your explanation made sense at first to me but when I thought about and after looking at your photo, your explanation doesn't really seem to explain why the difference.

    The effect of entering at an angle would be negligible unless we're talking about a stick whose thickness was a few inches instead of what it actually is- maybe a 1/16 of an inch thick at any point. Would not both sides of the stick therefore come in contact with the oil at virtually the same point and same time. As you approach 0 thickness the effect of any sidedness become more negligible. At 16th of an inch i'd say, side a is almost the same as side b. So what causes the variance then ?
     
    #6 sas0611, Jun 15, 2009
  7. fred garvin

    fred garvin New Member

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    i so love prius chat partially because of super techno discussions like this one.

    so if the stick enters the oil at an angle, there is a bottom facing side of the flat stick and a top side.

    your point about the difference being negligle would be valid for low vsicosity fluids like water, but remember, oil is sticky. the bottom side enters but it also "drags" and pushes oil up the bottom side of the stick more so than on the top side.
     
    #7 fred garvin, Jun 16, 2009
  8. Mike Dimmick

    Mike Dimmick Active Member

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    Just to check: you are wiping the dipstick clean, replacing it, then removing it to check the level? The dipstick gets splashed heavily when the engine is running, and the oil clings, so you must wipe off the oil residue before dipping to get an accurate measurement.

    You are also supposed to warm the car up fully (I'd say to Stage 4 idle check), then park on a level surface, turn the car off, and wait five minutes for the oil to return to the sump before checking the level. If the oil is cold the level will appear too low.
     
    #8 Mike Dimmick, Jun 16, 2009
  9. Sandy

    Sandy Hippi Chick

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    have you checked your blinker fluid?
     
    #9 Sandy, Jun 16, 2009
  10. paprius4030

    paprius4030 My first Prius

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    I love these tongue in cheek answers LOL. It reminds me when I worked at the airport and we had somebody new and we would them them to the mechanics to get a bucket of prop wash LOL. Another time we had a new secretary and she was complaining her car started vibrating a little on the highway. We asked her if she had changed the air in her tires from the winter air to the summer air, when she said no we sent her to the local garage to get the air changed in her tires LOL. You should have seen the look on her face when she came back.
     
    #10 paprius4030, Jun 16, 2009
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  11. carz89

    carz89 I study nuclear science...

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    Does one side of your dipstick read "95% full" and the other "5% empty"? That might explain the difference. I would go with the more optimistic reading. :)
     
    #11 carz89, Jun 16, 2009
  12. jayman

    jayman Senior Member

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    Almost every vehicle I have owned/driven has that weird issue with the oil dipstick
     
    #12 jayman, Jun 16, 2009
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  13. fred garvin

    fred garvin New Member

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    it is electromagnetic EMP charges in the engine magnetically attracting the trace amounts of metal shavings in the oil, so the side closest to the alternator, or in this case the electric engines, gets more charge hence the higher indication.
     
    #13 fred garvin, Jun 16, 2009
  14. dogfriend

    dogfriend Human - Animal Hybrid

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    [​IMG]
     
    #14 dogfriend, Jun 16, 2009
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  15. ETP

    ETP 2021 Prime(Limit),24 Venza Limit,B52-D,G,F,H

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    Nice chart! Same here the oil drags on one side more than the other. That is why it is important to add the exact amount of oil during an oil change. You can not read the fraking oil stick with clean synthetic oil.
     
    #15 ETP, Jun 16, 2009
  16. ETP

    ETP 2021 Prime(Limit),24 Venza Limit,B52-D,G,F,H

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    Big issue! You could be 1/2 quart off on a grade.
     
    #16 ETP, Jun 16, 2009
  17. Sandy

    Sandy Hippi Chick

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    I have always been a smart @ss:)
     
    #17 Sandy, Jun 16, 2009
  18. Celtic Blue

    Celtic Blue New Member

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    It takes a few thousand miles before you can read the level decently with synthetic, but with the Prius it is unwise to add the recommended amount of oil (if by "exact" you mean Toyota's written guidelines.) Adding that much will put you ~1/4" over...just like they ship them from Japan, unfortunately.

    Safer is adding 3.5 quarts which should get you under the full mark on both sides of the dipstick. Better still is adding an even 3 quarts which puts mine halfway between full/low on the dipstick. Doing this has coincided with the best mileage I've had so far.

    With synthetic and a fresh change, I read whichever side makes the level most apparent. I've got over 3,000 miles on the current oil change and can see both sides now, the difference in the two levels is slight.
     
    #18 Celtic Blue, Jun 18, 2009
  19. Patrick Wong

    Patrick Wong DIY Enthusiast

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    I suggest holding the dipstick so that the surface is reflecting the available light into your eyes. Then you can see where the surface is dry and where it is coated with the fresh oil.
     
    #19 Patrick Wong, Jun 18, 2009
  20. wildbottom

    wildbottom New Member

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    I would check this later to see the difference. I use the side that's smoother to push back in.(The side the follows the large bend.) It should go farther in.
     
    #20 wildbottom, Sep 23, 2009
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