Gotcorgi

So I'm not really a new owner, had my 8 for four years now. But sometimes this dipstick can be a real pita to read. Normally I drive like 10 miles a day but I'm preparing for a 6 hour drive and just want to make sure my fluids are alright before i set out. So, my problem is, the oil wells up just fine on the line near the bottom of the dipstick, but not on the dots, but just fine on the line near the top. From what i can tell the oil is about a cm over the fill line (just had oil and filter changed from a dealership). I'm going to try and demonstrate what I'm looking at.

Dipstick:
\==|*==o==o===|*==========O

The asterisks are where I'm seeing the oil accumulate. I'm using 5w-20 and I'm guessing a heavier oil might make it easier to read? Anyways, help would be greatly appreciated. I'm prepared to get flamed as long as i can figure out if this is a safe operating level.

Tl;dr: The asterisks are where I'm seeing oil build up. And laying the dipstick on a paper towel it seems to be just barely above the fill line. Is this safe to take on a long drive?

Gotcorgi

Just to clarify, I'm taking my reading after driving around the neighborhood until i hit normal driving temperature, parking and waiting about 10 minutes, then reading.

Loki

iTrader: (1)

So you pull the dipstick out, wipe it off, put it in again, take it out and observe the reading? That all sounds fine, it could easily be over the fill line. Some dealers will put a little extra to account for the oil injection loss over time. You're not supposed to do that, but they do.

That K&N CAI is no good though. Do your car a favour, put it back to stock :P

Gotcorgi

Thanks for your help. I think what threw me off was the oil not welling up near the dots. But so long as all is well then i guess its no problem.

And yeah i bought the car with the k&n in it and no oem included. I would have switched if I had the parts lol
Thanks again Loki

Wilki1

So when I check my oil after warming the engine to shut down temp, it always reads very low. Like two quarts low. So I add a quart, run it for a while and check it again. Then BAM! It's over full. It frustrated me for a long time. I had it at the dealership several times for idiot lights going on and off randomly before and after a dealership engine swap and had them look into this with no luck. Now, believe it or not, I have discovered that the low oil light and buzzer on the dash (the last thing anyone should trust) is the most effective way to determine low oil. This is true even though the light sometimes comes on unnecessarily. Feel like I'm in a clown car.

Loki

iTrader: (1)

Are you parking on an incline? There aren't really too many ways for the oil level to fluctuate. The oil light coming on incorrectly was the subject of a TSB on 2004-2005s. The symptoms were that the oil light comes on in a cruise between about 4000 and 5000 rpm, even though the oil level is fine. The fix is replacement of the oil level sensor and oil pan (though I'm not sure why the pan needs to be replaced exactly).

Not sure what the buzzer is about, I've never heard of an oil level buzzer.

CelestialGryphon

iTrader: (1)

Wasn't there some issue with oil starvation at absurdly high G's? Like, I am racecar every day level G changes?

Wilki1

Loki, yeah there's a buzzer or chime that goes off three times when the low oil light comes on (sometimes) in my 2009 R3. I'm not parking on an incline. Maybe it's the sensor. I had it back to the dealership several times after the engine swap for that, low coolant light , and transmission light, randomly being on. All of them were on when my original engine lost compression. None of them were ever fixed/after the engine swap.

Wilki1

Not sure. Sounds like a reasonable problem for a car from the 60's or 70's. Not sure if modern cars can even have that problem. But I don't hit the corners hard very often. I like to make a set of tires last more than a year. Lol

Red line envy

last summer alone i went through two sets of tires. But i look at it like my shoes. I only get 3 or 4 months out of a pair of shoes. Plus i cant resist driving the 8 hard.

Wilki1

Yeah that's how I was with my 2005 and 2006 8s. The 2006 was automatic. Had to trade it in for the 05. Needed that manual transmission. Much better for a driver in the corners and hills. But now in my 09 I'm a bit of an old man. I get on it in the straights and to beat the traffic out of a light and choose my lane but that's about it. I enjoy hitting curves faster than the guy behind me but don't offer hit them hard enough to run off a lot of rubber. Lol

Loki

iTrader: (1)

You sure your toe alignment isn't out of spec? Even with track days, that sounds like way too little time for a set to wear out.

Red line envy

Down shift to drift