I checked my Sube's engine oil level, engine cold and car on level ground.

Oil level was about 1/2 " above dipstick hole, the mark for hot oil.

Checked several more times to be sure. Yup, about 1/2" above hole.

Checked again later several times with car on level ground, after driving 20 miles and engine has heated up.

Now, the oil level is about 3/8" BELOW dipstick hole.

What's going on here???

It's impossible for me to get an accurate reading of the engine oil level. It's always been an issue.

 

 

2000 Legacy GT wagon-MT

I checked my Sube's engine oil level, engine cold and car on level ground.

Oil level was about 1/2 " above dipstick hole, the mark for hot oil.

Checked several more times to be sure. Yup, about 1/2" above hole.

Checked again later several times with car on level ground, after driving 20 miles and engine has heated up.

Now, the oil level is about 3/8" BELOW dipstick hole.

What's going on here???

It's impossible for me to get an accurate reading of the engine oil level. It's always been an issue.

 

 

2000 Legacy GT wagon-MT

 

first, check both sides of the stick the lower reading is more correct.

second, depending on how long after you turn off the car untill you check the oil, a fair amount of it may still be up in the engine. if you check it as soon as you turn it off and check it 15 minutes later there will be a difference.

Welcome to world of Subaru engine oil level. I have had a few Subaru's over the years and I still have two now. That oil oil is tough to measure on any of the engines. The guy I work with talks about it on his GT. He showed me how the level reads on the front side of the stick and different on the back! That is with just one pull of the stick out of the engine.

 

I only check the level in my cars after the engine has been run for at least two hours and the car has then sat for at least four hours. If you run the car for about 10 miinutes and it's cold out all that cold viscous oil gets on the walls of the engine and sits there. It takes a long time for it drain back into the pan. Check your cold oil level after a 10 minute run and it will be low. I have overfilled an engine one time when I did this. Then the next time the oil level was high.

 

The best way is to check it the same way and in the same place each time. Calibrate your brain and procedure so you know what you are looking at. Be consistant

 

John

Welcome to world of Subaru engine oil level.

 

Correctamundo! This is not a mystery, it's a Subaru!

After sitting overnight, or for any long period, the oil drains out of the engine oil galleys, cam covers, etc. wherever it may be collecting during normal operation. If you check your engine oil first thing in the morning, all this oil will have accumulated in the pan, and it will read higher.

Now, you start the car, run it for a while, and slosh oil up into all the little holes, oil galleys, and everywhere else it collects, you turn it off and immediately check your oil, and find that it's lower even though it's warmed up. This is because the oil has not had the chance to re-collect down in the oil pan.

 

I start my engine, run the car for 30 seconds, shut it off and wait for another 30 seconds-1 minute, THEN check the oil... using the lowest reading on either side of the stick, because they will probably be different.

 

As stated above, consistency is key. It could be a little low, or a little high, but if you are consistent about how and when you check it, it will never be MORE than a little low or a little high.

 

Hope this helps...

 

88RxTuner

so if you over fill it.. what are the consequences?

 

i think mines past the full mark, up by the the top mark. the semicircle on the edge of the dipstick.

 

that was an accident. but i didnt know how to take it out..

If you overfill too much it can cause a lot of churning and air entrainment in the oil, and possibly cause pressure on seals that wouldn't normally see pressure.