Should the dipstick be checked when the engine is cold or hot?
1 Answers
Check the dipstick when the engine is cold, i.e., after the vehicle has been turned off for thirty minutes. This is because while the vehicle is in motion, the engine oil circulates within the engine, serving functions such as lubrication, friction reduction, heat dissipation, and cleaning. When the vehicle has just been turned off, it is in a hot state, and the engine oil has not fully returned, which can lead to measurement inaccuracies. Below is an extended explanation: 1. Dipstick deviation between cold and hot engines. When the engine oil has not fully returned, the dipstick reading can vary to different degrees depending on the engine's size and the number of cylinders. Larger engines tend to cause greater deviations. Generally, it is necessary to wait for the oil to fully return, at which point the dipstick will display the correct reading. 2. Standard dipstick scale. The dipstick has upper and lower limits at its top and bottom. The top of the dipstick indicates the lower limit, while the bottom near the handle indicates the upper limit. The oil level should generally be between these two limits. If the reading is at or below the lower limit, it is advisable to add some oil. Engine oil is akin to the blood of the engine, so regularly checking the oil level is a good habit for vehicle maintenance.
