lexus-is2

About 2-3 weeks ago i did an oil change on my IS250. Few weeks before the oil change the low oil warning came on so topped up 1.5Litres of 5W30 to bring the level just a few millimeters above the minimum mark.

I measured how much drained from the car and it was approximately 5.6Litres and i filled 6.2 Litres. The user manual says to put 6.3Litres if changing filter

Anyway, initially i had issues reading the dipstick because it was new oil and very thin and ran all over the dipstick. So started the car and drove it around. Let it sit for over 12hrs then checked it and i was able to read the level as half way between min and max. I checked this on a few other occasions in the morning and it was always at that half way mark.

Since a few days ago i checked the dipstick in the morning and the oil seems very high up on the dipstick, it goes way above the twisted part of the dipstick. I didnt add any more oil or anything so got concerned that maybe i initially overfilled oil? but i only filled 0.6Litres more than I drained out. I drained out the oil when it was on the low mark anyway. Also i changed the oil filter which was soaked in oil too.

I attempted to read the dipstick many times after the car had been siting overnight but still kept getting oil all over the dipstick. Actually the more i pull it out and clean and attempt to read the harder it becomes to read. So then i tried something a club member suggested about scoring the dipstick. I scored a few marks between the min and max lines and then cleaned and repeated the read and this time its giving me a reading of oil being in between min and max. There is still oil continuing after the max line but just light amount and not consistent just like a smear only. But if i keep attempting the read then it gets confusing again.

I am wondering if this dipstick scoring is actually giving me the correct reading or is it just now giving me another incorrect reading? because before the scoring it was way above the twist and with the score all of a sudden its dropped so much. And sometimes i get one reading on one side of the dipstick and another reading at the back of the dipstick.

Is there any sort of symptoms to look out for to know if there is too much oil in the car?

Would really appreciate some advice.

Thanks

DKIS350

At this point I would just take the dipstick out over night and let it sit so we know anything in the tube is drained out. Check it and see where it ends up on the first check. After that, if you recheck and recheck you may just be pulling oil back up into the tube. Also make sure the dipstick isnt bent or twisted. Ive seen people bend them from forcing them in and who knows how accurate it is after that, You should be able to see a pretty distinct line of fresh oil on it then.

lexus-is2

Many thanks for your reply DKIS350, if i leave the dipstick out completely overnight wouldnt that be risking moisture getting in and mixing with the oil? its cold days at the moment and night time leaves alot of moisture and mist on the car as it gets really cold at night. Should i maybe cover it with a rag? allowing air to enter but to filter moisture maybe?

Having just gone through my user manual on the page that instructs you on how to check oil level, the user manual says to check the oil level with the engine at operating temperature and turned off and having sat for a few minutes to drain. But most people say to leave car for a few hours and ideally overnight before checking level. Bit confused why the user manual says otherwise.

kickin8

iTrader: (1)

you can seal it with plastic wrap....etc

left the little dipstick opening overnight will not affect much...

jgr7

iTrader: (1)

A couple of min is long enough with car at temp.

mandyfig

Wonder if you use shrink tubing at the end of the dipstick, it should work....I too have a big issue with how to see the oil level especially if the oil is new, they are almost translucent.

I have the same issue with my MX-5.

I will try the shrink tube route!

DKIS350

I dont know if i'd put and shrink tubing on the end of a dip stick. I see a post of "How do I get shrink tubing out of my engine" coming. If you know exactly how much oil you put in and it matches what the car calls for, I wouldnt worry too much unless you had a dry dip stick everytime you checked.