Pauly wrote:
> I know that the level ground is a must when checking oil. The spot
> where I check yesterday is not perfecly level, but I would say almost
> level. Hard to describe in words, but lets say the car does not roll in
> neutral. I assume this would not make much difference.

fair enough, just cover your bases!

personally, my civic never gives consistent readings anywhere near warm,
so i only dip cold in the mornings. reading your subsequent posts, it
seems like you've done the right things. i'm guessing this is not a new
car to you and that is a recent phenomenon, maybe since a recent oil
change? if so, consider whether the right grade oil was used.

bottom line, if the car's not got leaks, either oil or coolant, and
consistently dips at the right level when cold, i'd not worry about it.
dealer coolant pressure testing will give you peace of mind, but as
stated before, you'd /definitely/ notice the effects of a quart of
coolant in the oil!

>
> jim beam wrote:
>
>>Elle wrote:
>>
>>>This unfortunately is a symptom of a rupture in the engine
>>>block/head cooling system such that it's getting into the
>>>oil system. For example, a head gasket leak.
>>
>>theoretically. but three things:
>>
>>1. hondas don't leak much into the oil from gasket failure - the oil and
>>water passages are well distanced. cracked block is more likely to
>>cause this kind of leakage in a honda, and that's very rare.
>>2. if /that/ much coolant was in the oil, over a quart [20%-30% water
>>content!!!], there would be mayonnaise everywhere, including the
>>dipstick, not to mention under the filler cap. advice to check the
>>coolant level [when cold] might be handy in this situation.
>>3. clogged oil filters and general sludge buildup can affect drainback
>>times.
>>
>>i vote for the simple stuff first like the op making sure the oil is
>>dipped on level ground. sounds trivial, but i'm not joking - had a
>>similar issue with a buddy of mine just recently. ended up having to
>>drain two quarts from his overfilled toyota.
>>
>>
>>>Check
>>>-- the appearance of the coolant in the radiator, via the
>>>radiator cap, in a cold engine. Same for the coolant
>>>reservoir. If oil is present, it's looking like a head
>>>gasket or similar leak.
>>>-- the appearance of coolant in the oil system. Look into
>>>the filler cap hole and check the dipstick. Look for foreign
>>>residue on the filler cap (white?)
>>>-- Does the car's exhaust smell like anti-freeze at all?
>>>-- Look for foreign residue (white?) on the spark plugs.
>>>-- Is the car overheating at all.
>>>
>>>I would not drive the car further until this is resolved. Or
>>>certainly do not let it overheat. This will worsen the
>>>problem and make it more expensive to fix.
>>>
>>>"Pauly" <paul.jonaitis@gmail.com> wrote
>>>
>>>
>>>>I have an ongoing oil consumption problem in my 99 Accord
>>>>(4 cyl). The
>>>>car has 88k miles.
>>>>
>>>>Yesterday I checked oil after the car was parked for about
>>>>an hour (on
>>>>a very hot day) and the level was below the lower mark.
>>>>This morning I checked it again (the car was parked
>>>>overnight, so the
>>>>engine was completely cold) and the level was almost at
>>>>the full mark,
>>>>about 90% full. How is this possible???
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>There are no drip or leak marks under the engine or in the
>>>>engine bay,
>>>>last oil change dealer could not locate any leaks (oil pan
>>>>seals, etc),
>>>>so they asked me to start recording oil levels when I fill
>>>>up gas.
>>>>
>>>>Any explanations for such fluctuation?
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>