Honda Car Forum

What is the right condition to check the motor oil level on the
dipstick? Soon after stopping the engine or after it cooled down?
Thanks.

"Cameo" <cameo@cameo.invalid> wrote in message
news:h7n8l4$ga4$1@news.eternal-september.org...
> What is the right condition to check the motor oil level on the dipstick?
> Soon after stopping the engine or after it cooled down? Thanks.

Well after it has cooled down. You need to be sure that the oil has
returned from the galleries above into the sump. Also hot oil expands and
will appear deeper than normal when cold. The cold depth is that which has
to be measured.
--
Keith W
Sunbury on Thames
(If you can't laugh at life, it ain't worth living)

"Keith W" <invalidaddress@invalidaddress.invalid> wrote:
> Well after it has cooled down. You need to be sure that the oil has
> returned from the galleries above into the sump. Also hot oil
> expands and will appear deeper than normal when cold. The cold depth
> is that which has to be measured.

Thanks, that settles an argument in my favor.

"Cameo" <cameo@cameo.invalid> wrote in message
news:h7ph73$i8p$1@news.eternal-september.org...
> "Keith W" <invalidaddress@invalidaddress.invalid> wrote:
>> Well after it has cooled down. You need to be sure that the oil has
>> returned from the galleries above into the sump. Also hot oil expands
>> and will appear deeper than normal when cold. The cold depth is that
>> which has to be measured.
>
> Thanks, that settles an argument in my favor.

No, you said the opposite !

On Wed, 2 Sep 2009 19:12:03 -0700, "Cameo" <cameo@cameo.invalid>
wrote:

>What is the right condition to check the motor oil level on the
>dipstick? Soon after stopping the engine or after it cooled down?
>Thanks.


Check the oil when it's cool.

Transmission when it hot. Go through the gears slowly, then check
transmission fluid.

On Sep 6, 9:19*pm, 4...@mydaja.com wrote:
> On Wed, 2 Sep 2009 19:12:03 -0700, "Cameo" <ca...@cameo.invalid>
> wrote:
>
> >What is the right condition to check the motor oil level on the
> >dipstick? Soon after stopping the engine or after it cooled down?
> >Thanks.
>
> Check *the oil when it's cool.
>
> Transmission when it hot. Go through the gears slowly, then check
> transmission fluid.

The manual says to check the oil every time you re-fuel. It says to
wait a few minutes before checking. So that means it is a warm engine.
If my car is on a level surface and has been parked all day, I may
check the oil, and it seems to be at the same level.

<4546@mydaja.com> wrote:
> Transmission when it hot. Go through the gears slowly, then check
> transmission fluid.

How exactly would I go through the gears slowly and then immediately
check the ATF level?

On 9/7/09 2:14 PM, in article h83m1t$7oq$1@news.eternal-september.org,
"Cameo" <cameo@cameo.invalid> wrote:

> <4546@mydaja.com> wrote:
>> Transmission when it hot. Go through the gears slowly, then check
>> transmission fluid.
>
> How exactly would I go through the gears slowly and then immediately
> check the ATF level?
>

You would park in the driveway with the engine running (with your foot on
the brake) and slowly move the shift lever from park to 1 and back pausing
for a second in each gear, then get out and pull the dipstick.

Unless the procedure has been recently changed, on Hondas, you just pull out
the ATF dipstick and read it the same way you check the oil. Most other car
makes require the slowly through the gears protocol, but most Hondas don't.

Bottom line - get out your owner's manual and do what it says for your car.

"E. Meyer" <epmeyer50@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:C6CB15AE.114C8%epmeyer50@gmail.com...
> You would park in the driveway with the engine running (with your foot
> on
> the brake) and slowly move the shift lever from park to 1 and back
> pausing
> for a second in each gear, then get out and pull the dipstick.
>
> Unless the procedure has been recently changed, on Hondas, you just
> pull out
> the ATF dipstick and read it the same way you check the oil. Most
> other car
> makes require the slowly through the gears protocol, but most Hondas
> don't.
>
> Bottom line - get out your owner's manual and do what it says for your
> car.

Actually, I hate to break the news, but I've read the Owner's Manual, so
I knew that one measures the ATF when the engine is warm. That's why I
didn't ask about it in my first post. Since you offered your advise on
it anyway, and one that I did not recall from the manual. That's why I
asked about it. I checked the manual again and could not find anything
about the elaborate procedure you described. The 94 Accord manual only
says this:
"Check the fluid level with the engine at normal operating temerature.
1. Park the car on level ground. Shut off the engine.
2. Remove the dipstick (yellow loop) from the transmission and wipe it
with a clean cloth.
3. Insert the dipstick into the transmission.
4. Remove the dipstick and check the fluid level. It should be between
the upper and lower marks.
etc."

So there is nothing there about going through the gears slowly, etc.

As to my inquiry about measuring the oil level, even that is described
slightly more casually in the manual than some of you wrote. Instead of
measuring it with the engine cold, the manual only instructs to
"Check the engine oil a couple of minutes after shutting off the engine.
This will allow the oil to drain down to the bottom of the engine."

Couple of minutes after engine shut-off hardly makes the engine or oil
cold. So, I guess, Wade was closest to what the manual says. The
difference may be simply in the target audience. The Owner's Manual
speaks to the average lay motorist, while you are answering with a more
knowledgeable techy background.

Thanks for the replies.

On 9/8/09 9:56 PM, in article h875gk$hg0$1@news.eternal-september.org,
"Cameo" <cameo@cameo.invalid> wrote:

> "E. Meyer" <epmeyer50@gmail.com> wrote in message
> news:C6CB15AE.114C8%epmeyer50@gmail.com...
>> You would park in the driveway with the engine running (with your foot
>> on
>> the brake) and slowly move the shift lever from park to 1 and back
>> pausing
>> for a second in each gear, then get out and pull the dipstick.
>>
>> Unless the procedure has been recently changed, on Hondas, you just
>> pull out
>> the ATF dipstick and read it the same way you check the oil. Most
>> other car
>> makes require the slowly through the gears protocol, but most Hondas
>> don't.
>>
>> Bottom line - get out your owner's manual and do what it says for your
>> car.
>
> Actually, I hate to break the news, but I've read the Owner's Manual, so
> I knew that one measures the ATF when the engine is warm. That's why I
> didn't ask about it in my first post. Since you offered your advise on
> it anyway, and one that I did not recall from the manual. That's why I
> asked about it. I checked the manual again and could not find anything
> about the elaborate procedure you described. The 94 Accord manual only
> says this:
> "Check the fluid level with the engine at normal operating temerature.
> 1. Park the car on level ground. Shut off the engine.
> 2. Remove the dipstick (yellow loop) from the transmission and wipe it
> with a clean cloth.
> 3. Insert the dipstick into the transmission.
> 4. Remove the dipstick and check the fluid level. It should be between
> the upper and lower marks.
> etc."
>
> So there is nothing there about going through the gears slowly, etc.
>


I answered your specific question, which was how to go about doing that
procedure, but if you look you will see that I also made the point in my
posting that most Hondas do NOT require that slow move through the gears
procedure. If your owners manual doesn't say you should do it, you
shouldn't.

ATF expands significantly when it is hot, so it is important to note in your
manual whether you should check it hot or cold.

> As to my inquiry about measuring the oil level, even that is described
> slightly more casually in the manual than some of you wrote. Instead of
> measuring it with the engine cold, the manual only instructs to
> "Check the engine oil a couple of minutes after shutting off the engine.
> This will allow the oil to drain down to the bottom of the engine."
>
> Couple of minutes after engine shut-off hardly makes the engine or oil
> cold. So, I guess, Wade was closest to what the manual says. The
> difference may be simply in the target audience. The Owner's Manual
> speaks to the average lay motorist, while you are answering with a more
> knowledgeable techy background.

With motor oil it doesn't make much if any difference whether its hot or
cold. Usually you get the best reading on the motor oil by checking it in
the morning before you start the engine the first time. That way its had
all night to drain down.

>
> Thanks for the replies.
>