im at 4000 miles now since my last oil change. I've checked the dipstick, but i really do not know how to read it.... it shows that there is oil in the car, but there is no direct measure. the oil pressure gauge reads like 30 when its hot outside, and can jump to 120 when its cold.

i've recently added a few sips of mobile 1 into the engine just to be safe.

So, question is, how do we tell how much oil is inside our cars?

 

I always try to get an oil change every 3k... Not sure if thats completely right or not but thats just the way I do it... Other opinions please?...

 

There must be marking on the dip stick so you can tell the level?
Clean the dipstick before checking and you should see the low and high level markings.

Cheers

O

 

Not 100% sure if your asking
A. What is the level of oil in my car
or
B. When does the engine need an oil change?
or A+B

 

A

what is the level of oil in the car.

Is there really a marking level on the dipstick?

im going to check tomorrow.

 

check the owner's manual tonight and you will be ready by tomorrow. page 8-10 on 03 manual, your level should be in between L and H on the end of the dipstick

http://www.courtesyparts.com/350z/2003-Nissan-350Z.pdf

 

when the odometer reads that i've driven 3000 miles

 

when the light comes on..

 

Ive owned over 20 cars, and every single one had marking on the dipstick indicating low to full.

Always a first though,

If you cant see the markings, it might indicate you need an oil change due to the fact the oil might be darker and therfore not able to see the markings through the oil. Clean the dip stick, then look for markings.

 

As you can see from this realistic picture, the dipstick has a grid between the curves that indicates how much oil your car has. You want the oil (red) to be as close to the "H" as possible without going over it. If the oil is towards "C" or "L," you are low on oil. If you are near "H," you have enough oil.

By the way, to check the oil, you'd first need to wipe clean the stick, put it back into the engine, then pull it out again to see the level. If you don't know that, then may god have mercy on your soul

Also, I change my oil every 2-2.5k miles, just because I like the smoothness and power of new oil. I don't think it's worth it to run old oil for 4k+ miles just to save 25-30 dollars on oil change. $30 is barely half a tank of gas....

 

Just FYI:

1) Oil pressure (as indicated on the OP gauge) has nothing to do with oil level.

2) Oil level, as indicated on the dipstick, tells you absolutely nothing about the condition of the oil, and whether you need an oil change.

As has been suggested, please read your Owner's Manual. You will find all the correct answers there.

bill

 

The Z's dipstick is a practical joke gone terribly wrong.

 

Some people in here must never have REALLY tried to get an accurate reading out of this car's dipstick. It is one of the most worthless parts of this car. The way nissan designed it, it is next to impossible to get any accurate idea of oil level.

I usually end up changing the oil every 2-2.5k miles. The only way to be absolutely positive that you're full on oil in this car is to do an oil change.

 

+1. The dipstick is not the easiest to read. If you change the oil and filter, and add 4.5 quarts of oil, there should be 4.5 quarts of oil in the motor 5,000 miles later. A new engine should not leak or burn oil.

The dipstick is a rough tool not a scientific instrument.

 

Here's a tip on reading the dipstick. Remove it, wipe it clean, then set it asside for about 15 min. This allows the oil in the dip stick tube that screws up your reading to drain back into the pan. Re-insert the dipstick and pull it back out for a reading. I've been doing this a long time and it gives e acurate readings every time.

As for changing the oil, if you've got 4k miles on the oil, you need to change it if it's reg dino-oil (should be done every 3k). If you are on full synthetic, like I am, every 5k miles is good. I had my oil analyzed at Blackstone Labs (look them up in the web) after 5k miles and they said I could go further on it, prob 6-7.5k easy, but 5k changes keep it simple for me to remember when to do it.

As for the title of the thread, the level of oil in the engine or reading on the dipstick has nothng to do with when the oil needs changed. Either go by the manual or have the oil tested to determine how long you can use oil in your particular engine.

 

You have to fiddle around a bit as the previous post suggests, for example when pulling out the dipstick try to have it only touch the tube on the edge not on the flat side of the stick.. otherwise you'll wipe oil over your markings when pulling out. You can get a good reading.

You can also look at the color of the oil, how dirty it looks.

This 3000 mile oil change business - I have never seen outside the US.
Never even heard of that rule outside the US.
People usually get a service once a year when driving around 10k miles per year. But they keep checking with the dipstick if something is wrong.

I guess the easy, safest, conservative, and best for business way and the way where you'll never see any difference in oil color on the dipstick is when doing it every 3k miles.

 

im changing my oil on monday... i checked mydipstick and the oil is brown.

 

When my mileage on my odo matches the mileage posted on my sticker, I drive up to the shop, hand someone the keys and say "Full synthetic." *shrugs* That's how I can tell! =)

 

you can keep driving and driving until the car locks up and won't drive anymore...then you'll "REALLY" need an oil change....well...ummm....you will also "REALLY" need an engine change at the same time...

 

Do what the commercial industry does. Collect some sample and get a used oil analysis (UOA). Or you can go to bobistheoilguy.com and look up UOA reports of Z's running various brands of oils.