Oil level check /controll

[Weekend Warrior]

I was having a look around the engine of my new car and checked the dipstick , there was no visible sign of oil however when put on a tissue left an absorbtion mark . The previous ownetr had the engine rebuilt and upgraded  at a reputable company and oil changed 500 miles a go ,could it be that clear .

it runs ok and the oil temp sits steady at 90 ish what should the pressure read on the top of the dial gauge ? 

This also got me thinking on a run if you started to loose oil how would you know , would oil temp go up pressure drop etc.

As you can tell I'm tell I'm not at all mechanically mind and am used to having dirty oil on a dipstick that's easy to see or an oil warning light . 

It's a 2014 ford blacktop engine would it be possible to fit a warning light 

 

 

thanks Steve

[Arm]

Good to be concerned until you know its OK. Could be a costly exercise so assume for now its not right.

I would strongly recommend once you know the oil level is good (even if you drain and refill) you fit or relocate the oil warning lamp to a highly visible area.

A quick search on here will show many have had same problem.

[Terry Everall]

If you wipe the dip stick with a rag or tissue and then put it back in to measure the oil you WILL be able to see it no matter how clear it is and after 500 miles I am surprised it is still clear

[Weekend Warrior]

How much oil does a performance engine use / burn how often would you be expected to top it up ? 

 

[DamperMan]

Usage depends significantly how you drive it!... and if the engine is freshly rebuilt it might use a little until its all beaded in.  Car manufactures often have in their handbooks an acceptable oil useage which is usually massively high to cover them selves.... The oil level will depend on what sump you have.. For instance a raceline sump takes 5l and Ford dipstick markings don't match a full sump.    Where as if its a modified sump of unknown origin it could be anyware!!... 

 

 

[the stoat]

Also to add double check your oil pressure switch activation pressure.  I would use something around the 21 PSI mark as if set to lower you may not get enough time.  Yes this may trigger at a hot idle but better that that stopping the engine too late.

[Rory's Dad]

Damperman - Surely the sump, if full sized or low level, will show full on the dipstick whatever quantity of oil is underneath (or have I misunderstood)!!

[DamperMan]

2 hours ago, Rory's Dad said:

Damperman - Surely the sump, if full sized or low level, will show full on the dipstick whatever quantity of oil is underneath (or have I misunderstood)!!

Well the race line sump max is about 5mm higher than the ford mark.   And if the sump is significantly less volume it's better to over fill a little than have to little. Plus on kit cars the engine might not be angled the same as on the donor ... a lot of variables to just assume the dipstick possibly of unknown origin in a modified tube will give the correct oil level.  

[Terryathome]

Never over fill engine oil.

[Paul Gibney - Lancashire AO]

Never let it run dry !

 

[Weekend Warrior]

Ok I've put nigh on a litre in  to get it where I think it should be as it's the colour of golden syrup and hard to see properly .Apparently the engine and oil are just under 2000 miles old question is where did the oil go ?

there are no visible leaks ,no smoke from exhaust . Does oil evaporate if it runs a little hot ,there's some sort of tank on the bulkhead with a pipe from the rocker cover going into it There's a plastic viewing tube on the side of it 

when oil is  that clean what's the best way to check dipstick ,I found if you pulled it out and held it vertical you could see where it started to run down from .

Im still none the wiser as how to tell when your getting low on oil from inside the car will oil pressure drop off temp rise what ?

finally if it's been run whilst low (still performing ok ) and caught in time and topped up I assume all should be ok 

what oil pressure should you have on a 2l Zetec  anyone know ?

 

 

[Terry Everall]

The tank is an oil catch tank which collects oil from the rocker when the engine is working hard ( usually high revs etc) You should be able to see how much is in the tank through the viewing pipe. Maybe empty it and see if its your "lost oil"

my previous post explained how to check the dipstick

[Ian Kinder (Bagpuss) - Joint Peak District AO]

17 hours ago, Weekend Warrior said:

Im still none the wiser as how to tell when your getting low on oil from inside the car will oil pressure drop off temp rise what ?

finally if it's been run whilst low (still performing ok ) and caught in time and topped up I assume all should be ok 

what oil pressure should you have on a 2l Zetec  anyone know ?

 

 

You're not going to get any clues from the cockpit, sorry until it's too late. Just check it as you've been doing periodically. If you let it run low enough to affect pressure it will likely result in a big bill. 

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

There are very good reasons why modern car makers, (on the whole) have gone for a less is more approach to instruments and information, presented to the driver. And it's not all about cost either, especially in these days of ecu' for everything and a huge amount of vehicle data floating round the OBD system.

It's often nicknamed gauge-anxiety, where you become fixated on what they're doing, instead of driving. There is a wealth of information they can tell you, particularly in conjunction with each other. But in truth, very few of us are able to read the deeper meanings, beyond water hot/cold, oil pressure high/low.

Many, perhaps even most of us now, have simply spent to long with cars designed to gently tell us white lies; gauges that don't seem to move much, just point in to the "All is OK" zone, due to non linear scales and heavy damping. 

I really, really, wouldn't look to increase the information load in the cockpit, it will just be one more thing to worry about, every time it reports back normal, but perhaps unexpected behavior.

As Ian said, oil pressure or temperature gauges won't tell you that you're running low, as such, though they will eventually show the damage being caused while running low.

You're already doing the "correct" thing, dipping the oil regularly and keeping an eye on its level.

Dont forget, if checking levels after a run, or at the petrol station etc mid run. Even when the oil is warm/hot, it does take a little time for it all to drain back into the sump. So don't measure and top up immediately you stop, as you risk over filling. Over filling itself isn't good for an engine, and is best avoided.

[SootySport]

New engines do burn more  oil than usual.  When the engine is has done a couple of thousand miles and everything is bedded in nicely,  oil consumption does decrease significantly, same goes for fuel consumption.

If you have  an Audi 2.0TSI engine forget the above info.