Check Motor Oil Hot, Warm, or Cold? (2014, engine, Dodge)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
The old rule on this used to be warm engine, turn off, let sit for 10 minutes, then check dipstick level.
Reason I ask is I just performed the above, and dipstick reads half an inch above the full line.
I've also been smelling oil through the blower motor when I run the heat.
So I'm wondering if the oil change place put in about 1 quart too much?.
Thanks in advance for any assistance, as tomorrow I'm taking the car back to show them the oil level.
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
44,551 posts, read 81,085,957 times
Reputation: 57728
Possibly, in fact our 2014 Escape had a recall for that reason. The techs would often overfill the 1.6 because the 2.0 took 1 quart more and they looked the same. The recall was for a sticker to be placed on it with the oil capacity!
The old rule still holds, it allows the oil to expand to operating temperature, then drain back down into the pan.
I always check it cold. If you do a google search that will be your most common answer.
This is wrong on so many levels!
Besides, Google is not an automotive engineer.
The correct oil checking procedure is as follows "The old rule on this used to be warm engine, turn off, let sit for 10 minutes, then check dipstick level while parked on fairly level ground".
Possibly, in fact our 2014 Escape had a recall for that reason. The techs would often overfill the 1.6 because the 2.0 took 1 quart more and they looked the same. The recall was for a sticker to be placed on it with the oil capacity!
The old rule still holds, it allows the oil to expand to operating temperature, then drain back down into the pan.
I didn't wait on this, sure enough there were 5 quarts in a 4 qt. engine. The 5 qts. is the V4, 4 qts. in the V6.
It's right in the manual, how they screwed this up I have not a clue.
From now on I change my own.
The correct oil checking procedure is as follows "The old rule on this used to be warm engine, turn off, let sit for 10 minutes, then check dipstick level while parked on fairly level ground".
Every car I've ever owned has said to check the oil cold
It really doesn't matter. Engine oil doesn't expand with heat as much as transmission fluid or power steering fluid does, and the acceptable level range is much greater. That is, the engine dipstick will usually be marked such that at the "ADD" mark it takes one quart of oil to fill to the full mark. A transmission dipstick will have both "COLD" and "HOT" levels, and it often takes only a pint to bring the level from "ADD" to "FULL". The power steering dipstick also has "HOT" and "COLD" levels, but it often takes just a few ounces from "ADD" to "FULL".
While it is true that google is not an automotive engineer, it is a search engine that directs the user to various sites that can give a good answer. Consumer Reports, various you tube sites, etc. In fact, asking "how to check engine oil in car" results in about 1,260,000 responses in 0.90 seconds. Take your pick!
I am not an "automotive engineer" either. I'm just a dumb ol' retired mechanic with many years of experience on everything from Workman bicycles to an SW-1200 EMD locomotive, as well as the holder of an FAA A&P license.
EDIT: Checking a few Owners Manuals I have around here (Dodge/Cummins, Jeep, Kawasaki Brute Force 750 4X4I ATV), none of them specify cold or hot for the engine oil check. Transmission, yes, "Normal Operating Temperature"
Last edited by Redraven; 11-01-2017 at 01:34 PM..
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
