Vauxhall Meriva - Dipstick showing 3/4 full when empty

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Tue 1 Sep 2015 19:22
Vauxhall Meriva - Dipstick showing 3/4 full when empty - Soozec

I wondered if any of you mechanically minded peeps could help me understand what is going on. My oil light came on last night, so I turned off the engine and restarted it a few minutes later as I was a mile from home, had no torch and no oil. When I restarted it the oil light didn't come back on. So I thought perhaps it was a sensor issue rather than lack of our. I had topped it up 6 weeks ago.

So I thought I would check it in the morning before a longish journey - which I did. I checked it cold and the car was level on the road outside my house. The dipstick said it was 3/4 full so this reconfirmed what I thought to be a sensor issue.

I did my journey of about 30 miles, but soon after setting off home on the return journey the oil light came on again. I left it a few minutes and then checked my oil levels. It said I had zero oil! So how can a dipstick show 3/4 full and then none? I don't have any leaks. It just gets through oil. There is no smoke or drips on the floor.

Should I have turned on the engine this morning and then let it cool before checking the oil with the dipstick? I can't understand how it could show such a vast difference.

All I can say is that I'm so pleased I took my oil with me this time else I probably wouldn't have got home!

Any ideas about what caused the difference and what the proper way to check oil would be really helpful as I don't want to run the risk of running low again.

SoozeC

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Tue 1 Sep 2015 20:00
Vauxhall Meriva - Dipstick showing 3/4 full when empty - elekie&a/c doctor

Age of car and engine size, petrol/diesel would be useful info.

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Tue 1 Sep 2015 20:18
Vauxhall Meriva - Dipstick showing 3/4 full when empty - mss1tw

If you checked it cold after a long stand, on a level surface that will be the 'true' reading.

Was the dipstick definitely fully inserted into the tube when you checked the second time? Sometimes they can be notchy.

Should I have turned on the engine this morning and then let it cool before checking the oil with the dipstick?

Definitely not!

Edited by mss1tw on 01/09/2015 at 20:18

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Tue 1 Sep 2015 20:30
Vauxhall Meriva - Dipstick showing 3/4 full when empty - RT

Check the oil when cold, eg after standing overnight, remove dipstick and wipe it clean of all oil then fully insert/remove and check the "reading".

All engines splash oil up the dipstick so you need to get rid of that before checking.

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Tue 1 Sep 2015 20:37
Vauxhall Meriva - Dipstick showing 3/4 full when empty - gordonbennet

I'd be inclined to use this opportunity to change the oil and measure in the exact amount specified in the handbook, this will give a you a true level with fresh easy flowing oil and you can check the dipstick, cold warm and hot, so you know whats going on and where you might be going wrong if at all.

Edited by gordonbennet on 01/09/2015 at 20:37

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Wed 2 Sep 2015 08:40
Vauxhall Meriva - Dipstick showing 3/4 full when empty - Oli rag

I know on an Astra with the 1.6 petrol engine, you have to check the oil when the engine is hot. The handbook tells you to get it hot then leave it for 5 minutes and check the level. On that particular engine it will overread when checked cold.

Read the handbook if you have one.

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Wed 2 Sep 2015 09:43
Vauxhall Meriva - Dipstick showing 3/4 full when empty - skidpan

Different manufacturers have different oil dipping routines. It always used to be with a cold engine but our Kia required you to do it with a warm/hot engine that had been stood between 5 and 10 minutes. Check it after the car had stood overnight and it would show well over full.

Read your handbook, it will give you all the info you need.

But whatever the car/engine if it shows 3/4 full on the dipstick there is definitely oil in it.

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Wed 2 Sep 2015 09:57
Vauxhall Meriva - Dipstick showing 3/4 full when empty - RT

I'd be inclined to use this opportunity to change the oil and measure in the exact amount specified in the handbook, this will give a you a true level with fresh easy flowing oil and you can check the dipstick, cold warm and hot, so you know whats going on and where you might be going wrong if at all.

Using the handbook quantity is likely to overfill it - it would on every vehicle I've had in the last 4 decades!

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Wed 2 Sep 2015 10:18
Vauxhall Meriva - Dipstick showing 3/4 full when empty - skidpan

Using the handbook quantity is likely to overfill it

Thats because it is the quantity you need to fill a brand new bone dry engine. When you drain the oil there is always some left in the sump and oil galleries. As an example our Kia requied 5.3 litres according to the handbook. But put any more than a 5 litre container in and it would be over the top of the dipstick full mark. Unless of course Mr Total put more than 5 litres in a 5 litre bottle.

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