Dipstick - Difficulty Reading Oil Level

[Whoppy]

Hi,

I've recently purchased a 2nd hand iQ and am loving it. However I'm having great difficulty checking the oil level. No matter what I try I get a very smeared dipstick making it difficult to ascertain the correct reading.

Wondering if anyone else has this issue and if anyone had any suggestions?

[Grumpy Cabbie]

It'll be the very thin, clear, synthetic 0w20 oil.

The same oil is used in many other cars in the Toyota range including my car. It too is particularly difficult to check the oil level.

[Whoppy]

The thin oil doesn't help, but by doing it in the garage under lights I can make it out. It's rather a problem of consistent readings. I can do it five times and get five very different readings, ranging from basically empty, to well over the limit. There seems to be done resistance when re-inserting the dipstick which I imagine isn't helping.

[byzantian]

I have the same problem when reading the oil and also when reinserting the dipstick - there seems to be a lot of resistance and you have to turn and prod repeatedly for it to go in. But should it be like this?

[Grumpy Cabbie]

It shouldn't, but our IQ is the same. Our Prius is fine. Must be an IQ 1.0 thing.

[craggle]

The dipstick on the 1.33 models is a thick, twisted wire with moulded on metal balls and level indicator at the end. It doesn't exactly fall in but needs feeding carefully into place. If you simply push it from the handle on the end it bends.

As for the level I don't find it too hard to read. You need to turn the dipstick around to find the level as the outside seems to get smeared on the way up but it is there. Always wipe it clean before reinserting too otherwise the tube will become oiled and then you'll never get a good reading.

My dad has a peugeot with an orange plastic dipstick and the other day he pulled it out to check the level and only half the dipstick came out! Had to buy a new one, push the broken bit into the sump and leave it there. Peugeot dealer wasn't surprised at all, said they are always breaking.

Craig.

[Whoppy]

Sounds like the dipsticks are different, on the 1.0 it's just a metal strip with a twist at the end.

Anyway, I found a solution for the difficulty in checking levels. All you need is to buy some plastic tubing:

e.g. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Plastic-Tubing-Clear-Metre-Roll/dp/B00BJ5CWLA

Just make sure it will fit, that's just an example link, I bought a shorter amount from a local DIY store.

Mark off the length of the official dipstick on the tubing, thread it in up to this point (leave yourself some extra room to hold on with :)) then place a finger over the top of the tubing.

Draw the tubing out, wipe it off and compare the level of oil present in the tube with your dipstick.

[Whoppy]

I have the same problem when reading the oil and also when reinserting the dipstick - there seems to be a lot of resistance and you have to turn and prod repeatedly for it to go in. But should it be like this?

Mine is like this also, I asked in the dealership about this and they said they were all like that. It is very odd coming from a car where the dipstick was easy to get in and out.