Help reading dipstick

[Ben565]

Could someone take a look at the picture attached and help me read the dipstick. I can't work out if the oil level is below min mark. Or halfway between min and max.

 

 

[Billyboy81]

Wipe the stick clean and dip it again. Should be a bit clearer then. 

[TonyHSD]

It’s the halfway between min and max. The suggestion to wipe clean and check  again is correct but you can also check in the morning on cold before you start the car and without wiping the dipstick, just lift and check. 

[Ben565]

That picture was after I wiped it clean and dipped again. And cold engine too.

[aygowhereugo]

1 minute ago, Ben565 said:

That picture was after I wiped it clean and dipped again. And cold engine too.

I was going to make a joke about how long ago did you do your practical driving test? This was one of the show me/tell me questions.

But looks like you probably have an over-oiled engine? If a clean stick goes into the engine block, it should be a straightforward read.

[Ben565]

It just looks a bit ambiguous to me. Asked a couple of people at work and they reckoned its below min because thats where the blob of oil is, and the rest is just a smear on the stick. 

 

Oh and 1995 I did my practical test 😉 every other car I've owned its been pretty clear to read.

[TonyHSD]

Check on cold but without wiping out. Just lift and read and if pass max mark a lot means overfilled. 
Here on my dipstick example but this is on hot engine and after wipe out. 
 

However what I can read from this dipstick is that the oil at the bottom is contaminated and if me if the oil has done already some miles I will run an engine flush and then change the oil and filter.
When you wipe the dipstick with cloth should become clean and shiny metal without any darker residue or glue like golden brown formation on it. 
Engine oil on dipstick also should be one colour and not like caffe latte at different colours. 

[Stivino]

Is it just the oil at the bottom that's contaminated?

[AndyN01]

That looks a bit odd.

I'll be very happy to learn otherwise but I thought the MAX level was the "dimple" on the left hand side of the picture and the MIN was the dimple above the metal clip holding the cable/hose.

I'm also intrigued about what's made the oil on the very end of the dipstick look a different colour. Very much darker/older. I've never seen a "split" in colour like that (look at Tony's photo) which makes me wonder if you're right in that it's a smear up the stick and the "correct" level is below the MIN. Or it might just be that the oil has "run off" as you've pulled the dipstick out and the level is about 1/2 full? I reckon it's worth a try to check it hot to see if there's any "layering" of the oil & compare to Tony's photo. I've never heard of such but maybe.....

I'll be interested to hear the final answer.

Andy.

 

[Roy124]

16 minutes ago, Stivino said:

Is it just the oil at the bottom that's contaminated?

Ben said the engine was cold.  That suggests the lighter coloured oil has separated from the darker oil at the bottom. 

Technically the oil at the top is OK and the other is contaminated.   No way should you consider draining until clean oil flows. 

Do as Tony says, add a flushing agent and run for a short time and drain.

[TonyHSD]

21 minutes ago, Stivino said:

Is it just the oil at the bottom that's contaminated?

I meant not the oil itself at the bottom, sorry for my bad,  but the engine oil sump and the dipstick. The dipstick should be a shiny clean metal before insert inside so the oil has one colour when taking out to read. This engine has definitely sludge at the bottom. 

[Puglet]

On the Mk1s the dipstick has always been a bit of a pain to read, cos it's long and bends. As mentioned I always do a read first thing in morning on cold engine, to get best read. If you clean and re-dip agree it gets confusing. Agree of all the cars I had our 2008 107s dipstick read is the worst. On our Mk2 108 with Toyota engine the dipstick has moved to the front of the engine, is a straight pull and a lot shorter, I wonder why!!

[Ben565]

Thanks for all the input. Its currently on 128,000 miles so due a service soon. I would expect the oil to look a bit dark, but yes the separation in color on the stick is a bit odd. Thats what made me think its below min and the clean oil is just a smear. Or... the darker part is just the dirty sludgy part from the bottom of the pan.

[Bernard Foy]

Another tip when checking oil levels. When you withdraw the dipstick, keep in the vertical position and read it then.

[dads Taxi x3]

I agree with the oil is half way up the dipstick  the dark is the cold oil also I always wipe the dipstick before I put it back in .keeps the tube clean .I was told when I was learning to drive (back 1990) that the oil does not go up the dipstick when it's running  .it only happnds when the engine is about to blow up due to too much oil (ppl filled the engine with light 2. 3 times the correct amount) so its forced out the dipstick . exhaust an anywhere else is can escape from . Don't know if its true but made me keep a check on the level 

 

[Crickleymal]

I've just this minute done the oil change on my wife's Aygo. I put 3 litres of oil in as per the Haynes manual. I have absolutely no idea what the oil level is. I wipe the dipstick, insert it and then check it. The whole stick is covered with a thin film of new oil with no discernible difference where the actual level is. This is after waiting 10 minutes for the new oil to settle. Sorry about the focus, it's difficult to get my phone to focus on such a thin object 

Edited July 21, 2023 by Crickleymal
Add images

[TonyHSD]

32 minutes ago, Crickleymal said:

I've just this minute done the oil change on my wife's Aygo. I put 3 litres of oil in as per the Haynes manual. I have absolutely no idea what the oil level is. I wipe the dipstick, insert it and then check it. The whole stick is covered with a thin film of new oil with no discernible difference where the actual level is. This is after waiting 10 minutes for the new oil to settle. Sorry about the focus, it's difficult to get my phone to focus on such a thin object 

Hi, 

the trick to read correctly the oil dipstick on Toyota cars is to look for continuing oil mark and the first cut. Where the first cut is there is the actual oil level. Here on my picture I have point what to look for. And yes after an oil change it is very different to see it becomes the oil is so clean. If unsure you can double check next morning before you start the engines and without wiping the dipstick. This is most accurate read as it will be one continuous oil mark. If it’s dead on max then it’s perfectly fine. 👍

[Cyker]

It could be worse - My Mk4 uses 0w8!!  

In the first ~5000 miles after the service I can barely see the difference in colour it's so thin! I have to hold it up to the light to try and see the slight difference in shininess between the metal and the oil!  

Once it gets cooked a bit it's a lot easier tho'  

 

[haelewyn]

original question : the oil was low.

Coloring : as often  in an engine with oil level low, the oil didn't get replaced for a while. Looks completely normal to me. Showing a dipstick from an engine that has done some miles already, as the coloring on the dipstick everywhere. Baked in oil residu.
Probably an engine with no excessive consumption that didn't get an oil change for quite a while.

In cases like this, never forget the manual should always be right.
See under, which is an extract from the AYGO X manual. Still the same engine so probably still the same dipstick situation. Little different shape of dipstick.

A is LOW,  

B is 'OK',

C is too much oil on the engine.

According to the manual also :

 Oil quantity (Low >> Full)
1.1 L (1.2 qt., 1.0 Imp. qt.)

But in this case I think it's time for an oil change.

Flush : never done that in my life. Never been necessary though.
If it's an old car that you don't want to run the bills up for, just replace the engine oil with a good quality approved type of oil and let the beast go.
Aygo's have always been described to be forgiving on oil and maintenance but they WILL breakdown if you use up all the oil that is in it.

Since all petrol 1.0 Aygo variations only have a small quantity of oil (around 3 l), they need a lot less time to use it all up than some other cars who would have 5 or 7 liters in the sump.
You're not driving a BMW 5 series though.
Check regularly. Replace regularly while car is positioned on a level surface. Then the car will serve you well.

[fossyant]

The Aygo is a pain for a good oil reading. I do it multiple times.