The Fabia manual says you should take the reading when the car is warm.

I did this a couple of days ago and it was about half way up the hatched area

on the dipstick - fine I thought.

I took the reading today when the engine was cold and it just lower than the very bottom of

the hatched area. I thought surely I cannot have used that much oil in 2 days

I warmed up the engine and the oil level went back to the original level.

You would think the oil would drain down and give a higher level with a cold engine!

Does this mean you could easily over fill the engine with oil if you used the cold readings ?

John

Yes! Be very careful if you use a cold reading. Best always to use the hot one.

Yes! Be very careful if you use a cold reading. Best always to use the hot one.

It is to do with thermal expansion. If you have 4L of oil in your sump @ 0 deg C and then warm it up with a good drive it should get to ~90C. Allow it to stand and drain and you will probably be measuring at ~80C. The oil will now have a volume of ~4.25L. The top of the hatched area on the dipstick to the bottom is ~0.5L in sump volume.

Engine oil density is ~ 0.9kg/L @ 0C and ~0.85kg/L @ 80C.

Thanks chaps.

Thats cleared that up !

John

It is to do with thermal expansion. If you have 4L of oil in your sump @ 0 deg C and then warm it up with a good drive it should get to ~90C. Allow it to stand and drain and you will probably be measuring at ~80C. The oil will now have a volume of ~4.25L. The top of the hatched area on the dipstick to the bottom is ~0.5L in sump volume.

Engine oil density is ~ 0.9kg/L @ 0C and ~0.85kg/L @ 80C.

Great reply...I wasn't aware of those figures and it now makes guaging the oil levels easy.

It is to do with thermal expansion. If you have 4L of oil in your sump @ 0 deg C and then warm it up with a good drive it should get to ~90C. Allow it to stand and drain and you will probably be measuring at ~80C. The oil will now have a volume of ~4.25L. The top of the hatched area on the dipstick to the bottom is ~0.5L in sump volume.

Engine oil density is ~ 0.9kg/L @ 0C and ~0.85kg/L @ 80C.

Takes me back to my O-Level Physics days!

Seeing as the quoted capacity for the vRS is 3.6l including the oil filter then we're looking at nearer 4 once the engine is at correct operating temperature?

I'm glad I read this thread. Every previous car I've had I've always taken the measurement when the engine has been cold.

Anyway, measured yesterday when it was warm. The good news is that's 800+ miles I've clocked up (since I got the car - mileage now 10,300) and it's fine. I do expect to have to top-up but at least it doesn't appear to be absolutely guzzling the stuff.

Some manufacturers Do say warm reading. It would depend on how they set the dipstick up to be read.

As an aside, my Greenie, which is a diesel, is a bugger to read anyway! The stick and oil are both black and it makes for a difficult reading! Surely a silver disptick would be a better option here?

As for changing the oil.. Diesels oil blackens up within a very short time, as I have been told by others her, and a cab driver, too!