Dipstick the worst to read after oil change

Does anyone else have difficulty reading the level on the dipstick of their Tacoma after an oil change?
I have a fair bit of experience changing oil in many vehicles.
Some are a challange to read the oil level on but this Tacoma is the worst. I genuinely can not. To the point that I will just put in what the manual says, 5.9L and thats it.



Any wisdom out there?

 

Thanks for the ideas!
I have had vehicles with 0W20 that I was able to take an accurate reading from.
I've tried the second suggestion, I didn't work but perhaps my perception of time is not accurate and I'm not waiting long enough.
I think the dip stick tube is long and twisty thus the stick makes contact with the tube wall and ends up with extra oil on the stick way more then a traditional dip stick the maybe bends once and ends up with.
Now suggestion 2 should compensate for this but I don't know what to say.

 

Just changed mine today and same problem. I do the same thing you did.

 

Yes! I'm not the only one!

 

Take the dipstick out, wipe it off, set it to the side. Come back in an hour or so and check it. Makes it a lot easier imo.

 

I will try letting more time pass and report back.
But I've gotta be honest, my shop is not at my home and the likelyhood I'll be hanging out for an hour after an oil change is not realistic.
Sorry bro. I appreciate the suggestion.

 

I actually just waited till the next morning lol. Just set the dipstick under the hood and close it (if you don't park inside) then check in the a.m....even better.

 

I use 20w-50 so that I can see it, that 0w-20 crap is to thin to see.

 

@oneshort

 

Lol might as well use trans fluid too because it's darker and would show up better on the dipstick.

 

same issue with me. I did a how to video and even on video i still can't tell.

the worse dipstick reading to me is the E46 M3. The part you read is a brown plastic and you have to run the car for a specific period of time before you check the oil level.

 

@smitty99
Yet another engineering faltering of the 3rd gen

 

this is a problem of 0 weight oil, not the dip stick

place the tip on a napkin and the oil will transfer to it. read the napkin

 

Had an e46 m3 for 12 years now, never had that problem. Also never heard of specific time frame to check oil. I did code the cluster to show oil level like csl tho

 

This is why I use Purple oil.

 

And yea it's nearly impossible to tell, same thing goes on with 2nd gen when i changed oil last week. I just fill what I drained and call it good

 

Well using the oil level sensor is easier huh? lol.

Copied online from a 2003 M3 Manual page 118

that brown plastic in the sunlight with fresh oil is really hard to read

 

I check oil on PDIs and simply just use more light. I always let the oil settle for 5 minutes or so.

I haven't done many oil changes on 3rd gens yet but my bulk gun always shows 6.4L which oddly is the same as the 5th gen 4unners that takes 0w20 as well.

 

Nissan 3.5L engine dipsticks suck to read. There is no dipstick tube, it goes down into a hole in the block to the pan, and there is almost always oil coating the wall of the hole causing oil on the hole damn dipstick.
The dipstick on my Camry kinda sucks too... it's got a brown piece at the bottom similar to the BMWs that's tough to read

 

Meh isn't all that different from any other car, doubt anyone actually used that as guide.
And yea I did csl ecu clone, one of the perks was functional oil level gauge

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