V6 dipstick hard to read even for dealers.

Like TA2016 said, you basically get one chance to see it right.

 

https://giphy.com/gifs/leroypatterson-l41JRsph73VokN6ik

 

Nope, this doesn't work, at least for the 1GR-FE 4.0L V6 --- Toyota put a 90º twist in the end of the dipstick, making it impossible to lay cleanly flat. (Any speculation what that little twist is on there for? My guess is to help guide the dipstick down the S-bent dipstick tube without catching or bending.)

 

I’ve done this with every vehicle I’ve had the last 20 years. It works wonderfully. Friends and family have all done it and say it works great.

Do you possibly need glasses?

 

The fact that the selling dealer or someone else before delivery misread the dipstick and added an extra quart and my local dealer only drained off 1/2 quart points to a problem with the dipstick design making it hard for even professionals to properly read.

 

it’s not a dipstick problem. It’s an attention problem.

I see it as a generational break down. Many simply don’t pay attention. This is why we have so many oil issue threads whether it be dealers or service locations.

 

THIS!
But we live in time,,, when it's never my fault dammit! it's gotta be someone else's!

 

nothing easy to read about this dipstick. After 40 ICE cars or so in my short life on this rock. This is by far the worst dipstick. Hands down

 

It's really, seriously bad. It's not the stick but the tube design with the double bend in it. I wonder if anyone has tried modifiying the tube to make it straighter or replace it with a straighter one

 

I scuffed up the stick on both sides with a grinding wheel in a Dremel, PLUS drilled through the stick at the two dimple locations. This drilling was not easy as the stick is stainless, and drills do not like the metal. The hole through the upper dimple is what I attribute to my ability to "read" the dip stick. Taking a brown or blue paper towel and carefully laying the stick down upon the towel also works.

Agree with anybody saying this is the worse dip stick in their lives. I have an auto shop next door and they were having the same problem recently with a Tacoma.

 

^^^^This^^^^
If I check my oil after it has been sitting all night (SOP) I get a different reading than when I check it again immediately after: and it's random: The second reading can be higher, lower, but never exactly the same as the the initial (1st) reading. Same thing if I check it while I'm filling up the gas tank. (it typically reads high during this time)

I have learned to trust the initial over-night reading. It generally doesn't change between oil-changes. (no oil consumption)

 

When I check my level cold after sitting, I try to get the level just under the top mark. If you check it warm or hot you will get different readings. Check out the video I posted above in post #14 if you have not seen it yet.

 

That is a good video and I had seen it previously. The issue I'm experiencing on my 1GR-FE is inconsistent readings when the engine warm/hot, i.e.: when I'm on a 300 mile trip to say, central Maine and I'd like to verify my engine isn't consuming excessive oil when I stop for gas... especially when I'm going to be venturing off-road to remote fishing spots. My compromise to the issue on my truck is to aim for the mid-point between the dots when the engine is overnight-cold as a baseline. Then, if it climbs to the top dot or a little above when hot: I'm know I'm good. If it's ever down to the bottom dot (hot), I'll worry and maybe add a half quart and keep an eye on it until I can check it cold again. (This hasn't happened yet between oil changes (current miles: 124k) so I can live with the erratic readings.)

Cold readings above the top dot is a common problem when someone else is changing the oil in my experience. My instructions to the dealer when I have them do the oil change is to add no more than 5 qts of oil and I give them OK to add that to the work order.

 

No. It's this particular dipstick tube design, in this particular engine. I'm 50 and have pulled dipsticks on 20 different makes/models of autos & trucks over the past 3.5 decades. Not one is as bad as this. The S-curved dipstick tube SMEARS THE OIL on the stick, period.

 

I spray a dusting of Flat Black paint on the dip stick after de-oiling with brake clean.

It's enough for me.

 

I've always added a 1/2 quart less than what's called for.

No way your gonna drain out 6 quarts.

 

Ok….,I’m 56
I’ve had 20-30 cars/trucks over the years. I’ve never had enough of an issue with a dipstick to complain about it.

Yes, it does smear oil. But it’s still easily read……IMO

 

I did scuff up the dipstick and that helped. But what I do now is after it sat all night I pull the dip stick and read it, don’t wipe it and stab it again. If you wipe it and stab it again all you did was drag more oil up the dip stick tube, making it harder to read. After setting all night all the oil has settled in the crankcase, the level on the stick is reading that level. Just pull it out and read it !!! It can’t be anything else but accurate. Also, an oil change on my V6 holds 6 qts & 6 ozs, that brings the level right up to the dimple on the dip stick.

 

Putting it back in defeats the purpose of the pull out.