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MG MGB Technical - When to check oil level? Rookie question!

I know this is probably the most "rookie-est" of questions ever, but here goes...

After changing oil & filter, when should the oil level be checked?

Do I let the car run & warm up a but after putting in about 3 quarts, stop engine, then check dipstick?

Or should I let it cool down first?

Just wondering.

Thanks!
Jeff

I let the cold oil stream down into the engine, after a minute or two you can check.

When driving the oil will only be warmed up after about 15 km's, it will then flow down much more rapidly, in about 30 seconds. If you're new to the car check a lot in the beginning (like every time you start the car cold) so you know how much oil it uses, it can use a lot. Use 20W50 multigrade oil. A 10W40 oil will blow and leak away!

But on reading your question I started to ask myself if oil expands if it's warm, and I don't know!
Willem van der Veer

After changing oil and filter, start the engine (do not run it above idle till the pressure gets up!) and run it long enough to circulate the oil, then shut it off long enough for the oil to drain back to the pan, (a minute or two) then just make sure you've got it between the marks.

Between oil changes the best way to check the oil is at the gas station... The procedure goes like this: first fill the tank, then go inside and grab a slurpee and talk to the cashier for a minute or so, get directions to someplace, clean the windshield, and THEN check the oil. At least, that's what I do.

The exact to-the-milliliter amount of oil in the motor doesn't matter so long as it's between the marks; what's really important is the _change_ in the oil level. Has it gone down since you checked it last? That's what's important to know. So whatever method you adopt, do it the same way each time so you can spot leaks and burning and such quickly. If you check it cold, then always check it cold, and if you check it hot then always check it hot. Just keep it between the marks.

On your first long freeway trip in this car you should check the oil after one hour to make sure the car holds its oil at speed... when I first got mine it would go through a quart in 3 weeks in town, but only about 45 minutes on the highway (yikes!) and if you've got something like that going on you're gonna want to know about it before it leaves you stranded.

Cheers!

Sam
Sam

Not such a rookie question. On my recently acquired B, I drained the old oil before attempting to start the car and confidently began to add per my Haynes manual -- stopping at four quarts to check the level. Too bad I didn't know later model cars without an oil cooler only take 3 1/2 quarts. Soooo, I suggest you really know what engine setup you have, then check after 3 quarts, but be prepared to add more oil before starting the engine. Remember that after an oil change the new filter fills and retains some amount of oil.
The previous suggestion of always checking the oil under the same conditons is excellent.
Good luck,
Dennis
D F Sexton

The amount of oil trapped up in the engine on shut down won't be enough to cause a large variation in the dipstick reading. The only times you should be particularly careful are when you are not parked level or if the level is close to either of the lines.

I let the oil bottle sit in the filler neck for a pretty long time to get as much out as possible (a Scottish MG, p'haps?) so there is plenty of time to check the level on changes. I also check after checking the carb tune (last step in tune-up for me). Of course I have been doing it a long time so I am pretty confident I have a proper amount of oil in the ol' girl.

Mike!
mike!

Willem
Oil gets thinner as it warms up. Contrary to popular belief, multigrade oils are not thicker at operating temperature, they just thin out less than a standard mongrade oil as the engine gets up to operating temperature.
HTH
Martin.
Martin ZT

I know it gets thinner, but does it expand like petrol. Leave your "filled up into the filler neck" B in the sun and soon it will flow out (because of expansion?) Just wondering, nothing important.
Willem van der Veer

You only need to let it drain into the sump, 2 or 3 minutes is fine , and yes adding 3 quarts , running the engine to ensure thee filter is full and oil cooler etc is the way to do it You then top up as appropriate of course, I think the manual says this. And this is a very reasonable question , and important to get straight .
S Best

My engine shows nearly 1/4" difference between checking the level immediately after switch off as compared to leaving it overnight. Since this is nearly the same as the max to min difference it is significant. The handbook says to check 'a few minutes' after switchoff which shows about 1/8" higher than immediately after.
Paul Hunt

This thread was discussed between 15/06/2004 and 17/06/2004

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