level on dipstick

[charlie strayarc]

Hey fellas
Wherabouts on your dip stick is your oil level reading?
Zd30.
At the lowest notch?
Between notches?
Mine is reading below lowest notch and I'm sure I had more.
Wouldn't mind getting an idea from others as I don't want to keep topping up if its just going thru catch can.

 

[justAL]

Mine sits just a little over the top of the high notch below the kink and it's been that way for the last 1500km.

If yours is below the lowest mark, well, you need to top it up. Was the engine warm when you checked it? How soon after shutting off the engine did you check your level?

 

[Peteyen86]

I know what your saying. They are a bit of a prick to get a good reading. Takes a few goes for mine to give me a good reading. I aim for between the notches roughly.

 

[tweak'e]

you need to make sure its COLD before reading. ie let ALL the oil drain down.

the quirk with the ZD30 engines is they have a shortened dipstick which was a mod by nissan to stop the engines from blowing pistons. it means the engine is overfilled with oil.
if you go above the top mark it will simply blow oil straight out the breather into the intake.

on the good side no need to panic if its reading low.
its probably better to have it reading on the low side than on the high side. i think the difference is about a litre of oil between high and low marks.

 

[tweak'e]

couple of pics of ZD30 dipstick (patrol)

 

[charlie strayarc]

yep they are a prick to get a reading of.

Mine is showing 2mm below lowest part of notch (just above twist) when warm, and im pretty sure 800km ago it was the same.

I checked it this morning when cold and it showed a bit LESS. Only just showed on very bottom of dipstick. Surely it would read more cold than warm.
Which is why I thought id ask what others are getting.

I am using magnatech oil,perhaps the oil isnt flowing down tp sump until warm?? Surely not??

 

[Lawry]

oil has to flow down to the sump eventually Unless your engine overcomes the affects of gravity. The sump is where oil pools before being pumped around.

Mine sits square on or a tiny bit (0.5mm) below the high mark. If yours is below the low mark then its running as tweek said atleast 1L less. Do you service it yourself, if so how much oil do you put in it?

on the other hand to much oil and your crank will hit the oil bed and froth it up. Which is bad.

Edit: not sure how people get an accurate reading when the engine is hot?, do just before work and on LEVEL ground.

 

[stremd22]

+1 for the checking when cold, sits a tad under the top marker so im happy with that. never even thought of checking the oil whilst the motors still warm after a drive so cant give a comparison.

 

[justAL]

I'm one of those arseholes that sit at the pump for 20 minutes and check everything that I can. I've found 10 minutes reflects the same levels as when cold.

 

[rabbit-chop]

the owners manual says to check it warm, 15m after shutdown. I find thats not always enough time for all the oil to drain back into sump. But yeah it takes a few goes to get a good reading. youl get more consistant readings if you check it cold.

 

[outback dreaming]

Glad I am not the only one who mreckons its a stupid set up