Kinky
MB Enthusiast
Doing my routine car check yesterday afternoon (tyres, lights, various levels, etc), I came to check the engine oil level.
Pulled the dipstick out, gave it a good clean, stuck it back in, pulled it out, and it was basically telling me that there was a tiny bit of oil on the stick, well below the minimum level.
Hummm, that's a bit odd I thought. Oil pressure is OK, the dash warning light comes on ok when I start it up. The engine sounds and runs fine - absolutely no problems at all.
So. I checked it again and again - still the same.
So I took the car out for a quick local run (taking it easy, just in case). All seems ok inside - no warnings or anything.
Came back. Left it 15 mins and checked the levels again. Still the same. No oil deposits on the driveway (I do regularly check).
So, fortunately I had some spare oil (10W 40) in the garage - same viscosity as that Purslows had used.
So I stuck 0.5 of a litre in (just to make sure I was not getting a duff reading and overfilling it). And sure enough it was 'registering' on the dipstick. So I stuck another litre in and it was showing about 2/3 up the minimum level.
I took it out for another run - and again - everything is as normal. It's not obvious that the top up has made any difference - still sounds and feels the same.
Fortunately the oil cap is nice and clean and oily, showing absolutely no signs of any mayo-gunky stylie crap on it. And the oil on the stick is nice and clean too.
I've parked on a level spot here at work today, and will check the level later - to see if there's any difference in the 25 miles I've done this morning at 80ish down the M3.
So 2 things are worrying me now.
1. There's no obvious signs of a leak anywhere - so could I assume the 'smokey' situations I've been having up/down the M40 recently are attributed to this (see seperate thread - cack pants on the M40).
2. Why is my dash light not flashing to warn me.
Bugger. More hassle.
Answers on a postcard to ....
And thanks in advance.
Pulled the dipstick out, gave it a good clean, stuck it back in, pulled it out, and it was basically telling me that there was a tiny bit of oil on the stick, well below the minimum level.
Hummm, that's a bit odd I thought. Oil pressure is OK, the dash warning light comes on ok when I start it up. The engine sounds and runs fine - absolutely no problems at all.
So. I checked it again and again - still the same.
So I took the car out for a quick local run (taking it easy, just in case). All seems ok inside - no warnings or anything.
Came back. Left it 15 mins and checked the levels again. Still the same. No oil deposits on the driveway (I do regularly check).
So, fortunately I had some spare oil (10W 40) in the garage - same viscosity as that Purslows had used.
So I stuck 0.5 of a litre in (just to make sure I was not getting a duff reading and overfilling it). And sure enough it was 'registering' on the dipstick. So I stuck another litre in and it was showing about 2/3 up the minimum level.
I took it out for another run - and again - everything is as normal. It's not obvious that the top up has made any difference - still sounds and feels the same.
Fortunately the oil cap is nice and clean and oily, showing absolutely no signs of any mayo-gunky stylie crap on it. And the oil on the stick is nice and clean too.
I've parked on a level spot here at work today, and will check the level later - to see if there's any difference in the 25 miles I've done this morning at 80ish down the M3.
So 2 things are worrying me now.
1. There's no obvious signs of a leak anywhere - so could I assume the 'smokey' situations I've been having up/down the M40 recently are attributed to this (see seperate thread - cack pants on the M40).
2. Why is my dash light not flashing to warn me.
Bugger. More hassle.
Answers on a postcard to ....
And thanks in advance.
Last edited: