[DarraghR]

I had not checked my oil levels in about a month or so and when I checked today it is at a low level for the first time. The mileage is around 62,000 and last oil change with filter was done 8 months ago. Is this normal and do I just need to top it up?

[Dazzler]

Strange if it has dropped that much in just a month. Did you leave it a while to settle and definitely on level ground?

If you do add some don't over do it. over full is just as bad or worse than low. 

[DarraghR]

Yes I have checked it on level ground. It has had a few long distance runs the past month maybe coming in at 1,000 miles give or take. The car was also used whilst my Mum was moving house and ha a few heavy loads. I don't know if this would make any difference. Guess the first thing to do is top it up at the correct level and monitor it

[DarraghR]

PCV could be sucking oil
Could have valve seals leaking
Could have worn piston rings

Seems these are the most likely causes and one of these is usually cheap and easy to fix.

Also I believe for every 1000 miles it is common to loose over 1 liter

[DarraghR]

I am still getting use to the gas pedal and tend to over reeve in 1st gear. I take it this does not affect the engine oil

[CraigB]

PCV could be sucking oil
Could have valve seals leaking
Could have worn piston rings

Seems these are the most likely causes and one of these is usually cheap and easy to fix.

Also I believe for every 1000 miles it is common to loose over 1 liter

It is also possible it was never filled correctly at service have you looked around and under the engine for any obvious leaks? does it blow smoke out the exhaust?

62,000 miles isn't high so there shouldn't be any noticeable oil usage unless there is a leak or fault somewhere.

[Dazzler]

If there are no other obvious signs like oil leaks, increased engine nouse  or performance loss, I wouldn't over react. Like you say top it up starting with just half a litre (don't want to over fill it) Once on the full mark monitor it at each fuel fill and see what happens.

Mind you this is just my opinion and myself and the club takes no responsibility if I am wrong.  But unlike what my wife thinks, I'm not often wrong. 

[sundiz]

I do not know about petrol engines, but it takes a lot of time in hyundai diesels to the oil to get back In the pan after drive. It is easy to overfill after oil change as there is still some oil In the upper parts of the engine. Also if it is correctly filled it may seem if the oil level is low if you check it too "soon". About 30min after the drive should be enough. Best to check with cold engine in the morning before leaving to work.

[eye30]

Never had to top up between services on either i30's i've had, diesel and petrol.

I would top up to full and monitor over the next few weeks.

If still showing loss of oil then you can start checking possible causes.

To ensure constant results i would suggest the car is checked with it standing in the same place at each check and say after it has been left overnight.

[nzenigma]

PCV could be sucking oil
Could have valve seals leaking
Could have worn piston rings

Seems these are the most likely causes and one of these is usually cheap and easy to fix.

Also I believe for every 1000 miles it is common to loose over 1 liter    REALLY?

Mate are you talking to the Facebook dickheads ? 

Your car hasnt done enough miles.
You dont mention clouds of smoke.

 I may have missed your response after you were talking about the crank sensor symptoms returning. If not, we gave you some advice. can you inform us of the result please?

[AlanHo]

Mate are you talking to the Facebook dickheads ? 

Dazz is gonna be miffed at that comment.........

[Dazzler]

Mate are you talking to the Facebook dickheads ? 

Dazz is gonna be miffed at that comment.........

Like water off a duck's back... after all, Gary is a Kiwi so he'd say it as duckheads anyway... 

[nzenigma]

Seems Ive hit another nerve?   

[DarraghR]

I am keeping a log now to see how it goes. Have a trip tomorrow that will be 150 km at least so will be a good test.

Using this format to monitor

Date   Oil Level (From F - L dot on dipstick)   Mileage   Ammount         Topped Up   Notes
10/06/2019   10%   62,129   -   Roughly 30 days + since oil was checked
10/06/2019   80%   62,133   .65ltr   1 trip to gym. After 1hr session checked cold engine and level looked a tiny bit low but very hard to tell
13/06/2019   95%   62,135   .25ltr   

Question. In my manual it states that levels should be between L and F. Then it says fill to F if the level is at L. So after filling oil up to F level does it eventually go between F and L?

[mickd]

@DarraghR

Okay,  keeping  track of how much you're putting in   
Only top up when oil is at/very close to the  low mark .
Do you know brand,  viscosity and type of oil used for service?
What are you putting in?
Just for future reference,  always check oil before leaving service centre, you paid for it to be done properly.

Also could you update result with crank sensor as per nzeniga's post.  Feedback good or bad helps the process 

[DarraghR]

Hi mickd. I have updated the situation with my crackshaft sensor. Apologies for the late update. Was waiting for it to come back but seems to have gone

I would have done the oil service myself on the 21/10/2018 soon after buying the car second hand.



This was advised for my car in the motor factors.

[TerryT]

Question. In my manual it states that levels should be between L and F. Then it says fill to F if the level is at L.

So after filling oil up to F level does it eventually go between F and L?

All things being equal, in a sound engine that isn’t being flogged, I’d say “No, not really and not to the extent of dropping to say, halfway”.

How much oil levels “lift or fall” on the dipstick depends on whether the engine oil is added to a cold or warm or hot engine and whether the dipstick reading is taken with the engine cold or warm or hot...or any mixed combination thereof. 

It’s about the co-efficient of friction for fluids, or some techo babble like that…way above my head.  When the oil gets hotter in the sump, thermal expansion causes the oil to “thin out” and increase in volume and creep further up the dipstick. 

Thermal expansion is 0.00077 per degree Centigrade of oil temperature x X litres of oil in the sump. 

Let’s assume your car holds 5 litres in the sump (when engine is cold) and its oil temperature gets to say, 85C. 

Using the formula, the oil’s thermal expansion in the sump is 0.33 litres (0.00077 x 85 x 5).  So, 5 litres COLD becomes 5.33 litres HOT while ever the oil is about 85C.  If you keep this principle in mind when adding oil to any cold/warm/hot engine from LOW to FULL you will better understand what’s going to happen. 

But, for all of that lovely, fluffy theory I normally just try to keep engine oil levels to somewhere’s about 75% FULL, whether checking with a cold or warm engine.
 
My i30 handbook on the subject basically says: (a) run engine until reach normal operating temperature, (b) turn engine off, (c) wait 5 minutes for oil to drain back to sump, (d) remove dipstick/ wipe clean/ reinsert/ remove/ check level dipstick, (e) level should be between Low~Full, and (f) if the level is near or at Low, add enough oil to bring up to Full.

But, this is why many people say just fill to somewhere in the middle of Low~Full, really can’t go wrong.

My former WRX/STi with about 8 litres of engine oil would often reach oil temps of approx. 110C on the track (despite a larger sump & oil cooler), hence the usefulness of the HOT FULL notch on its dipstick (See photo).  Using those numbers, thermal expansion thins out my 8 litres to about 8.7 litres?

Sorry all, I didn’t intend to waffle on this long when I sat down to type a reply...but a warm coffee and some chocolate is to blame.  [Edit: I deleted two paragraphs from post, weren't necessary].

@ Anyone: If I’ve got anything wrong above, please correct me…but be gentle, I’m fragile. 

[Dazzler]

My head hurts! but thanks anyway Terry! 

[TerryT]

My head hurts! but thanks anyway Terry! 

And I can understand why, Dazzler.    (I was going to stop after my first sentence, but I got caught up in explaining the "why").     

[DarraghR]

Right so looking at that dip stick it differs to mine. I have followed the exact same instructions in my owners manual.



That picture was taken 5 minutes after the engine was turned off. So judging by your image when I go out now and check it cold it should be between F and L? I doubt it will.

After 30km it has not dropped below the F mark. Doing an 150km driver later so will report back

[CraigB]

Never seen so much confusion on oil levels

While engine is cold and on level ground fill the fecking thing to the full mark on the stick, drive it for a week then re-check levels again when cold and oil level should still be at the full mark, if not you have a problem somewhere and you've not mentioned smoke out the exhaust so would expect a leak.

[TerryT]

Right so looking at that dip stick it differs to mine. I have followed the exact same instructions in my owners manual.



That picture was taken 5 minutes after the engine was turned off. So judging by your image when I go out now and check it cold it should be between F and L? I doubt it will.

After 30km it has not dropped below the F mark. Doing an 150km driver later so will report back

My posted dipstick picture differs from your dipstick because (as I mentioned) it was from my Subaru WRX/STi.

The oil level shown on your dipstick is, imo, too high especially given it was taken after waiting 5 minutes after turning off the engine, as per the instruction in your owners handbook.  The level is not going to drop down on the dipstick anytime to anywhere near Full.

The oil film looks good (i.e. not milky white suggesting that coolant has got into it) so my first guess is the engine has been accidentally over-filled.

If it was my car I would be draining out some engine oil.

 

 

 

[DarraghR]

Right so looking at that dip stick it differs to mine. I have followed the exact same instructions in my owners manual.



That picture was taken 5 minutes after the engine was turned off. So judging by your image when I go out now and check it cold it should be between F and L? I doubt it will.

After 30km it has not dropped below the F mark. Doing an 150km driver later so will report back

My posted dipstick picture differs from your dipstick because (as I mentioned) it was from my Subaru WRX/STi.

The oil level shown on your dipstick is, imo, too high especially given it was taken after waiting 5 minutes after turning off the engine, as per the instruction in your owners handbook.  The level is not going to drop down on the dipstick anytime to anywhere near Full.

The oil film looks good (i.e. not milky white suggesting that coolant has got into it) so my first guess is the engine has been accidentally over-filled.

If it was my car I would be draining out some engine oil.

"If it is near or at L, add enough oil to bring the level to F. Do not overfill."

I filled it to that level with reference from the manual.

Need to make this long distance journey and you reckon I should take oil out now?

Current level is on F mark when cold and about 85% after engine was running hot.

[TerryT]

Right so looking at that dip stick it differs to mine. I have followed the exact same instructions in my owners manual.



That picture was taken 5 minutes after the engine was turned off. So judging by your image when I go out now and check it cold it should be between F and L? I doubt it will.

After 30km it has not dropped below the F mark. Doing an 150km driver later so will report back

My posted dipstick picture differs from your dipstick because (as I mentioned) it was from my Subaru WRX/STi.

The oil level shown on your dipstick is, imo, too high especially given it was taken after waiting 5 minutes after turning off the engine, as per the instruction in your owners handbook.  The level is not going to drop down on the dipstick anytime to anywhere near Full.

The oil film looks good (i.e. not milky white suggesting that coolant has got into it) so my first guess is the engine has been accidentally over-filled.

If it was my car I would be draining out some engine oil.

"If it is near or at L, add enough oil to bring the level to F. Do not overfill."

I filled it to that level with reference from the manual.

Need to make this long distance journey and you reckon I should take oil out now?

Current level is on F mark when cold and about 85% after engine was running hot.

Ok, now I am confused.  If the level is on the F mark when the engine is cold I cannot see how the level can drop on the dipstick to about 85% [of Full?] when the engine oil is hot. 

The same way I cannot reconcile (a) the photo you posted (above) of an oil level showing well over the Full mark when it was checked 5 minutes after turning the engine off, with (b) the same engine oil being on the Full mark when the engine is cold.

Maybe I'm missing something.  We need a new, fresher brain 'cos mine doesn't function so well after 9 pm. 

[CraigB]

Possibly oil on the dipstick has not been wiped after removing then re-inserting and checking again.

Oil being low in engine could also be due to checking to soon after stopping the engine and oil not having completely drained back into sump though hot oil should drain back fairly quick.

[TerryT]

Possibly oil on the dipstick has not been wiped after removing then re-inserting and checking again.

Oil being low in engine could also be due to checking to soon after stopping the engine and oil not having completely drained back into sump though hot oil should drain back fairly quick.

All possibilities, Craig, but DarraghR has indicated he has referenced the Hyundai manual for checking oil levels, which covers those  points.

[eye30]

Right so looking at that dip stick it differs to mine. I have followed the exact same instructions in my owners manual.



That picture was taken 5 minutes after the engine was turned off. So judging by your image when I go out now and check it cold it should be between F and L? I doubt it will.

After 30km it has not dropped below the F mark. Doing an 150km driver later so will report back

Looking at the picture of the oil on the dip stick i personally would just put dip stick back and leave well alone.

Check again in say a week and i again would expect the oil to be at or thereabouts.

If by chance it is at/below half way between f and l then instigate futher investigation, unless you have been ragging the car or done some serious miles.....

[Dazzler]

  Weekly should be often enough! Checking it constantly sounds like overkill to me! 

[nzenigma]

Weekly should be often enough! Checking it constantly sounds like overkill to me! 

and about as useful as checking a facebook account. 

[Paolo5]

Weekly should be often enough! Checking it constantly sounds like overkill to me! 

and about as useful as checking a facebook account.