Dear all, I bought a used car with fresh checkup (120.000 km), the test drive and trip to the registration office were unproblematic, the car starts wonderfully and behaves appropriately for the 70kW.

Now I’ve just checked the oil, cleaned the dipstick as usual, then threaded it in, pulled it out and pressed it against a handkerchief. But there’s hardly any oil on it.

There was frost that night. Could this be a reason for the oil collecting at the bottom and I should just drive 10 km and then measure again? Or is the engine dry? Or is the oil so clean that I can’t see it?

I actually want to drive 200 km today, and of course no garage will give me an appointment for a proper oil change today. But I could of course buy oil and fill it up myself.

Thanks for your quick answers!

  • ggmaniack@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    10 months ago

    My 1.4 TSI shitbox has an oil level sensor that doesn’t trigger until the dipstick has been dry for a long time. Reading the dipstick is also a great experience, as the dipstick tube tends to hold oil and smear it onto the stick.

    My car had extremely low oil usage until it didn’t and caught me not checking it one too many times. Dipstick was dry except for a tiny drop right at the very end. Found the most level spot I could and filled it up bit by bit (lots of bits…). Been driving as good as it ever was (read: like shit).

    • Dr_Bolle@alien.topOPBEnglish
      1·
      10 months ago

      I also have a 1.4, 4 cylinder fiat engine. Should be robust but no oil is bad. I thought there’s sensors for that? I feel dumb for not checking when I bought. The hood was open but I didn’t check the oil

      • ggmaniack@alien.topBEnglish
        1·
        10 months ago

        Just because it has an oil level sensor, doesn’t mean it warns you soon enough. Heard plenty of horror cases where the sensor triggering basically means that the engine is FUBAR.

        Well, just top it up and hope, and maybe get an oil change soon-ish.