Checking Oil Level

Yes, your observation is normal and this is not a dumb question. Use the lower dipstick reading as the correct one. Your oil is around 0.8 US quarts low if the oil level is at the halfway point.

 

The lower of the two readings is the correct one. The higher reading is due to residual oil in the dipstick tube.

JeffD

 

Again, I agree with your observation. When I lived in southern Orange County, I tried Toyota 0W-20 and found that my 2004 started to consume oil. So I went back to 5W-30 synthetic and the oil consumption continued, although at a reduced pace.

Now with 163K miles, the 2004 is consuming around 1.3 quarts per 5K miles, which is not the end of the world.

 

It's normal to get slightly different readings, but your discrepancy seems larger than normal. Make sure you remove the dipstick and wipe it first, then re-insert to take a reading. For me this really seems to minimize the error. Normally the discrepancy shouldn't be more than about a quarter of the L to F distance.

 

I think that the discrepancy increases as the oil level drops. If the oil level is at the top dimple, both sides of the dipstick will read about the same level.

 

It is that one edge of the dipstick makes very close contact with the dipstick tube that there is a "capillary action effect" which draws the oil up the dipstick above the real oil level in the pan.

 

The only dumb question is the one that you do not ask.

There are many MANY opinions on viscosity, intervals, etc.
The 2 most important things are to ensure that there is oil in the crankcase in the correct operating range, and that this oil has been changed sometime within the periodicity recommended by the OEM.

Period.
That's It.
That's ALL.

Using one viscosity over another (provided that you're within the blends recommended by the OEM) or legging your change interval out to 10K from 5K should not make a significant difference in your motor wear provided that you regularly check your oil and regularly change your oil.

Usually???
People "discover" that their baby is "suddenly" using oil after years of not checking their dipsticks, and not determining how much oil was drained out of the engine during infrequent oil changes.

Me?
If I were an owner instead of just a driver, I'd use 5w30 every 5K.
If I lived in the frozen North?
It would be different.
If I were a suburbanite?
It might be different.

Your car.
Your call.


Good Luck!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

 

No, regular full-synthetic 5W-30, such as Mobil 1, Valvoline, whatever name brand Walmart happens to have on sale.

 

I haven't tried to use a high-mileage oil formula so I don't know whether it actually provides any benefit or is just marketing hype.

 

But can you confirm whether you wipe the dipstick before checking. Personally I've never gotten a very accurate reading on the dipstick unless I wipe it first.

 

All of the high mileage oil are just marketing hype, even if they claim they put in additives to soften the o-rings, it still won't help with piston ring wear.
My experience is once the o-ring is hardened, no chemical can restore it to the original compliance.

 

Rude person's gave a very believable explanation above: that the dip stick sits very close to the tube on one side, which causes capillary action to drag the oil level upward slightly.