Dipstick level... Wow
#1
Dipstick level... Wow
Alright so as some of you already know, my friend bought a stupid ricer-looking set of gauge overlays for his 2000 Mustang GT, automatic, with no modifications whatsoever. He decided after we put them on that he no longer wanted to have these new gauges on... sigh.
Anyway, his car has 85,000 miles on it, original motor. We were trying to put the needles back on with the car up to operating temperature. We got the battery on, oil pressure, gas needle (filled it up all the way and put it on), RPMs, and then we used a GPS to get the speed exact on cruise control.
Beyond all this, here lies the issue:
The oil pressure gauge will fluctuate ONLY when he comes to a dead stop in "D". If he is in park, the gauge is fine, if he is driving, gauge is fine. ONLY at a dead stop. It flicks down to past 0 really fast, then a second later back up the the middle. It keeps doing this in about 3 or 4 second intervals.
Here's his dipstick level...
Seems way, way way to high to me. We dipped and cleaned it off twice. This is really stumping me, because he said before all this gauge stuff, this had never been happening to him. He takes his car in to get the oil changed, never does it himself.
Anybody even have the slightest clue as to what's going on?
Anyway, his car has 85,000 miles on it, original motor. We were trying to put the needles back on with the car up to operating temperature. We got the battery on, oil pressure, gas needle (filled it up all the way and put it on), RPMs, and then we used a GPS to get the speed exact on cruise control.
Beyond all this, here lies the issue:
The oil pressure gauge will fluctuate ONLY when he comes to a dead stop in "D". If he is in park, the gauge is fine, if he is driving, gauge is fine. ONLY at a dead stop. It flicks down to past 0 really fast, then a second later back up the the middle. It keeps doing this in about 3 or 4 second intervals.
Here's his dipstick level...
Seems way, way way to high to me. We dipped and cleaned it off twice. This is really stumping me, because he said before all this gauge stuff, this had never been happening to him. He takes his car in to get the oil changed, never does it himself.
Anybody even have the slightest clue as to what's going on?
Last edited by Evenexchange; 04-28-2010 at 08:39 PM.
#5
I'm absolutely positive. We cleaned off the stick and re-dipped it twice just to be sure. It came up the same each time. I think that there might be so much oil in the pan, that it is significantly obstructing the electronic instruments that send a reading to the dash.
#7
4th Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2009
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One thing I see thats kinda strange.
On the end of that dipstick it looks as theres black oil.(Maybe sludge on bottom of pan causing high oil level)
But man if there is really that much oil in that motor.
Thats like enough for 2 oil changes
On the end of that dipstick it looks as theres black oil.(Maybe sludge on bottom of pan causing high oil level)
But man if there is really that much oil in that motor.
Thats like enough for 2 oil changes
#8
there is a few things i see wrong with that picture. First is when you pull the dipstick out....NEVER point the end up, because once that end goes past flat the oil runs down the stick quickly and you no longer have an accurate reading. so always pull it out and check it with it facing the ground just like it was still in the motor, make sense? 2 since it seems like your pointing it up a bit, i will assume that there is a good chance that you may also have forgotten to check both sides of the dipstick. What happens on a lot of cars is one side will look 2 quarts full, and the other will have a dry spot much further down, which is more likely to be the actual reading. Its a bit tricky, my justy sucks cuz of that, very hard to tell exactally how much oil is in it. But one side shows it over full and the other shows where it needed to be. Just a thought. Sorry no idea whats wrong with the gauges.
edit, and lastly. looks low not high? its hard to tell in the pic, but looks like the oil may be under the fill line.
edit, and lastly. looks low not high? its hard to tell in the pic, but looks like the oil may be under the fill line.
#9
[QUOTE=Evenexchange;6971643]
Beyond all this, here lies the issue:
The oil pressure gauge will fluctuate ONLY when he comes to a dead stop in "D". If he is in park, the gauge is fine, if he is driving, gauge is fine. ONLY at a dead stop. It flicks down to past 0 really fast, then a second later back up the the middle. It keeps doing this in about 3 or 4 second intervals.
QUOTE]
Are you talking about the stock oil pressure gauge or the aftermarket one you installed?
Beyond all this, here lies the issue:
The oil pressure gauge will fluctuate ONLY when he comes to a dead stop in "D". If he is in park, the gauge is fine, if he is driving, gauge is fine. ONLY at a dead stop. It flicks down to past 0 really fast, then a second later back up the the middle. It keeps doing this in about 3 or 4 second intervals.
QUOTE]
Are you talking about the stock oil pressure gauge or the aftermarket one you installed?
#10
there is a few things i see wrong with that picture. First is when you pull the dipstick out....NEVER point the end up, because once that end goes past flat the oil runs down the stick quickly and you no longer have an accurate reading. so always pull it out and check it with it facing the ground just like it was still in the motor, make sense? 2 since it seems like your pointing it up a bit, i will assume that there is a good chance that you may also have forgotten to check both sides of the dipstick. What happens on a lot of cars is one side will look 2 quarts full, and the other will have a dry spot much further down, which is more likely to be the actual reading. Its a bit tricky, my justy sucks cuz of that, very hard to tell exactally how much oil is in it. But one side shows it over full and the other shows where it needed to be. Just a thought. Sorry no idea whats wrong with the gauges.
edit, and lastly. looks low not high? its hard to tell in the pic, but looks like the oil may be under the fill line.
edit, and lastly. looks low not high? its hard to tell in the pic, but looks like the oil may be under the fill line.
That isn't black stuff at the end, I don't think so anyway... it might have been a shadow.