<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by [email protected]: what, is it going to magically disapear after the engine is warm??
If you can judge how long it takes to get back down to the sump, great, but if somebody is asking when to check, they probably dont understand that concept at all, and may overfill the engine, and blow out the rear main seal.
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No, but it's impossible to tell whether the oil from the cooler has drained back into the sump or not, even if it's been sitting for hours.
Pretty hard to overfill a VW engine enough to "blow the rear main seal" (which it doesn't have) or even the front one for that matter....
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by DallasHead:
<B>AHHH-- The level headed rational thinking of a Canadian. Just what this thread needs! So Scott, Check the oil hot or cold?
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JUst thinking we are talking about oil here not some percise measuremaent of some thing else.If you were to measure the amount of oil tha ran down you block walls and spread it out over the suface area of the oil sitting on the botton (hot,cold,overnight or otherwise),you would be hard pressed too notic it or measure it .Oil shoud be checked hot,upon sitting for a few minets.Checking the oil hot allows the "thinner" hot oil to flow, drip or run into the lower portion of the crank case.Over night works too,but most important is to not start the engine prior to checking untill it is hot.like dont start it and think hey I gotta check the oil and shut it off for 10 min. and expect it to "settel" as well as hot oil. also the level (front to back and side to side) is very important.AS important as having the dipstick all the way in the tube. Hope this helps you out.
You mean....you don't simply check the oil when the check oil light comes on?...and personnally I can't bring myself to hang out with chick whose rear seal is blown..heh heh ...The difference bewteen the two (hot or cold) is really not too significant. In a type 4...its about 4 oz. Its about the same in 1's and 3s ( I know...I had the same question a long time ago). A half pint will not blow your seal. Its about 1/16" give or take ...on the dip stick. Ray.
I think i checked mine about three months ago, so that should be sufficient for everybody, right? i might check it again before i tear it down to go to 11:1 C/R for this season
I would like to just make a quick comment to this post. If everyone doesn't mind, let's keep this post friendly, clean, and on topic. Thanks everyone. Enjoy.
Came up with this one myself a few years back- on the engines we're talking about here it probably don't make squat difference, but have you ever taken off the oil filler cap off a rather large engine and seen valve train? The dipstick still goes down to the oil pan. When I walk outside in the morning at -10F and pour in half a quart from behind the seat, how long do you suppose I'll have to wait for an accurate reading? Hence why the factory recommendation is a hot engine.
Whether or not this is their reasoning it does make sense. I don't garage my Subaru in the winter and only add oil to a hot engine. My VW is in the garage with the oil and I'll check it before I head out.