hi

just returned the car i bought and asked then to drain some engine oil as it was way over the Max line,

went to collect it checked the oil before starting it, and its the same,so i asked to see who had done it,

he explained you have to run the engine ,then stop it, and check it then ???

always thought you had to let it settle as the handbook says ???

advice please

After the oil is changed the level will drop the first time the engine is run. When checking oil the engine should be warm i was always told. Check it after a drive but have the engine off for 5-10 minutes to allow the oil to settle.

yes that is what i was always told, but the mechanic today said start it up ,stop it ,then check it , which i thought was very wrong ,not sure if its a new way to check it but doubt it ,think i was just being brushed aside yet again

It's to allow oil to fill the filter. This will then reduce the level of the dipstick once it's full, hence the start, stop, allow to settle and then recheck.

Sent from my iPhone using Ford OC

The filter will have filled when they started the car to move it out of the workshop. It doesn't take much.

I let the car sit for an hour before checking the oil usually. Reasoning being that it lets the level stabilise though it's the same I do for checking tyre pressures.

When time suits I might just try comparing level after say 15 mins to see if it actually differs that much. Depends how long it takes for the oil to drain back down to the sump once the engine's stopped.