Oil question??

Hey guys I’m not really familiar with this. I know your supposed to check the oil when it’s hot right after you shut the engine down.
I checked it about 400 miles ago and it was a little above half. I just pulled the dipstick when the engine is cold and absolutely no oil shows up in the dipstick. I’ve never seen anything like that before and before I go a car gathering tomorrow I just want to make sure it’s ok to start it up.

 

On a wet sump (Mondial 8, QV, 3.2) that would be a concern; on a dry-sump (Mondial t) not a concern. What model do you have (and if you don't want to put it in the thread, please add it to your Profile).

What's more important on both is measuring after "recent pressurization" (cold vs hot has much less influence).

 

Thanks Steve it’s a dry sump mondial T.

 

Very helpful info Steve. So I don't really have to scorch my fingers to check oil level ('83 Mondial QV Cab)!

This is why I find FChat so important. SG


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No, you should still scorch your fingers as hot oil will expand a little so it will change the reading on the dipstick a bit. "Time from last pressurization" is something that changes the reading a huge amount.

 

OK. Will do. SG


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Steve can you elaborate on that so I know once and for all the proper procedure?
I believe the manual says check it within 5 minutes of shutdown. Are you saying that the reading would be different if I checked it one minute after shut vs 5 minutes after shutdown or say 8 minutes after shutdown?

 

No, I'm saying that if you check 12+ hours after shutdown you will probably get a too low reading on a dry sump and a too high reading on a wet sump. 1 minute or 5 minutes after shutdown is virtually the same (correct) thing to do. Many of the F OMs say immediately after shutoff, but on later models they added a small time delay to let any bubbles/foaming on the surface dissipate more.

 

Steve, thanks for that info. I check my 3.2 Euro Spec both cold and hot (or, engine that's been run a bit and right after shutdown) and am having difficulty getting a good reading. What's happening is it seems oil is tracking up the dipstick tube. So when I first pull the dipstick, wipe it down then reinsert and read again, I'm actually getting oil past full and up the dipstick. This is not rocket science!!! Momma mia what can I be doing wrong that I'm not getting a good oil level reading? Could I actually have too much oil? The last change was likely late last year from the selling dealer.
Vince

 

Always possible that someone made an error. Your OM says to check the engine oil level a few minutes after warm (140 deg to 158 deg F) engine shutoff so that would be what I would use as the method. And you can always check it like 5 times in a row quickly to make sure that the reading on the dipstick is consistent (or not). This shouldn't be rocket science

 

Thank you

 

After a good heat cycle and immediately after shut down has always been my routine.

 

There has been an issue with the wet sump cars with the dipstick design and an o ring on it pushing the oil down the tube when the dipstick is inserted. On the 308/328 type engines I push the stick all the way in and wiggle it a little and turn it a turn or two to get good consistent readings. Ferrari well understood the dipsticks were an issue and made us drain and weigh the oil in a very specific way on cases of oil burning claims.