Difficulty reading oil level
 

Hi,

Does anyone else find pulling the dipstick out of the AW71 trans, it's like the oil gets smeared all over the dipstick so you can't really tell an accurate level?

Thanks

Remove the dipstick and wipe it dry, leave it out for 10-15 minutes to allow any excess fluid to drop back into the gearbox then take your reading

And leave it idling for 10-15 minutes? Or start it up again, and go through the gear selector again?

I don't think leaving it sitting switched off will allow it to cool enough to give you a false reading. I also don't think leaving it idling without the dipstick would cause any problems. Just don't drive with the dipstick out...

Hi All,

You don't need to keep the engine running you can take it while its parked up and in touched just use the 'COLD' side of the dipstick instead of the 'HOT', most of the time I'll check it in the morning before setting off the same as the engine oil level.

One main thing to remember is to wipe it clean before putting it back in to the take the level.

Scott

That's not right though - not only is it too cold, but the oil wouldn't have been pumped properly around the system.

"in touched"?

When I come home next I will take the dipstick out and switch off the engine while waiting for ten minutes before checking. I will go through the gear selections again befofre checking.

Rub the bottom of the dipstick with chalk and then wipe that off. That will make the dipstick really dry and make seeing the level easier.

Hi,

Just to follow up on this, the level can only be read the first time you pull the dipstick out (after some period of driving). If you put it back in and pull it out, it somehow gets smeared everywhere.

It's very accurate to read the first time you pull it out, and showed that mine was under-filled by 2 liters!

Topped up now...