So You're a Quart Low

[Colonel Sanders]

You checked the dipstick, and you're a quart low.

You add a quart (or liter - sorry P.E.T.) and then
for some bizarre reason, wipe the dipstick off
again, screw it in, and remove it, and read the
oil level again, afterwards.

Why?

You knew how much oil there was. You added
a quart. So, you have a pretty darned good idea
what the oil level is now - a quart (sorry, P.E.T -
liter) more than what it was before.

So why on earth do you measure it again?

Am I missing out on something, because I never
measure the oil after I add a quart?

[FenderManDan]

I call it a ritual. Btw i do that twice what you just described. Same thing withe the car engine oil dipstick.

Wingnut eh

[bushwhacker]

Kind of like when your drinking a nice cold beer.
you pour the last of the bottle into your glass, take a long pull on the glass and the tip the now empty bottle up and try to squeeze another few drops out of it.

[checkremarks]

You checked the dipstick, and you're a quart low.
So why on earth do you measure it again?

To make sure you put it in the right hole?

[iflyforpie]

I had to think about it, but no, I never check after adding 946 ml of oil.


I do sometimes re-check fuel after adding a metered amount.

[Colonel Sanders]

make sure you put it in the right hole

Try to keep to PG-rated for the kids here, ok?

[Youngback]

^ While aircraft are different than cars, you'd be amazed at how many people have put engine oil in their car and had it wind up in their transmission, wiper fluid or radiator.

Years ago I took a Caravan for a flight after another guy had been on it for 3 weeks. I checked the oil and found it was at the bottom of the dipstick showing 1 quart (liter. Sorry P.E.T.) low. I went and got a quart (liter, sorry again) of oil, filled it and checked the dipstick again. The oil hadn't budged. I went back to the cabinet and got another quart (L) and put that in. The dipstick just moved this time. A 3rd quart (L) later I was back in the normal range on the dipstick. The wetness before had just been the residual that wouldn't fall off.

Is checking it twice unnecessary? Most of the time probably, but it can't hurt. I don't think you can be too careful in aviation.

[iflyforpie]

It's quarts... gentlemen. Whether it is a bottle of Aeroshell W100 or a can of Mobil Jet II.... they all say 946ml (32 fl oz) on the side of them.

Kind of .30 cal ammunition (7.62mm).

[I_Drive_Planes]

You checked the dipstick, and you're a quart low.

You add a quart (or liter - sorry P.E.T.) and then
for some bizarre reason, wipe the dipstick off
again, screw it in, and remove it, and read the
oil level again, afterwards.

Why?

You knew how much oil there was. You added
a quart. So, you have a pretty darned good idea
what the oil level is now - a quart (sorry, P.E.T -
liter) more than what it was before.

So why on earth do you measure it again?

Am I missing out on something, because I never
measure the oil after I add a quart?

Paranoia.

[trey kule]

Thank you, I fly. That is one of this little things I am picky about. Funny how many people dont actually read the label

[GyvAir]

I can think of at least two occasions where people have placed their funnel through the oil access door, missing the actual oil filler neck and proceeded to pour their entire quart of oil down the side the engine and into the bottom of the cowl. Depending on the cowl design and how much dirt is plugging the drain holes, the error may or may not be immediately evident.

[Big Pistons Forever]

It is also worth checking the jug before pouring it in. At my last job a pilot, in a hurry because he was running late , poured 2 jugs of oil out of the typical black plastic litre container into one engine of the light twin. He had just finished when he realized the two jugs contained 5W30 car oil meant for the shop truck instead of Aeroshell 15W50

Needless to say he was very late after the time required to do the oil change was factored in........

[CID]

It's smart to double check things especially if its related to a critical function. If you don't, it's "not" smart. Maybe even negligent.

[GyvAir]

It's quarts... gentlemen.

Not that anyone is going to fret about 54ml on the dipstick, there are litres out there..


Wasn't there a brief period, late 80s or early 90s when some of the aviation oil sold in Canada was packaged in one litre containers?

[oldtimer]

I remember how pilots always checked the oil level in a PT6 or Garrett engine before flight even when the AFM and the training manuals are very specific that the oil level should be checked within 10 minutes of shutting down the engine. I now emphesize a post flight walk around being almost as important as a pre-flight.
Many turbine engines will "hide" oil after shutdown. It syphons harmleesly into the engine case and after start-up, the scavenge pumps pick it up and return it to the tank.
I did a trip in a B200 King Air late one night (night shift medevac), checked the oil level after shutdown and it was less than one (Imperial, Canadian built engine eh!) quart below full whch was normal. As I was leaving I spotted a mechanic adding oil. He had already put two quarts (US manufactured oil can) into the engine and was ready to put another in because the dipstick showed 4 (Imperial) quarts below full. I called the DOM over and we motored the engine over on the Start Test and sure enough, the engine was 0.9 (Imperial) quarts over full. We sucked a bit out and that damn engine puked oil out the breather and all over the gear legs until the engine oil level was down to it's normal operating range.

[Colonel Sanders]

Many turbine engines will "hide" oil after shutdown

That's exactly what the turbines in the L39
do - you check the oil level after landing.

[andy.air]

I developed the habit from changing oil in cars as one of my first jobs in my teenage years. After draining the oil, filing it up with x amount of liters, and running the engine, I'd double check the dipstick to make sure it was satisfactorily where it is supposed to be.

If I'm adding oil after the dipstick reading is below the limits, I want to visually confirm that it's at the right level before taking off. Who knows, maybe in hindsight I didn't put the funnel in right.

[Docbrad]

I was taught in my ab initio years not to check it again. 2 reasons

1. If it was at 5.5 qt, and you just added a qt, then you're normally going to end up at 6.5qt
2. If you slide the dipstick through the tube you just dumped a qt in, you're going to smear the dipstick with oil, getting, therefore, an unreliable reading

[Krimson]

Once I brought my 150 in for an oil change to an AME with too much on his mind. He drained the old oil, changed the filter, added the new oil and all was good to go. Checked the oil level, and it was empty Right after a fresh oil change! Turns out he forgot to screw the drain plug black on and sent a fresh 6 quarts of oil right down into the bin with the old oil.

He wasn't too happy, but good thing it was caught while we were still there, I don't think he would have believed me if I asked for 6quarts of free oil the next day!

[Chuck Finley]

You checked the dipstick, and you're a quart low.
So why on earth do you measure it again?

To make sure you put it in the right hole?

That's what she said!!

[MrWings]

To me its a check to make sure it went where it was supposed to go.

[leftoftrack]

I look for the stamp in the log book to make sure the D.I. Has been done, I have more important things to do before going flying that double check a mechanics job.

[PositiveRate27]

Just like Northern Thunderbird eh left of track? The mechanics aren't up there with you. Can't be too careful with oil.

[leftoftrack]

Just like Northern Thunderbird eh left of track? The mechanics aren't up there with you. Can't be too careful with oil.

Wasn't the co-pilot the one who left the oil cap off? Pretty sure they would have been better off if the pilots didn't touch the oil cap. Besides I need a 10 foot ladder to check oil levels which requires either a platform with guard rails around it or I need fall protection to comply with OHS standards.

[plhought]

In the NTA accident an AME apprentice serviced the oil and (we can surmise..) left the oil cap unsecured. Neither pilot checked the oil or oil cap security prior to flight.

If you have the means, just check the bloody oil before flying. You never know if after the DI someone needed to get rid of half a quart or something and played with it after the fact. Peace of mind people

A 10 foot ladder doesn't require fall restraints or hand rails. A 10 foot platform would.

Granted, once you get into the larger machines I wouldn't expect to have to check the oil, although you usually have oil quantity indications with the larger iron.

As for the original post. I don't know. I always take an additional reading of the dipstick after adding oil. God knows why I guess. Bigger things to worry 'bout honestly.