Checking Oil "Short Stick" Method - FYI
New User
Joined: Sep 2006
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Bobby - I used this method today upon your recommendation and it worked great for me. Much easier to read. In fact, I found that they were two quarts over during yesterday's oil change. I returned to the dealership and spoke with the service writer, the guy who changed the oil and the lead mechanic. None had heard about this method so I gave them a printed copy. Jim
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2008
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So the oil change guy starts up truck after oil change like any other vehecle and shuts it off right away and checks oil level right away. there
is a problem.
The manual says to wait 10 minutes for the oil to drain.
I watched him do this to my truck thinking somethings not right with this picture.
Now, I haven't bothered to recheck it myself, mainly cause of the weather being cold and I 'm a puss. But as soon as it warm's up
I'll be looking at that.
So with your info,and this info,anyone who's doing oil changes on our trucks are clueless and over filling them ? Right ?
is a problem.
The manual says to wait 10 minutes for the oil to drain.
I watched him do this to my truck thinking somethings not right with this picture.
Now, I haven't bothered to recheck it myself, mainly cause of the weather being cold and I 'm a puss. But as soon as it warm's up
I'll be looking at that.
So with your info,and this info,anyone who's doing oil changes on our trucks are clueless and over filling them ? Right ?
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 950
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From: nc
thats funny my manual actually says 20 minutes. I still don't understand why this is so complicated. Whatever happened to a normal oil check. Are they saying they screwed up in developing the correct dip stick lenght? Next time i'll get them a ruler....
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Postmaster
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The short stick method is used to determine over fill conditions and is not the regular method of checking the oil. This technique started with the 6.0L's...
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Posting Guru
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I like the idea of the short stick method because once you are out of the cross hatch area its difficult to read the actual level. Going forward I will check it both ways when doing an oil change so I have an exact reference point to determine an overfill situation.
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2006
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From: MINNESOTA
I have a Job1 built 4/07 when I check it all the way in it covers all the checking and the short stick its covers just the round part on the bottom not on the checking at all,2500 miles on oil change with 12000 on the truck.
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2009
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From: nc
what if you wait overnight to check the oil? Does this mean too much of the oil drains down causing the appearance of overfull? I'm just wondering if Ford really wants you wait at least 20 min or if 20 min's is the exact time.
Posting Guru
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Almost positive they want you to wait at least 20 minutes or longer to check the oil.
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