help?

[Pasophisto]

started my baby this am. the oil pressure is at 4 at idle but the oil sump tank is at zero. Is is possible that whatever valve or whatever that controls when the oil goes to the tank and when to the engine is stuck shut and the oil is all in the engine?

[kyle242gt]

I'm wrong frequently, but I think that's to be expected when cold. You have to be at hot idle to check the oil.

[dshepp806]

Very normal,..it's what happens afterwards (at temp) that matters...........You would hope that starting oil pressure is high (ahem!)... I wouldn't go as far to say that "the oil sump tank is at zero",..when you mean, in fact, the "instrumentation" is reading zero. (Big difference).

BEST!

Doyle

[Joe Bob]

Oil is checked when the engine is running, at temp and level ground. Your TEMPERATURE gauge should read around 9 o'clock. Oil should be 1/2 way between the tow lower marks on the dipstick.

[Pasophisto]

Thanks guys. Now, at idle, with engine warm (never really at 9:00, but at the next lower hash marks, the oil on the dipstick is not easy to read at all. New oil, clear. It appears to be about half way between the bottom and top marks but could be more as there seems to be a run of oil up half of the dipstick to about 3/4 the way up to the high mark. It seems the stick is rubbing along the tube or something on the way in or out and not coming out clean. comments? Is it possible, just possible,impo that instead of having the dreaded valve guide issue, that I simply have the ubiquitous overfilling issue (re: smoke with warm engine particularly after hard driving)?