The dipstick has been used for the analysis of whether there is oil in the engine or not for decades. It’s the conventional means of checking the oil. It is so common because it is simple, quick, and easy to use. To read the dipstick perfectly, you need to know what it means if there is no oil in the dipstick. Let’s see the possible causes and solution if the dipstick is showing no oil.
How to use a dipstick
Turn your engine off and wait till the oil settles in the oil pan. Make sure that the ground on which your car is parked is even and straight. Open the hood of your vehicle and find the dipstick.
Pull out the dipstick and wipe it off to clean the oil. Because the oil on the dipstick might be old when the oil in the engine was full.
After that, put the dipstick into the tube again to analyze the current level of oil in it. wait for some time and pull it out and check the level.
No Oil on Dipstick Possible causes and solutions
There are marks or holes on the dipstick to indicate the correct level of the oil. The time to replace the oil in your engine depends upon the condition of your engine, the age of the car, the fuel efficiency of the engine, and a few other factors.
If no oil is determined on the dipstick it clearly shows that you immediately need to add oil to it to keep the car running smoothly. There are multiple reasons for low levels of oil. Let’s analyze each of them one by one
Delay in replacing oil
There is a specific time to replace your engine’s oil. You can review your owner’s manual to know the exact time to flush the motor oil and refill the fresh one. If you delay in replacing the oil, the parts of your engine start to damage and gradually lead to engine failure.
Detecting no oil on the dipstick shows that you have not filled the oil for long and delayed the procedure. The oil in your engine is losing its efficiency day by day.
The oil basically serves to save the engine and its parts by providing them friction hence providing them mobility and cooling them by dissipating heat. Delay in replacing oil will make the oil wither and accumulate with dirt.
This will make the oil inefficient and oil cannot protect the engine and its parts in the way it is meant to be. When you look at the oil on the dipstick, make sure that the oil is transparent a bit, smooth, and glossy.
This ensures that the oil in the engine is in perfect condition to effectively serve the purpose. In case you notice any dirt in the oil, try to replace it as soon as possible.
On the other hand, if you notice no oil on the dipstick, concern a mechanic immediately. Flush the old remains to clean the tank and refill the oil to restore the outstanding performance of your car.
Oil leakage
The common reason for no oil on the dipstick is that you might have your oil leaking from the tank. There can be holes in the supply lines through which the oil is leaking.
If you notice no oil on the dipstick, concern a mechanic and get a thorough inspection of your tank. If there are any punctures in the supply line or the tank, ask the mechanic to fix them abruptly.
This will save your engine from losing more oil and affecting the performance of your vehicle anymore. Other indications that your vehicle’s oil is leaking include:
- The oil on the dipstick is dark in color with thick, curdy residue.
- The smoke of white color with sweet odor exhaust.
Drop in the performance of the engine
When the engine of your vehicle becomes old, it starts to show signs of wear and tear. The moving parts of the engine, when rugged across each other, produce friction.
The oil in the engine lubricates these parts and helps them move smoothly hence enhancing mobility. When there is a drop in the performance of the engine, relatively more oil is used for lubrication.
This is finishing the oil before the expected time. There are other signs through which you can analyze the performance of your engine so you can take measures before the situation becomes risky. These indications are engine runs with difficulty, power loss, and less efficiency of fuel.
Low fuel economy
Fuel economy is the major point to consider when you inspect no oil on the dipstick. Sometimes, the engine of your vehicle is not efficient enough to provide you greater mileage. The reason behind that is your engine is utilizing more fuel than normal and hence reducing the fuel efficiency.
Utilizing too much fuel will generate extra heat in the engine therefore, the coolant needs to perform effectively. The oil is used as a coolant. The more it performs, the more it will deteriorate. This means that extra heat generation will cause the oil to become less and there are the chances that oil will finish before the calculated time.
Thus, you notice no oil on the dipstick. A less fuel-efficient vehicle would certainly consume more oil and because of that you need to add extra oil in order to make your car run smoothly and comfortably.
Conclusion on no oil on the dipstick
To avoid this situation, you should take measures to improve fuel efficiency. Using the tires with a deeper tread pattern can solve the issue to an extent.
Turning off the AC of your vehicle when you are not driving is a way you can reduce fuel consumption hence utilizing less motor oil to cool your vehicle. there are many other ways through which you can reduce the consumption of oil and make it last longer.
Keep checking the oil level of your engine. Don’t wait for the oil to become too less that it doesn’t even show up on the dipstick. Since this level is critically low therefore take measures to avoid such situations and maintain it timely.
Robert Anderson is a world class motorhead who rebuilt his first carb at age 10, his first engine at age 15, and completed his first full hotrod build when he was just 18! Previously, he has ran a part warehouse, delivered pizzas, and managed the service department for a $20 million/year revenue dealership. Robert knows cars like few others and he is passionate about sharing his knowledge.