Dipstick

[Fred Cook]

One side of the dipstick says “factory” and the oil level touches the “A” for Add. The other side for the dipstick has some numbers stamped into it and touches the “F” for Full. Which side of the dipstick should I be reading?

[David T. Richelderfer]

My suggestion is to wait until the oil is changed.  After the proper amount of oil is put into the engine, start the engine to fill the filter/s and hose/s, shut down the engine, and then check the dipstick.  Whichever side of the dipstick says it's full is the side you would use in the future.

[Fred Cook]

Thanks for the suggestion. But I’m not understanding why I have a double sided dipstick and why they contradict each other.

[Eric Maclean Co-Admin]

Fred
David is correct the dip sticks are notorious for false readings as  the dip stick tube and stick length may not be right often because they are installed by the coach builder .
As David suggested the engine should be filled with the proper amount and then mark the dip stick or adjust the tube length to match.

As for your original question many years ago there used to be hot and cold markings on the dip stick to compensate for expansion however I would find it hard to believe that the difference between hot and cold would be that far apart as the difference between add and full is usually 2 to 4 quarts.
you'll find that the Allison automatic dip stick as hot and cold readings .coincidentally the Allison dip sticks aren't very accurate either and Allison prefers you use there internal level sensor to check fluid level.

Hope this helps
Eric

[Fred Cook]

Thanks guys. I will get it straight on the next oil change.

[Fred Brooks]

  Hi Fred,
My suggestion would be to find out how the engine is configured. This also includes which oil pan was installed from Caterpillar and all the support accessories. Once you now the original capacity from the serial number, perform an oil change with filter and as suggested start then stop the engine. let it sit for 5 minutes and check the scribe marks on the dip stick and document which side accurately represents FULL. To find out how the engine is configured from Cat, contact Dave Atherton. Hope this helps, Fred