I am confused, (doesn't take much). checked the oil level the other day according to the owners manual.
The results were confusing because "oil level OK" but the bar indicator was barely pass the mid point?
Can i trust that the sensor is accurate?, meaning that the engine is just very close to needing a top off?
Looking for advice from long term owners, as I am disappointed this car has no dip stick ...grrr

 

Night

Are you concerned if your coolant temp is 'barely passed the midpoint' too?

Don't be

It would be useful if you were to post:

1) How long you've had it?
2) When the last service and oil change was done and how many miles you've covered since?
3) When it's due it's next service?
4) That you carry a spare 1l refill bottle like any diligent owner would?

Whilst others may disagree I'd leave alone until it gives you a oil warning message then top up

 

I have had it a year, changed the oil first week of ownership, about 660 miles on that service. and yes i keep a litre in the boot.
Actually, what confused me was the pictures in the manual. The bar graph during the check looked very close to the down a liter indication pic, but the text says "oil level OK"

 

I trust the sensors. When I look at the manual it doesn't show that it will warn you until it gets to the 1/3 mark in the sensor and then tell you to add .5 liter. Definitely it has no indication for telling you to fill at the just above half point. Suppose that might be a quarter of a quart? I don't know as the indicator is clearly not linear in it's measurement, at the 1/3rd point it is calling for a half liter and then at the bottom another half liter. And yes, I agree that a dipstick would have made this much easier. Not sure if your year and make has a different graph.

 

Thanks to all for the input, Just trying to get use to manufacturers "fixing things that are not broken" i guess.
It seems that all IS well...no worries mate. I love the car but I'll be damned if I can figure out the OEM logic.
Keep the shiny side up.

 

I just changed my oil... got down to the suckie sound and let it run for another minute and nothing else came out. I measured 6-1/2 quarts came out (gauge showed add 0.5) and I put in seven quarts new. Gauge now shows full.
Last time I sucked it all out I got just over seven quarts out.

 

Hey, is there an indication for OVER-full???

 

Yes, in the picture I posted, letter D is the over full. Notice the bar goes one step to the right past how it shows in illustration A.

 

Does anyone else see the humor in this posting? all this discussion for the lack of a dip stick??
George Carlin (RIP) could do 5 mins on manufactures taking the simple and making it complex.

 

Ah, I didn't notice the Over-the-End jpart of that pic.
Cool. Mine's okay with seven quarts!

 

LOL, that is true. Carlin was awesome.

Although I will say this thread is not because of a lack of a dipstick but a lack of trust in technology. Everybody wants it old school, yet I have never heard of an instance where there was a failure in this process. At least not in recent memory on this board!

 

The dipstick omission has been done to death so no one bit.

As to George Carlin he was sufficiently gruff and laconic as to make him an honourary Brit

 

My bad Tampa I meant the .5 litre pic.

 

I've got one of those XKR's that eats a little oil. I will tell you that I've gotten as low as ADD 1.5 QUARTS and there was no other alert. (I checked it and was like "WTF?!?")
I don't think you'll get a separate alert until you're at least two quarts low. Which seems crazy to me but there you go.
Just get in the habit of checking it before you start the car. Yeah yeah yeah I know you're supposed to check it 10 minutes after you've shut it off after warmed up but honestly if you're like me that's not gonna happen, at least not regularly. Someone on another of these threads noted that he checked his oil level obsessively and the readings he got when cold and the results ten-minutes-after-warm-shutdown were the same.
Put a sticky note or something right on the gauges as a reminder and get into the habit of checking it when you get in the car. When you consistently get "ADD 1.0 QUART", throw one in. including the filter and cannister this is an 8-quart fill. I'll get blowback on this, but I think you'll be OK a half a quart low for a week or so.
OR.... pour in LESS than half a quart and see if it makes a difference for peace of mind.
As you can tell I hate the electronic dipstick.

 

Just to update on my concerns...seems these cars (at least mine is) are very sensitive to how level the car is when checking the oil.
I didn't realize the car was sitting on a very slight incline when I checked the oil the first time... maybe 2-3 degrees.
On recheck on what seemed to be level ground ..the bar graph showed Full. Live and learn each day.

 

When I change my oil I get to the sucky sound and then let it sit for a few minutes. Then I start sucking again and get more oil. Then I crank it and immediately kill it, I just want to turn the engine over once or twice. I get another half quart out after that. Don't do this with the oil filter removed or you'll get oil everywhere and for weeks your engine will smell like oil every time it warms up. And you'll have a big puddle on the garage floor and splatters on the wall in front of the car.

After doing that I suck more oil, let it sit for a while, then suck more oil. I get about 7.5 quarts of oil out of my car this way.

Also, before changing my oil I always add an oil flush. I use the Liqui-Moly stuff, but I'm not recommending it, that's just what I use. I think they are probably all about the same. It's supposed to break up the sludge and make the oil thinner and easier to remove.

 

I was reading through the thread and intended to post that the vehicle MUST be horizontal for an accurate oil level reading but you have now discovered that. I've therefore added "RESOLVED" to your thread title.

Graham