Trouble reading dipstick

[iana3]

I recently had the oil min light come on while I was on a road trip and stopped and added a 1 qt bottle of 5w40. I feel dumb, but I'm having trouble reading the dipstick on this car because it seems like it reads just a bit different every time I take it out (sometimes there's a little oil on the wired part of the dipstick). It looks to be a bit over the max fill line from what I see, should I drain some? I've attached pics below of what I'm talking about, any help would be appreciated.

Before wiping it on paper towel:

 

[mx_rab]

Clean it throughly every time you test it. I always do a couple tries just to be sure I know where it is. Get yourself a torch too make things easier.

 

[audismart]

Have to say there not the easiest of dipsticks to read.
Definitely clean it every time you dip, I also do at least several dips to be sure.
Looking at pictures, 1st pic is 3/4 2nd pic is cleaned and 3rd pic is 3/4, 3rd pic looks like it has picked up some oil on the top from within the dipstick channel, that's why you need to do several dips if not more to be sure, and like OP said shine some light on it and it becomes a lot more apparent, I hold it up to the sun when it shines or into the headlight if dark.
Hope this helps

 

[pantha]

remember, best time to check is about 5-10mins after a drive. Let the oil settle to to sump and then check. (You can check when cold, but it "May" be a tiny bit higher on the stick than normal)

Agree with mx_rab ... Pull the dipstick, clean/wipe it really well, try to dry it off when you clean it.

Then when you dip it back, I twist the stick around when it's all the way in, and when you pull it out, you should see the oil creates a "shiny" film over the meshy bit on the dipstick. (this is why you need to clean/dry it well)

2 - 3 repeats to verify it.

TIP: the mesh section on the dipstick is representive of 1ltr. So if it's halfway down, you only need 1/2 litre. BUT, most people I know, only top up to 3/4 or closeby... as overfilling these engines is apparently not a good idea?

 

[leshkin]

Just a word if warning on handling the dipstick - on older engines the plastic on it and the tube it goes into get brittle and can easily break with small pieces ending up in the sump, which is not ideal. I replaced my dipstick on a 09 car as the little plastic guide blobs on it looked to be falling off already.

 

[LEE69]

The diesel one is worse, black oil on a black dipstick.....they thought that one out well..... not!!!

 

[SootySport]

You've definitely put too much oil in there, if the oil level light has just come on, no more than 1/2litre should be added. Drain some off or you'll burst gaskets in the engine or have too much smoke coming out.

 

[Muttley75]

On the subject of oil, my brand new A3 1.4 TFSI (3 weeks old) is showing half way on the thin part of the dipstick. Is it normal for new cars to use a little oil during the running-in process? I'm guessing that's why they give us some top up oil with the car, but the salesman never mentioned anything.

 

[audismart]

You've definitely put too much oil in there, if the oil level light has just come on, no more than 1/2litre should be added. Drain some off or you'll burst gaskets in the engine or have too much smoke coming out.

How do you work that out when the cross pattern is dry?

 

[iana3]

Thanks for your help everyone.

 

[SootySport]

How do you work that out when the cross pattern is dry?

He did say he put a quart (2 pints) in the engine, way too much, and had trouble getting a reading.

 

[audismart]

He did say he put a quart (2 pints) in the engine, way too much, and had trouble getting a reading.

So he put just a little over a liter of oil, the engine will take 4.5 liters of oil in total and if you read OP post the cross pattern represents a liter of oil and in my experience of the min oil level oil light coming on was that the min oil level was below the min oil level on the oil level dip stick, so which would make the amount he put in as correct, and most certainly not way too much as quoted by yourself and putting the poor bloke in a panic and taking out much needed oil for his engine.
Apologies in the post please.

 

[Sayam]

I wouldn't worry about over filling a tiny bit anyway. Mine is a tiny winy bit over and I'm not bothered to be honest I'm sure it will burn it and if not at next oil change I'll correct it