Hello all, just after some soothing words!
I always keep the oil level on my Probe GT bob - on the full mark on the dip stick. Easy enough as the level doesn't seem to drop.
The lifters have always been noisy - the rear bank ( did the broomstick to the ear trick and the rear bank is noisy!) - especially when cold, quite harsh - quietens down after motorway run.
When I do an oil 1000mile change, I can get only 4L of oil in the engine before it hits the dipstick full mark - that's with an empty filter housing. I'm pretty sure its meant to take 4.5l though.
On starting my return journey today from my parents house in Cheshire, the lifter noise was really quite harsh - so I stopped off at Tesco for some 5w40 oil, bit thicker than the normal 5w30 I put in. The oil wasn't down but I thought 'what the hell - just put a bit in'
Sure enough, it got a lot quieter, and the level was about 3-4mm over the full line after I let it settle a bit.
I also noticed on the way back, the car is a lot more throttle responsive at motorway speeds - where previously it was rather flat between 50 - 70mph. Quit a change for the better now!
Is my dipstick wrong? do I just shove the full 4.5L in regardless, at the next oil change?
Thanks for any comments!
Can dip sticks be wrong?
Re: Can dip sticks be wrong?
Hi Alan.
You should always check on a flat surface! with the oil warm and the engine stopped for a few minutes, but thereafter a sump is a sump and assuming you are taking the dipstick out to wipe it and relieve any crankcase pressure before taking a true reading its difficult to see how your reading can be wrong unless you have the wrong dipstick or the dipstick collar is allowing it to enter further than it should etc. It all sounds unlikely, and I'd be inclined to trust the dipstick.
However, it is interesting to hear your problems with the followers. I've got one that is a bit noisy inside the cab but not really noticeable under the bonnet, but it still bugs me. However I have dramatically improved it since I bought the car as follows.
I did a flushing oil change on getting the car followed by an annual oil change, the second of which I added some tappet cleaner to. Cant really say that made a lot of difference!
Third oil change I changed the oil grade to 10W30 from 5W30 and that made a noticeable difference, especially when cold. Although the grade handwritten in the handbook notes is 5W30, the manual itself says 10W30 so thats good enough for me. The difference between 5 and 10 is the cold viscosity (the ability of the oil to flow at low temp) so given global warming, 10 is more suitable to our winters than 5 which is unnecessarily low outside Scandinavia etc.
The number after the W is the viscosity when hot, so I didnt actually change that at all, but mine is not that noisy so 10W30 is working well for me.
If your tappets are as bad as you say, I'd want to try and get the oil system as clean as possible, only use a high grade oil and if it works for you, refil with 10W40 and see how that goes. Have you got a normal oil pressure and does it rise at normal speed etc?
I used to use 10W30 semi synthetic in my 16v (which had barely any follower noise after 285K miles) and fully synthetic in the FM 24v.
I'm not sure I can comment on the improved power performance other than the thought that if the followers are full of oil and working better, you will have less valve lag, but I don't know to what degree that would affect performance.
Hope to see you at Tewksbury or Pershore
Bob.
You should always check on a flat surface! with the oil warm and the engine stopped for a few minutes, but thereafter a sump is a sump and assuming you are taking the dipstick out to wipe it and relieve any crankcase pressure before taking a true reading its difficult to see how your reading can be wrong unless you have the wrong dipstick or the dipstick collar is allowing it to enter further than it should etc. It all sounds unlikely, and I'd be inclined to trust the dipstick.
However, it is interesting to hear your problems with the followers. I've got one that is a bit noisy inside the cab but not really noticeable under the bonnet, but it still bugs me. However I have dramatically improved it since I bought the car as follows.
I did a flushing oil change on getting the car followed by an annual oil change, the second of which I added some tappet cleaner to. Cant really say that made a lot of difference!
Third oil change I changed the oil grade to 10W30 from 5W30 and that made a noticeable difference, especially when cold. Although the grade handwritten in the handbook notes is 5W30, the manual itself says 10W30 so thats good enough for me. The difference between 5 and 10 is the cold viscosity (the ability of the oil to flow at low temp) so given global warming, 10 is more suitable to our winters than 5 which is unnecessarily low outside Scandinavia etc.
The number after the W is the viscosity when hot, so I didnt actually change that at all, but mine is not that noisy so 10W30 is working well for me.
If your tappets are as bad as you say, I'd want to try and get the oil system as clean as possible, only use a high grade oil and if it works for you, refil with 10W40 and see how that goes. Have you got a normal oil pressure and does it rise at normal speed etc?
I used to use 10W30 semi synthetic in my 16v (which had barely any follower noise after 285K miles) and fully synthetic in the FM 24v.
I'm not sure I can comment on the improved power performance other than the thought that if the followers are full of oil and working better, you will have less valve lag, but I don't know to what degree that would affect performance.
Hope to see you at Tewksbury or Pershore
Bob.
Re: Can dip sticks be wrong?
Hmmm - I've started it up earlier today and it sounds awful. Perhaps not hydraulic lifter related. I took some pics and a couple of videos if you would'nt mind examining?
The dipstick has no markings - has an aluminium knob on the end, almost looks aftermarket or something?
The first video is just of the dash guage responses with a cold engine - the engine noise is rather quiet though:
https://youtu.be/UthVF9PbDXw
This second vid is of waving my phone around the engine bay, trying to source the sound. To me it seems to come from the front rocker cover at the drivers side - or down where the drive belts are?
https://youtu.be/FjZ2DKXpg9I
I'm a bit worried now
Feeling like I should'nt drive it to work tomorrow. It revs up and drives fine. The noise goes somewhat at higher revs but its definatley louder now than it was.
The dipstick has no markings - has an aluminium knob on the end, almost looks aftermarket or something?
The first video is just of the dash guage responses with a cold engine - the engine noise is rather quiet though:
https://youtu.be/UthVF9PbDXw
This second vid is of waving my phone around the engine bay, trying to source the sound. To me it seems to come from the front rocker cover at the drivers side - or down where the drive belts are?
https://youtu.be/FjZ2DKXpg9I
I'm a bit worried now
Feeling like I should'nt drive it to work tomorrow. It revs up and drives fine. The noise goes somewhat at higher revs but its definatley louder now than it was.Re: Can dip sticks be wrong?
...Not sure if the oil pressure is a little low too? at cold, the guage needle is a bit nearer the top end. In the 2nd vid, the idle is high as it had'nt had chance to warm up a bit and drop to its usual 750 rpm. On the Mway, lately the needle has been between half way to 2/3ds at 70mph-ish. The oil guage does have a split personality though - sometimes it reads higher, sometimes lower.
Re: Can dip sticks be wrong?
@sunfly - by flushing oil, do you mean the cans of 'stuff' you add to the existing oil - or the flushing oil you buy a gallon at a time and use after dropping the engine oil? I've added varous cans of Wynns to the old oil in the past, plus hydraulic lifter treatment to the new oil, all with little effect so far. Years ago, i used the gallon of flushing oil in Opal Manta's I had, managed to wreck a Laguna later on, sometimes the oil seals dont like that stuff.
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Micron
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Re: Can dip sticks be wrong?
Alan,
What year is your car, because later models don't have a "real" oil pressure gauge, the early one does.
As for the noise, in the second video, it sounds mor elite a blowing exhaust manifold, rather than a lifter noise?
Not sure what others think?
What year is your car, because later models don't have a "real" oil pressure gauge, the early one does.
As for the noise, in the second video, it sounds mor elite a blowing exhaust manifold, rather than a lifter noise?
Not sure what others think?
Admin and Owner of this fine club 
Re: Can dip sticks be wrong?
Its a 96
One thing I am good at is making mountains out of anthills - it does have one of the three bolts missing on the rear manifold to exhaust union. The sound to me is somewhat metallic though - which is what worried me.
One thing I am good at is making mountains out of anthills - it does have one of the three bolts missing on the rear manifold to exhaust union. The sound to me is somewhat metallic though - which is what worried me.
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Micron
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Re: Can dip sticks be wrong?
As it's a , I would say that the oil Gauge is doing now't.
As for the noise, I still think that is the exhaust.
Anyone else have any thoughts?
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