Disco 3 (LR3) Oil dip stick

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Ian Mackay

Ian Mackay

Active Member
Posts
316
Location
Scotland
Pulled the dip stick about 6 times and wiped it each time, STILL not convinced I am seeing a genuine reading, thinking its just picking a small amount of oil each time from the tube, really don't like the design, worried I am low on oil, thoughts.
 
If you really are worried, an oil change should lay your fears to rest. At least that way you'll know how much oil you put in the thing and you should also enable yourself to "calibrate" the dipstick.
If you find that the oil is actually too clean to bed seen properly on the dipstick, wipe it off in the normal way, dip the engine then lay the dipstick on a clean kitchen towel (or whatever you use). You should then be able to see the level of the oil by looking at the stain on the paper towel.
 
brian47 said:
If you really are worried, an oil change should lay your fears to rest. At least that way you'll know how much oil you put in the thing and you should also enable yourself to "calibrate" the dipstick.
If you find that the oil is actually too clean to bed seen properly on the dipstick, wipe it off in the normal way, dip the engine then lay the dipstick on a clean kitchen towel (or whatever you use). You should then be able to see the level of the oil by looking at the stain on the paper towel.
Click to expand...
 
It's only about 3 months since oil change, seeing slight haze on start up, engine done about 112k used semi synthetic cant get my head round it but feel I may drain and replace with gtx or similar and a lucas higher mileage additive, which has kept my disco 2 happy for near twice that mileage, might put a stainless tig rod down it tomorrow, which would give a definite edge to the oil and let me know for sure, I guess I just don't like all those small segments.
 
My advice is to get an oil to meet WSS-M2C913-D specs and you'll be fine, the D3 workshop manual states "use 5W30 oil to meet WSS-M2C913-B specifications", but on ford oil specs webpage:
Ford WSS-M2C913-D
.... A product meeting this specification is especially recommended for diesel engines where M2C913-B or M2C913-C oils were initially required.....


Another evidence how oils have been evolving :cool:
 
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They have a ****e dipstick and if you dip it more than a couple of times the oil smears the side of the tube and messes up every reading from then on, best to leave it on flat ground overnight pull stick and wipe it then go for level check and lay the red bit on some tissue so you can see where its actually at.
Dont run it low as they hold sod all oil anyway, spec calls for full syn oil 5/30 A5.
If you changed the oil how much did you put in? Iirc its 5.5 litres?
Mines on 125k and doesnt use a drop between 5k changes.
 
lynall said:
......spec calls for full syn oil 5/30 A5.....
Click to expand...
I sustain the red part even though the workshop manual doesnt say anything about full syn :

D3 oil specs.jpg


here's a semi syn which matches the recommendation http://www.halfords.com/motoring/en...-oil/halfords-5w30-part-synthetic-ford-oil-5l

if we corroborate this discussion with the other about the oils for Td5 where i insisted to use full synthetic oil for a turbocharged engine cos it's better and i was contradicted i presume that those who recommended the semi syn or mineral oil for the Td5 would use semi syn in a TDV6 too not a fully synthetic one :rolleyes:

Off course that i'm still insisting to use only fully synthetic even if it's not mentioned in the manual.:cool:
 
sierrafery said:
I sustain the red part even though the workshop manual doesnt say anything about full syn :

View attachment 135191

here's a semi syn which matches the recommendation http://www.halfords.com/motoring/en...-oil/halfords-5w30-part-synthetic-ford-oil-5l

if we corroborate this discussion with the other about the oils for Td5 where i insisted to use full synthetic oil for a turbocharged engine cos it's better and i was contradicted i presume that those who recommended the semi syn or mineral oil for the Td5 would use semi syn in a TDV6 too not a fully synthetic one :rolleyes:

Off course that i'm still insisting to use only fully synthetic even if it's not mentioned in the manual.:cool:
Click to expand...
I would use that Halfords oil in my D3 as it meets the specs but I choose not to as I can buy fully synthetic ford oil from Asda for £13 for 5 litre so bought 8 cartons of that and change it twice yearly even though I only do about 6K miles a year. By the way the Halfords oil spec states ford engines upto 2005, as mine is a 2009 it’s not correct for mine
 
johnlad said:
Halfords oil spec states ford engines upto 2005,
Click to expand...
Those are included within the other "most of the latest high efficiency engines" , but simplifying things the last statement "This oil is also suitable where ACEA A1/B1 or Ford WSS-M2C-913-A/B are recommended" makes it match the recommendation for the D3 which is for all modells between '05 - '09 in that docment issued in 2016 i pasted.... my point is that the oils get better and better each year and if somebody loves his engine will not put older spec or inferior oil in it, for me the oil area was not one where saving money is a factor ...i'm seriously thinking to get a D3 or 4 soon and i'm sure i'll not put a semy synth oil in the engine even if it meets the specs
 
lynall said:
They have a ****e dipstick and if you dip it more than a couple of times the oil smears the side of the tube and messes up every reading from then on, best to leave it on flat ground overnight pull stick and wipe it then go for level check and lay the red bit on some tissue so you can see where its actually at.
Dont run it low as they hold sod all oil anyway, spec calls for full syn oil 5/30 A5.
If you changed the oil how much did you put in? Iirc its 5.5 litres?
Mines on 125k and doesnt use a drop between 5k changes.
Click to expand...
 
Garage, and I really trust them, as they used to maintain my truck, problem is the design spec when new, is not always relevant with higher mileage, example my daughter put her Toyota Avensis into garage for oil change, I know, I was on holiday, she brought it round as it was really noisy, sure enough rattling like a box of spanners, dipped it, lovely clear fully synthetic at the correct level, like **** water, drained it, ex taxi, 175,000 miles, replaced with standard mineral, sorted, still running great, and Much Quieter.
 
Ian Mackay said:
it was really noisy, sure enough rattling like a box of spanners, dipped it, lovely clear fully synthetic at the correct level, like **** water, drained it, ex taxi, 175,000 miles, replaced with standard mineral, sorted, still running great, and Much Quieter
Click to expand...
believe me or not but IMO fixing a rattling engine by filling it with thicker oil is not the way to go on a long run ...provided the oil in it was the correct spec cos i doubt that you can find the same correct spec synthetic and mineral oils.
 
johnlad said:
I would use that Halfords oil in my D3 as it meets the specs but I choose not to as I can buy fully synthetic ford oil from Asda for £13 for 5 litre so bought 8 cartons of that and change it twice yearly even though I only do about 6K miles a year
Click to expand...
sierrafery said:
Those are included within the other "most of the latest high efficiency engines" , but simplifying things the last statement "This oil is also suitable where ACEA A1/B1 or Ford WSS-M2C-913-A/B are recommended" makes it match the recommendation for the D3 which is for all modells between '05 - '09 in that docment issued in 2016 i pasted.... my point is that the oils get better and better each year and if somebody loves his engine will not put older spec or inferior oil in it, for me the oil area was not one where saving money is a factor ...i'm seriously thinking to get a D3 or 4 soon and i'm sure i'll not put a semy synth oil in the engine even if it meets the specs
Click to expand...
You’ll probably find out once you’ve a D3 the oil pump fracturing is more of a concern than the oil
 
sierrafery said:
believe me or not but IMO fixing a rattling engine by filling it with thicker oil is not the way to go on a long run ...provided the oil in it was the correct spec cos i doubt that you can find the same correct spec synthetic and mineral oils.
Click to expand...
I understand where you are coming from, but their are two sides to every coin, as a mechanical engineer, (Ex BA) I appreciate the fit between metallic components, and all my older vehicles, be they 20 year old discos, 40 year old kawasaki motorcycle, 60 year old tractors and so on run happier with thicker oil, not oil with the consistency of water, when a modern vehicle is constructed, the tolerances are much tighter ie tenths of a thou as opposed to a single thou (typically the bore to piston clearance on my Harley Davidson) anyway I digress, when the modern unit has hundreds of thousands of miles of wear on the parts, the gaps need more attention to filling, the synthetic oils tending not to achieve this, UNLESS fortified with expensive additives, hence my change of oil, it riles me when the young MECHANIC (read parts swapper, sorry) says ah but the book says, this is the oil in the spec mate, correct son FOR A NEW ENGINE.
 
I understand that too but i'd rather put some dedicated additive which is filling gaps and stick to the proper synthetic oil cos if it gets cold the thick oil will climb slowly from the sump up to the head and the wear will increase untill it starts making it's job also the turbocharger wont like the thick mineral oil either.... maybe because we get down to -25*C in the winter here makes me so reluctant about oils cos even if my engine would rattle like hell i won't put 10W oil in it to ruin it worst.
 
IMG_20171118_110257.jpg
IMG_20171118_111522.jpg

I used one of my mig gun liners and the difference is night and day, so obvious where the level is, cheers lynall I did leave it overnight but even so its crap.
 
in the D4 regarding an engine dipstick, there isn’t one , u use an indicator on the instrument panel to check the oil level
 
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