Air bubbles on engine dipstick ?

Question

I have a query about whether or not it is normal to see a few small air bubbles in the oil film on the end of the petrol engine dipstick. When I check the oil and the engine is completely cold, I cannot see any bubbles in the oil film, it is only once the engine has been running and I check the dipstick that I can see them. Is this normal even when the level on the dipstick is on maximum and how do I distinguish bewteen these small bubbles and the foaming/frothing of the oil that can occur when an engine is overfilled with oil or has head gasket problems ?

Answer 1

Are they air bubbles or small drops of water. If it's water you have costly problems.  

Answer 2

foaming/frothing of the oil that  occur  from cheap oil long as your oil is not milkly or look like peanut butter color more than likey just the kind of oil so have it change with a better brand first

Answer 3

You should not be checking the engine oil level when the engine is still hot. If it is then some of the oil in the engine has not settled to the sump (bottom) so you ar not getting a correct level reading of the oil on the dip stick.

Oil bubbles when it is warm. This is usual when the oil level is correct, not high or low when a cold 'dip' is done.

if you have over filled it by a Small a mount it should not make any difference.

If you have over filled by a large amount, i.e. the fill level on the dip stick is way above the level marker, then you need to drain some of this off.

Before unscrewing the drain plug, see if one of your local garages has such a facility where a suction tube is inserted in to the dip stick hole and will suck out the excess oil.

This by far  the easiest way.

If you do drain it off from the drain plug make sure the container you drain it in to is big enough to hold all of the oil which will comes out.

Have fun.

Answer 4

sorry andy pandy wrong dip stick readings should be done with engine hot and just swiched off its the only time you get a true reading oil expands a fair amount and engine manifactures mark dipsticks at the hot level same with trany sticks and power steering all at hot the way to check oil level if oil has bubbles presnt is to drain oil and fill to spec amount run engine till hot switch off and check oil level on the stick dosent mater whot stick markon stick indicates remark stick to suit corrected level dip sticks are a mass product and ar not allways correct have had to do this to many trucks as they are not marked when you replaced  cause its there dont mean its right same as just cause its new dont mean it work   that is warranty

Answer 5

a few air bubbles is fine.  the crank pretty much churns the oil so its normal to get a bit bubbly.

if the engine is overfilled it will be higher on the dipstick and bubbling oil isn't really a symptom of head gasket problems-  water in the oil is.

Answer 6

1. If the dipstick has a milky appearance, as well as bubbles, then you have got either a head gasket or a cyclinder head crack problem.

Good luck. h