Right, had enough of this after two years of the worlds crappest dipstick, how do you read it on the m62? It is always covered in oil and never has a noticeable level either I’m an idiot or it’s a terrible design as never had one like it. As it stands when I last serviced I filled it with the correct capacity and it always shows loads more however I wipe it with a rag and at first glance still looks well over but if you look closely there is a tiny bit of dry dipstick just below max so I have been assuming this is the level?

Tell me I’m a muppet or it’s terrible and I’m not 😂

Cheers Current stable:
2015 5.0 V8 S/C AB
2006 BMW M6
2007 4.2 V8 S/C FF
Gone:
2002 4.4 V8 FF

Funnily enough I thought the same thing when I went to check the oil level on my TD6 at the weekend - level ground, engine cold, wiped the dipstick off and when I pulled it back out there was just a black, oily mess!  L322 TDV8 4.4 - current
L322 TD6 - sold
Disco 2 TD5 - sold
Suzuki Grand Vitara XL7 - sold
Mitsubishi Pajero 2.8 - part ex'd
Hyundai Santa Fe 2.0 td - sold
Mitsubishi Pajero 2.8 - sold

I agree - I had a moan about this on the D3 forum too. I think it's a design. If you clean it *very* thoroughly and you're very careful about putting it back in and pulling it out, it sometimes gives you a reading... 2016 Skoda Octavia VRS Estate
<gone>2009 FF Vogue TDV8 Buckingham Blue</gone>
<gone>2015 BMW 520D SE (not my favourite car)</gone>
<gone>2009 D3 HSE Galway Green</gone>

Only way I've found is to pull the dipstick and lay it onto kitchen towel - the oil trapped in the tiny serrations on the dipstick tends to soak further outwards and gives a rough level.

I pull the dipstick and lay against my finger to see where the oil is.

I don't like pulling, cleaning, reinserting, and pulling again to check as I fear there will have been oil drawn up the tube to be deposited on the dipstick and give a false reading. Ron B. VK2OTC
2003 L322 V8 Auto
2007 Yamaha XJR1300
Previous: 1983, 1986 RRC; 1995, 1996 P38A; 1995 Disco1; 1984 V8 County 110; Series IIA