# Does this Youtube expert describe the Wrong way to check the oil level on my AX 254?



## Eric (Dec 10, 2016)

My Deluxe 24 came overfilled according to the manual. If I rested the cap on the fill tube it read correctly but if I screwed the cap down to take my reading it was well over the full indicator. I thought it was just a quick and dirty fill job by the tech at CDA Tractors but this guy does it wrong too according to the engine book that came with my machine.

This guy sounds like he knows what he's doing but when I read the engine manual that came with my SB it reads...

"Insert the dipstick into the filler neck and turn clockwise until fully seated. Then remove the dipstick by turning it counter-clockwise. Check the oil level shown on the dipstick.(179/208/254cc only)."

I have a '16 Deluxe 24 and it looks like his 28 has the same 254cc engine I have.

If I'm missing something please let me know. I'm doing my first oil change today and want to make sure I'm doing it right. 

The part about the dipstick is at about 1:45.


----------



## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

Eric, if your Owner's Manual says to screw it all the way down to check the level, that's what you fly with.


----------



## Eric (Dec 10, 2016)

uberT said:


> Eric, if your Owner's Manual says to screw it all the way down to check the level, that's what you fly with.


How right you are!

I just finished the oil change the way the manual says to do it. When I first got the machine I drained 2 3/4 oz of oil out of it to get it down to the full mark as per the manual. Today I drained it completely and there were almost exactly 20 oz in it. I refilled it with 20 oz of fresh oil as listed in the manual and the dipstick reads exactly "Full" when screwed down tight. If I do the lightly resting the cap on the fill tube like shown in the video it reads "Add."


----------



## Stang (Mar 28, 2015)

This is very interesting. I always screwed it all the way down on my old Tecumsehs. Now I'm wondering - is that what you're supposed to do in general?


----------



## jtclays (Sep 24, 2010)

Eric said:


> How right you are!
> 
> I just finished the oil change the way the manual says to do it. When I first got the machine I drained 2 3/4 oz of oil out of it to get it down to the full mark as per the manual.


How did you drain the 2 and 3/4oz's?


----------



## Eric (Dec 10, 2016)

jtclays said:


> How did you drain the 2 and 3/4oz's?


I just unscrewed the cap to where the oil started to drain, let a little drain and then capped it back up. Then I checked the level the way the manual described and drained a little more until it read Full. I checked the level the next day to make sure I had it right.


----------



## NJHonda (Feb 8, 2013)

seriously. Does an 1/8" really matter anyway? Of course not.


----------



## Eric (Dec 10, 2016)

NJHonda said:


> seriously. Does an 1/8" really matter anyway? Of course not.


Thanks for letting me know.


----------



## NJHonda (Feb 8, 2013)

Eric said:


> Thanks for letting me know.


no problem. Don't sweat little things like that. I know guys who don't even change or check oil in their small engines for years. And they run forever


----------



## sscotsman (Dec 8, 2010)

NJHonda said:


> seriously. Does an 1/8" really matter anyway? Of course not.


Except it could be a lot more than 1/8 of an inch..
The threads on the cap on the video look pretty deep, the yellow cap is thick:










which means just resting the cap, versus screwing it all the way down, could be 3/4 of an inch, maybe even close to an inch in some cases, depending on the cap design. So the difference between the two methods could be significant.

The moral is: just do what the manual says!  disregard videos, or anything else, if they contradict the manual.
the manual always wins.

Scot


----------



## skutflut (Oct 16, 2015)

My B&S engine specifies screw the oil cap all the way in to get correct oil level. I have a Kohler engine on the lawn mower, and it specifies to DO NOT screw the cap down, just rest it on the lip. 

I put stick on labels beside the dipsticks with the correct instructions on each machine to keep track and do what the mfgr states in the manual. Ease to find, and easy to remember


----------



## Mike C. (Jan 28, 2016)

This is the dipstick out of my Harbor Freight Greyhound engine,copy of a Honda GX-200.

Notice the threads are just about 7/16" long.To check the oil level,you DO NOT screw it in-you place it against the hole.

If you do the opposite,you can easily be lead to believe your oil level is well within the safe range on the stick,when in fact,you are well below the safe range.These engines only hold about 1/2 a quart anyway.

Yes,the proper procedure IS important-read your manual.


----------



## uberT (Dec 29, 2013)

Yeah, I think you've got to look at this on a case-by-case basis and not try to apply a single rule. I follow whatever is specified in the Owner's Manual...


----------



## Eric (Dec 10, 2016)

skutflut said:


> I put stick on labels beside the dipsticks with the correct instructions on each machine to keep track and do what the mfgr states in the manual. Ease to find, and easy to remember


Thanks, that's a great idea! I have weatherproof labels that work with a laser printer and they last forever.


----------



## NJHonda (Feb 8, 2013)

Nope. Measure the total thread run. Not the external bottom of the cap to the external top. That is not the difference. 




sscotsman said:


> Except it could be a lot more than 1/8 of an inch..
> The threads on the cap on the video look pretty deep, the yellow cap is thick:
> 
> 
> ...


----------



## Eric (Dec 10, 2016)

NJHonda said:


> Nope. Measure the total thread run. Not the external bottom of the cap to the external top. That is not the difference.


That's what was done, 1" wasn't listed as the difference it was simply the outer measurement of the cap. His image and description are consistent with your statement. He showed a cap an inch thick and came up with a difference of about 3/4" and maybe up to an inch with larger caps.

My cap is only 5/8" tall and has a difference of 1/2" which gives a reading that's almost 15% overfilled. His numbers were different than mine but his example was correct in concept.


----------



## NJHonda (Feb 8, 2013)

Eric said:


> That's what was done, 1" wasn't listed as the difference it was simply the outer measurement of the cap. His image and description are consistent with your statement. He showed a cap an inch thick and came up with a difference of about 3/4" and maybe up to an inch with larger caps.
> 
> My cap is only 5/8" tall and has a difference of 1/2" which gives a reading that's almost 15% overfilled. His numbers were different than mine but his example was correct in concept.


15% diff on a 26 oz fill is 4 oz. Not gonna stop the earth from rotating..


----------



## SnoThro (Feb 20, 2016)

For what its worth Ariens machines come to the dealer with oil in them.


----------

