bmarcinczyk14

So is it normal for some smoke to come up from the dip stick tube when pulling the stick out right after turning the engine off?? Pretty sure oil was being burnt off the stick cause it was so hot. There's even burn marks on the stick you can see in the picture. Car hasn't ever overheated on me but I just notice it's always had kinda a rough idle ( not sure if it's normal or not for these cars).

mrmagloo

Just catching up on this thread, but I just wanted to point out something. In virtually all of the photos posted, where the poster is asking for help on determining the true oil level, the poster is holding the handle end of the dipstick down. Naturally, through gravity, that is causing the oil on the dipstick to run up along the stick, making it heard to read correctly. When you pull the dipstick, always keep the handle end higher and take a reading of the business end about 10 degrees lower to prevent this run. Meaning, read the dipstick with the flat of the metered area parallel to the floor and the handle slightly elevated.

Bmarcin - Totally normal to see a slight waft of vapor when you pull the dip stick. And a slight amount is discoloration on a decade plus car is no big deal, provided the actual temps are within spec.