Am in the process of buying a '97. Drove it home and got it level and checked the oil. It was reading at the bottom line of the etched area. Let it set for about 1 minute and checked it again...same reading. Waited about 5 minutes and checked it again and it reads at the top of the fill markings on the etched side of the dipstick. However, the reading on the "slick" side of the dipstick was only up 1/2" from the bottom of the stick. Just barely even with the bottom of the okay on the etched side. What gives? Am I supposed to wait to check the oil? Why is the oil only reading good on the etched side?
The owner immediately changed the oil in my presence and put a Napa Gold filter and 7 qts of oil (owner's manual calls for 7.2 with filter change) and it only came to the exact same place as my reading after checking it within 1 minute of shut down.
A mechanic said I needed to wait for several minutes before checking the oil level on a straight 6. He said it takes a while for the oil to drain down back in to the oil pan.
The owner immediately changed the oil in my presence and put a Napa Gold filter and 7 qts of oil (owner's manual calls for 7.2 with filter change) and it only came to the exact same place as my reading after checking it within 1 minute of shut down.
A mechanic said I needed to wait for several minutes before checking the oil level on a straight 6. He said it takes a while for the oil to drain down back in to the oil pan.
I do all the maintenance on 5 vehicles and use Napa Gold, Baldwin, and Amsoil filters. It just botherd me when I told the owner how the oil stick was reading and he said he had done every oil change at 3000 miles but he never wrote it down anywhere plus the Pennzoil sticker on his windhshield was 5000 miles old plus he was shocked and amazed at how the oil stick read. I guess I was thinking he would have at least checked his oil a couple of times in the last 9 years or so. If he had, he could have easily explained to me what was going on with the dipstick. After he did the oil change with filter he added 7 qts of Rotella 15-40, he then checked it while I was there and said, "Huh, it is at the same place as it was before we changed it. I don't understand." Almost like it was the first time he had ever checked it. The filter that was on it before he changed the oil was a Hastings. He said he always used Napa Gold. I asked him why he used a Hastings on the last change and he said his Father-in-Law happened to have one.
Curtis, all this put together started to raise certain questions in me. I guess this is one of those, "You had to be there" kind of things.
I can see the coolant is the DARK red, the brake fluid is the DARK brown, Tranny fluid looks okay. Starter has been replaced and he said he repacked the bearings 5000 miles ago. 
