Does anyone else have oil smear all the way down their dipstick when they pull it out? When I go to check my oil level, I pull out the dipstick, wipe it clean, insert and pull it back out. But it always has oil smeared like half way up the stick making it nearly impossible to read where the actual level is. I haven't seen this before. Is this just a thing with the rx8?

 

i just always have trouble reading the damn thing....like impossible to figure out where the level is most of the time.

 

The fix is pretty simple.

Remove the dipstick and clean it. Sand the tip with some medium-grit wet-or-dry sandpaper, say about 100-120 grit, until it is grained evenly. You only need to do the part that actually sits in the oil.
Re-clean it and insert it back into the engine.

It should now be much easier to read the oil level, without so much smear.

Also, let the car sit for a while before checking the oil, let everything drain back down first.

 

Every car I've had has been like that, to some degree. Letting it sit, like Jethro says, helps a lot. You're supposed to wait 5 minutes after turning it off before checking.

Ken

 

+1 for giving the oil something to cling to. A light sanding with some coarse paper run perpendicular to the length of the stick does the trick. A quick blast with brake cleaner to remove any metal dust and oil reading becomes 100 times easier.

another trick is to cut small dimples into the edge of the stick at the 1/2, 3/4, full lines. even is the lighting is sub par you can still make out if oil is filing the holes.

 

That's normal. Anyway, take it out, wipe it down, put it back (wait a few seconds), take it out, and you should see where your oil level is...that's what i do.

 

The rx8 dipstick is a PITA. I've had my car since march 2011 and it streaks nearly every time I check it. I take the reading to be where the oil crosses the dipstick in a complete line. Ignore the streaking. My STi dipstick had the same issue, though not quite as bad as the 8.

 

mine does the same streaking deal. i just make sure to wipe it clean and on mine, i can see the oil level clearly, even with the smear.

 

theres a way to get around this. pull out the dipstick wipe clean and set it aside. wait 5 min then do the reading. its just the oil inside the tube needs to drain back after driving.