Adding Color to Motor Oil??

[npalen]

I copy what most auto manufacturers do today. I drill a small hole in the dipstick at the full mark and one at the add mark. The motor oil will bridge the holes and you can easily see it when looking at the holes. I use a 1/16" drill. Motor oil or hydraulic oil will bridge that diameter hole easily.

I can "see" where this would tell you if its at the "full" level or above but not necessarily where its at between "full" and "add". I would think that a series of holes would be more useful but perhaps I'm missing something?

 

[Needville]

John Deere sells a red dye to add to hydraulic fluid. I use it to see the level in my sight glass. I don't see why you couldn't use it in motor oil.

 

[npalen]

John Deere sells a red dye to add to hydraulic fluid. I use it to see the level in my sight glass. I don't see why you couldn't use it in motor oil.

John Deere RED oil? That's blasphemy!

 

[Leo Rabon]

I copy what most auto manufacturers do today. I drill a small hole in the dipstick at the full mark and one at the add mark. The motor oil will bridge the holes and you can easily see it when looking at the holes. I use a 1/16" drill. Motor oil or hydraulic oil will bridge that diameter hole easily.

Ditto on above. Works like a champ.

 

[5030]

John Deere sells a red dye to add to hydraulic fluid. I use it to see the level in my sight glass. I don't see why you couldn't use it in motor oil.

The issue is, as the motor oil suspends the by products of combustion, it gets darker so the dye would soon vanish. Hydraulic oil don't color up because there are no by products of combustion to color it.

 

[5030]

Ditto on above. Works like a champ.

SOP with me now on any dipstick from small engines to large ones.

 

[9973720wb19]

I know Toro makes a red dye for hydraulic oil. I use it. Don't know if it will be fine with engine oil. you can search the Toro Red Dye

 

[Old Okie]

I see I am not the only person with poor vision. It certainly slows me down but does not stop me, yet. Lots of good ideas for me to try. Thanks for the replys.

 

[xrjohndeere]

I see I am not the only person with poor vision. It certainly slows me down but does not stop me, yet. Lots of good ideas for me to try. Thanks for the replys.

Big ass magnifying glass. Works for other things too.

 

[ddgood]

There are paste type products that indicate by color change when various petroleum products are detected. We used one type when measuring underground diesel tanks with measuring sticks.
I believe some are made to detect oil, which would indicate generally a red color on the dipstick.
They also make dyes for hydraulic oil, but I don't know how this would fare in engine oil. Perhaps someone here has tried it.

I believe you are thinking about a water finding paste. Typically smeared on the bottom of a tank strapping stick to detect presence/level of water in a bulk fuel/oil tank. The one I have is red colored that turns yellow when water is detected.

As for the OP, I use the blue shop towel trick to transfer the oil from the dipstick and compare its level. The drill a full and low hole is a nice tip and will do that in a couple of engines that have a difficult to read dipstick.