How do you read the oil stick on a 1997 Saab 900 s?

Answer 1

Well, MAYBE the same way I would read my 1995 Saab 900SE oil: by removing the large diameter oil fill cap on the top of the engine. The oil dipstick was built onto it...so remove the cap and stick, wipe it with a rag, then fully put it back in. Withdraw it again and see how high on the stick you can see oil. There are 2 marks, or holes on the stick. The higher one is the ideal oil level. The lower one is about a quart low. But I do not know if your car had essentially the same 4 cylinder engine. But once you locate the dipstick, the process is the same.

Of course this should be done with the car parked on level ground and with the engine off. And you want to let oil drain into the crankcase for a minute or two. I found that when I'm filling my tank, once I have the gas tank refilled any oil that would drain down in the engine and raise the level on the dipstick would have done so. I would check my oil level maybe once a month, after initial every gas tank refill checks showed the level was not steadily dropping.

I have read that oil consumption of almost a quart a thousand miles is within tolerences...but I have NEVER seen consumption anything like that except with older extremely high mileage engines over 150k miles and worn rings...and those engines would not be passing CA smog tests long before. OR, if the engine had an actual oil leak. Most of my vehicles were apt to develop a leak when they got real high mileage at the rear main seal...where the crankshaft extends from the engine into the flywheel. Such repairs can be pricey...and quarts of oil are relatively cheap...draw your own conclusions.

BUut do NOT let your engine ever run out of oil, unless you want to rename it "your old original" engine.

Hope that helps.