When my 23 year old daughter visited for Thanksgiving, I saw it was time to change the oil in her 1999 Mazda Millenia.
The dipstick had only a small amount of oil on the end.
Have we damaged the engine ?
That Depends. Was The Oil Hot When You Checked It? How Many Quarts Does The Space Between “Full” And “Small Amount Of Oil On The [dipstick] End” Represent?
As you probably know, a hot engine sometimes gives misleading readings, especially if the dipstick is very hot. Letting the dipstick cool outside of the engine before “dipping” is helpful in getting the oil to cling to it.
I think the question, “Have we damaged the engine ?” will be answered by monitoring the oil and the car’s engine after you change the oil. I’m pretty sure you are planning to discuss this, anyhow, eh?
Also, by changing the oil you can see the approximate amount of oil that was in there.
CSA
If there was oil on the dip-stick and the oil still looked like oil you should be okay…
We are seeing this more and more…Nobody checks their oil anymore. Everyone seems to assume their cars have zero oil consumption. Their ignorance is costing them dearly…