# Oil level Low After parking on hill **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [February 6, 2016, 12:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-low-after-parking-on-hill/92458 "2016-02-06T00:37:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shepp44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Shepp44](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Shepp44)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 12:37am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-low-after-parking-on-hill/92458/1 "2016-02-06T00:37:20Z")
Hi All, This may be a stupid question but my car has just had a 66 point service and I bought a full bottle of fully Synthetic oil for the garage to use to save costs. All was fine, I have just parked the car on a very steep hill so the car was tipped to the right hand side for about 7 or 8 minutes. I came back and when I started the car it said Oil level low, now I’m sure it would say this due to the engine being tilted but it never went off for about 2 miles and until I turned ignition off. Nothing would leak out would it?? I’m tempted to put more in the engine but don’t want to over fill it if the garage have done it already?? Again…sorry for silly question. (I have a Renault megane coupe 2008) ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 12:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-low-after-parking-on-hill/92458/2 "2016-02-06T00:43:12Z")
First thing to do is check oil level which is what you should do on a regular basis especially after an oil change. And no the oil will not leak out just because you parked on a hill. ---
**Author:** ![Shepp44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Shepp44](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Shepp44)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 12:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-low-after-parking-on-hill/92458/3 "2016-02-06T00:46:58Z")
hmmm, yeah sorry, like I said, silly question, but the hill was steep, so steep It was hard to close the door!! HAHA, I have checked the oil but on the megane they have those crappy plastic flexible ones that don’t have a clear reading!! ---
**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 12:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-low-after-parking-on-hill/92458/4 "2016-02-06T00:54:25Z")
The oil level light is likely set up to stay on (until the car is turned off) once it’s tripped so it won’t blink on and off. ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 12:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-low-after-parking-on-hill/92458/5 "2016-02-06T00:54:52Z")
The right oil level is critical for your engine, so you have to get a clear reading somehow. Have you waited a few hours (on a level surface) for any splashed oil to settle? Have you tried using a flashlight held at various angles? ---
**Author:** ![Shepp44](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Shepp44](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Shepp44)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 12:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-low-after-parking-on-hill/92458/6 "2016-02-06T00:58:00Z")
I’ve left it for an hour and will recheck the level at different angles as suggested, thanks so much for your help ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 1:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-low-after-parking-on-hill/92458/7 "2016-02-06T01:00:29Z")
This is an off-the-wall idea, but maybe it would help to use one of those fluorescent dyes used to find oil leaks. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 6:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-low-after-parking-on-hill/92458/8 "2016-02-06T06:12:55Z")
It’s not an uncommon thing reported here that the shop didn’t properly re-fill the crankcase after an oil change, or left the drain plug off so it leaked out. I realize it shouldn’t be this way in an ideal world, but it remains the responsibility of the car owner to check the shop’s work after they are done. Do what it takes to learn how to pop the hood and check the engine oil level, then do that every time the car gets serviced, before driving away from the shop. And repeat it again the next morning. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2016, 7:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-low-after-parking-on-hill/92458/9 "2016-02-06T07:57:30Z")
I do believe circuitsmith is correct. Oil needs to be checked when on a level surface. There is a sensor in the oil pan so if the car is at an angle, it may trip the sensor since the oil also is now tipped away from the sensor. Once the light goes on, they want you to notice it and may not go off again until another key cycle when it sees everything is OK again. Just physically check the oil level unless you have a BMW that doesn’t have a dip stick. Don’t think you have a problem. ---
**Author:** ![sgtrock21](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/sgtrock21/32/246_2.png) [@sgtrock21](https://community.cartalk.com/u/sgtrock21)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2016, 12:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-low-after-parking-on-hill/92458/10 "2016-02-07T00:15:39Z")
It seems that gravity is functioning normally. Always check oil level prior to starting engine following every oil change. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2016, 9:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-low-after-parking-on-hill/92458/11 "2016-02-07T09:21:38Z")
Excellent advice from sgtrock. I also recommend looking underneath with the engine running before leaving the shop’s lot for any signs of leaks. Oil level cannot be verified on a hill. Fluids will seek their own levels, oilpans have wide, irregular bottoms, and the level shown on dipsticks and oil level sensors only read one point in the pan and will be highly affected by the pan not being level. Take a rectangular cake pan, tape a straw to one side, put some water in, tilt it in various directions, and see for yourself why surfaces that aren’t level completely invalidate the oil level reading. ---
**Author:** ![sgtrock21](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/sgtrock21/32/246_2.png) [@sgtrock21](https://community.cartalk.com/u/sgtrock21)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2016, 11:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-low-after-parking-on-hill/92458/12 "2016-02-07T11:04:33Z")
the same mountainbike: I appreciate the compliment. I consider my “advice” common sense which unfortunately is no longer common. I was taught early by my auto service/repair mentor Ed Owens. He was a WW2 Marine who bent wrenches on F4-U Corsair fighters in the Pacific theater. I don’t know if he served in VMF 214 “Black Sheep” squadron but the crusty maintenance Sergeant in the TV show could have been based on him. His advice was always check your work. Check someone else’s work twice. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2016, 12:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-low-after-parking-on-hill/92458/13 "2016-02-07T12:43:47Z")
The only problem is though that some cars don’t have dip sticks anymore and you have to rely on the electronics and sensor to tell you what the level is. I don’t know what you do in that case except pray. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 3:35am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-low-after-parking-on-hill/92458/14 "2016-02-08T03:35:53Z")
Hopefully I’ll remember that detail if I ever have to go car shopping again. I, for one, don’t want a car without a dipstick unless it’s a Tesla. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 6:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-low-after-parking-on-hill/92458/15 "2016-02-08T18:50:37Z")
What vehicles don’t have oil dip-sticks? I know many are getting away from a dip-stick for tranny fluid. But haven’t seen one yet without an engine oil dip-stick…Although it wouldn’t surprise me. ---
**Author:** ![BillRussell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/billrussell/32/3179_2.png) [@BillRussell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BillRussell)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 10:50pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-low-after-parking-on-hill/92458/16 "2016-02-08T22:50:31Z")
Subaru’s with the opposed 4 have dipsticks, but it is impossible to get a consistent reading from it, due to a curve at the end of the tube. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2016, 11:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-low-after-parking-on-hill/92458/17 "2016-02-08T23:34:59Z")
Son’s BMW doesn’t have a dip stick. ---
**Author:** ![twotone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@twotone](https://community.cartalk.com/u/twotone)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2016, 9:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/oil-level-low-after-parking-on-hill/92458/18 "2016-02-11T09:57:32Z")
Here’s your problem: _ **“I have a Renault megane coupe 2008”** _