How do you know if your car is level
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Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 101
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From: Fullerton CA
'02 C240
How do you know if your car is level
OK this is a quasi-stupid question but....
How do you know your W203 is sitting level, for example when you're checking your oil level. I'm sure eyeing/feeling it being level is good enough, I was just interested to know if there is a part of the bodywork, engine, etc you could put a spirit level on to make sure the car was truly level?
I recently did an oil change and used the dyno mode to check the oil level, I let the car settle for a couple hours and topped it up to 8.5quarts (it was at 8.3 when I initially refilled.) OK, so today, I was parked on a slight slope at work, maybe only 10 degrees, so I decided to check the level before leaving for home, and it read 9.0quarts. Then I left the dyno oil level screen on for the trip home. As I was on a downhill on-ramp maybe 25 degrees it dropped from 6.3 (engine running) to 4.9 (engine runing downhill).
Curious is all! lol.
How do you know your W203 is sitting level, for example when you're checking your oil level. I'm sure eyeing/feeling it being level is good enough, I was just interested to know if there is a part of the bodywork, engine, etc you could put a spirit level on to make sure the car was truly level?
I recently did an oil change and used the dyno mode to check the oil level, I let the car settle for a couple hours and topped it up to 8.5quarts (it was at 8.3 when I initially refilled.) OK, so today, I was parked on a slight slope at work, maybe only 10 degrees, so I decided to check the level before leaving for home, and it read 9.0quarts. Then I left the dyno oil level screen on for the trip home. As I was on a downhill on-ramp maybe 25 degrees it dropped from 6.3 (engine running) to 4.9 (engine runing downhill).
Curious is all! lol.
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2019 G70 6MT & 2022 Ford Maverick XL
If the car is parked on a level surface that will suffice. What is says when the car is on an incline or when the engine is running is not going to be accurate so no need to stress over it.
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From: Llandudno, Cape Town, South Africa
late 2009 CLK 350 Coupe Elegance, '65 Jaguar S Type wires
+1 - don't stress.
If you want to stress - buy a 3 buck level bubble from Sears. Mount on garage floor. Do the math or have floor re-laid to be perfectly level. Shout at itinerant labor for not getting it right etc. etc. Ensure equal tyre wear & pressure front & rear of car - stress!!!!!
If you want to stress - buy a 3 buck level bubble from Sears. Mount on garage floor. Do the math or have floor re-laid to be perfectly level. Shout at itinerant labor for not getting it right etc. etc. Ensure equal tyre wear & pressure front & rear of car - stress!!!!!
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2019 G70 6MT & 2022 Ford Maverick XL
I would wager a guess that you would need to be downright HUGE to affect the way the W203 sits. I've had my car quite loaded with 5 large adults and very little change.
This thread is specifically about oil levels in relation to the car being level. You'll get a damn close-enough-to-not-matter reading if the car is on a level surface. If you stress anymore past that it's exclusively in your mind and you should get the hell over it.
Don't forget that should the oil be too low OR too high, the car will warn you. If it isn't warning you then the level is OK. My car will say the level is OK even if it is .6 or .7 quarts below max. Note - it says level is "OK" not "Oil Level Perfect". There is 0 benefit to such micromanagement of things and the stress that comes with it.
This thread is specifically about oil levels in relation to the car being level. You'll get a damn close-enough-to-not-matter reading if the car is on a level surface. If you stress anymore past that it's exclusively in your mind and you should get the hell over it.
Don't forget that should the oil be too low OR too high, the car will warn you. If it isn't warning you then the level is OK. My car will say the level is OK even if it is .6 or .7 quarts below max. Note - it says level is "OK" not "Oil Level Perfect". There is 0 benefit to such micromanagement of things and the stress that comes with it.
Last edited by LILBENZ230; Sep 28, 2010 at 04:37 PM.
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From: MIAMI FL
2006 C230 6speed/14 C63
I have NO TROUBLE with the reading of my oil levels or fluid for that matter.
And actually all you would need to affect the way a w203 sits is a faulty shock or spring set up.
And actually all you would need to affect the way a w203 sits is a faulty shock or spring set up.
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This seems really obvious to me, but why not put a level on the GROUND and make sure the ground is level. If the ground is level, and your car is sitting on it, and there are no extranous circumstances (ie no flat tires, nothing between your tires and the ground), then your car is level.
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