‘What am I doing wrong?’: Man confused after checking the oil in his 2023 Hyundai Palisade
Many technology upgrades in newer vehicles are more convenient. But other changes make simple maintenance jobs more difficult.
Recently, TikToker Fullyglued (@fullyglued) said he tried to check his oil, only to find out that the dipstick was giving him two drastically different readings.
How do you check the oil?
According to Fullyglued, he left his 2023 Hyundai Palisade in his garage for 16 hours before checking the dipstick. When he first checked, the dipstick read that his oil level was a little low. But when he checked again, the dipstick read that his car had a little too much oil.
"How much oil is really in my car?" he asked after showing people the readings.
To properly check your oil, Car and Driver advises people to pull the dipstick, clean it, and place it back in slowly. To get an accurate reading, let it sit for a few moments before pulling it out. The site also advises checking your dipstick more than once to ensure that you get the most accurate reading.
DIY is harder than it used to be
The Hyundai's dipstick appears to be of the standard variety. Other parts in newer cars, however, have become far more complex.
Though oil changes seem like a simple procedure, some say automakers have deliberately made easy tasks more difficult in their newer models.
Consumer Reports says many newer cars require "specialized tools, hard-to-obtain parts and proprietary diagnostic software" that can make home repairs next to impossible. This development isn't an accident, and "a number of advocacy groups" are pushing for this to be curtailed.
Unfortunately, pressure from advocacy groups has not stopped the auto industry from adding electronics using "specialized screws and other fasteners that requires dedicated tools to open," or from using parts that are hard to obtain.
Sun Devil Auto adds that a vehicle's "core systems are increasingly controlled by sophisticated computers and software," which makes diagnosing and fixing a problem extremely difficult, even for trained mechanics.
What do viewers think?
Multiple users gave advice on checking your oil.
"You never go by the reading when you first pulled it out. You pulled it out wipe the dipstick then recheck that is the normal procedure," one user said.
"STEP: 1 bring the dip stick out and clean it! STEP 2: redo step 1 and check now!" a second added.
"When you pull the stick out it pulls some oil up in the tube & it sticks to the sides when cold," a third added.
"The measurement needs to be taken without shoving the stick fully into the hole. Just let it rest on the top to measure," a fourth remarked.
Some pointed out that newer vehicles make checking the oil difficult.
"Sounds crazy, but checking oil nowadays is a guess because of new oil formulations. Look it up. Royal Purple has an electric charge," a user said.
Several suggested that it was either due to inferior oil or because of the car's brand.
"It's a Hyundai. The end," one quipped.
@fullyglued What am I doing wrong? #hyundaipalisade @hyundaiusa ♬ original sound - fullyglued
Daily Dot reached out to Fullyglued via TikTok comments.
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