Quoting: Big Mouse
I suspect its measuring pressure rather than amount. Fluctuation in the pressure would indicate a leak therefore it needs oil.
That makes sense.
So do you think it is drawing oil through a 'device' which expects X amount of oil to pass through in X time, if it is less by pressure, then you have less oil?
I will take a picture of the dash display when it has completed the check, it seems to know exactly the amount of oil in the system. It even shows a dip-stick with a level on it, so the oil can be somewhere between the minimum and maximum mark.
Quoting: Big Mouse
That raises the question of how do you know when you've fed it the right amount of oil? the only way is to drain it, fit a new filter and top up with the recommend amount of oil.
For oil changes, I guess it would be the same as any other car in that you would already know the amount of oil to put in by looking at technical specifications.
I *think* for top-ups, the computer display will tell you how much to put back in. Total guess at the moment though as the car is at maximum level.
Quoting: Roadkill
It might have a level sensor - like in a fuel tank ?
That would work if the engine is 'off', otherwise the oil would be fluctuating with every movement of the crank, right?
Quoting: Roadkill
And, in fairness, oil level with the motor NOT running is kinda pointless . . . You could put 10 litres of oil in the engine but, if when running, it only is using 1 litre, then the other 9 litres is extra weight and drag on the motor (within reason).
I understand what you are saying, that the engine will only use X amount at any given time. However, the oil is not just for lubrication, it is also for cooling, so my understanding is, if we pretend that the oil is a solid cube, once one cube has gone around the system, the next cube is cooler in the sump waiting to go around next.
With that in mind, the engine has been specified to need, for example, 6 litres of oil as the engineers have worked out that 2 litres are required to go around the engine at any one time, 1 litre is in the filter being cleaned and 3 litres are in the sump cooling and providing lubricant to the bottom of the crank.