[nickvanw]

I don't even have a dipstick in my car at this point - the computer will warn you when the oil level is low, otherwise you're to assume it's fine. It also warns me when the windshield wiper fluid reservoir is low so that I can fill it before running out.

Not that gas stations in Oregon were doing any of this anyway, they were pumping gas and nothing else.

[deathanatos]

My car has both the in-cab oil indicator, and the dipstick. The indicator comes on late, like, it is bone dry and well below the L mark on the dipstick.

But, I mean, every model is different.

(I know this because this is how we started to learn we were losing oil, somewhere. … and unlike the parent poster's suggestion that old cars did this after 10k miles … this was around 130k miles. This is but one car, though, I suppose.)

[jfengel]

Oh, man. I've never even looked for the dipstick on my (25,000 mile old) car.

I used to change the oil on my cars myself. I've never even tried on my newest car.