Question about oil level

[JustRace]

Ok heres the problem. My 4-wheeler had been sitting for about 2 months without being ridden. So of course before riding it i checked the oil, like always. When I checked it, there was absolutely no oil showing up on the dip stick. So i put about 1/4 of a quart in there, and that put it up to about a 1/4 of the way up on the dip stick. So then i rode it around for a while then came back and parked it, after doing that the oil was all the way up on the dip stick. So my question is why did it fluctuate so much? I run synthetic, but it shouldn't expand that much should it? Oh well any help would be appreciated.

if it sits long and is not run all the oil will settle and it will read nothing or very low. If you were to just start it up it probably would have read normal maybe in the middle of the dipstick. You probably only needed to add a little bit. The oil expands when it heats up so check the oil after it idles to operating temp.

[JustRace]

I know it expands, but it expanded pretty much all the way up on the dipstick. I figured if it was sitting wouldn't there be more in the tank?

[lil400exman]

well i have heard on 400ex's (i dont have one i got a r:o :blah: ) that the oil goes into the crankase and and out of the oil rezzie and settles in there then the oil pump got it circulating..........;)

[GNCC#829]

If you read the manuel, it says it let it idle until it gets to operating temp, and then just sit the dipstick in the tank(don't screw it in) to check it.