| when the motor is cold, the oil has settled to the bottom of the pan indicating a higher than "normal" reading. when the engine is running, there is oil through the system. not all of it is in the pan. you want there to be enough oil in the pan AND through the system. does the difference really matter? i don't know. i check my oil in the morning, too, when it is on the driveway but i understand that the dipstick will show lower than normal.
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