This probably sounds dumb to most here, but I really want to know, and a Google search produced conflicting answers.
When checking engine oil, the dipstick is usually a screw-in type... unscrew it, pull out the dipstick, wipe it off, reinsert it, pull it back out to read.
When you reinsert the dipstick... do you just rest it on the first thread, or screw it down to its operate position? Sounds trivial, but it pretty significantly affects the reading.
Thanks for the ear,
Rick