When is the best time to check oil?.....Cold engine or hot?

 

Both as long as the motor is not running.

 

My maintenance manual says after the engine has been ran for 5 minutes.

 

I know you have to run the motor,for a short time after you just change the oil,to get the oil through the oil filter before checking the level. After that it is just like a car, just check it when it's part and shut down.

 

Anytime after 8am on Saturday is good, I sleep in then.

The difference between checking it cold and hot won't be that much. If the stick is dry, it's gonna be dry either way and you should have checked it sooner.

I always checked mine before I started them. If for some reason there wasn't any oil in them, letting it warm up wasn't going to do it any good.

 

It really depends on which atv you are checking. I know on the Rubicon and the Rincon, you need to let the engine idle for about 5 minutes then check it. If you check it when it is cold, it will be low on the dipstick but if you add any, there will be too much. I made that mistake once, will never happen again.

I am not sure on the other Honda models.

 

Some of these Honda engines are dry sump, or semi-dry sump, so letting it idle for 5 minutes or so followed by sitting for a couple minutes is necessary to get a correct reading.