Okay. Time to stop production of these cars. When people are buying them and arguing over what the dots on the dipstick mean, we're dangerously close to a critical mass of stupidity.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Not sure when reading a dipstick became mysterious or when anything above the bottom hole became just "safety margin". The concept of a simple max/min seems to have disappeared.

You're missing the real problem. It's too simple. People need complicated so they make things difficult so they have something to complain about.

Yep. That way when they check their own oil they can feel like they actually worked on it. The fact that my grandmother knew how to read a dipstick but it now seems to be some sort of advanced tech is hilarious.

I thought the Germans tried to take away the dipstick and replace it with a fancy warning light / message on the dash to make it less mysterious.

Not just the Germans. All engine makers want to take the owner out of the equation. Ultrasonic oil level sensors are the better way to go. I've often wondered why engine makers never connected the oil pressure light switch to an engine kill circuit. Possibly that's coming.

Yep some do. Yet another thing that can be over engineered to the point where failure can destroy your engine though. It is one of those things where simpler is better in my book.

So driving down the highway and you get a low oil pressure situation and your car just shuts down? OH sounds like a great idea.
If your low pressure light comes on it it either too late or no problem anyway. Shutting the car down automatically is the dumbest idea yet.

So when exactly is the ultrasonic device supposed to measure the level? The level varies with engine speed and temperature.

What is that from?

That should be a Mk5 Golf GTI. Actually they have another message something like "SHUTDOWN ENGINE NOW!" that I've seen posted on vortex long ago same car model. I would always imagine that in German accent lol!

Well it's either that or smoke coming from the hood.

So it doesn't shut you down just tells you to. That is reasonable and realistic. Shutting you engine off while driving is not.

That's how a lady in Australia died a few years back when the engine suddenly shut off on its own while in gear (stick shift). The 18 wheeler behind her on the fast lane just smashed her GTI into the guard rail. :(