You need to disregard the oil stick that goes into the engine block and
only use the stick from the oil fill tube.  The engine you have in your
Vanagon is probably from a Golf or Jetta. The original engines in the
diesel Vanagon did not have the oil check stick in the block, only
through the oil filler tube.  If it looks homemade someone has replaced
the original one for some reason.  Hopefully the person measured the
stick with an original.  You can still find original oil sticks with the
filler tube but they are getting harder to find since the part is no
longer available.  You are correct on the slanting part, that is why the
filler tube is the only one to use.

Kevin 

Date:    Mon, 7 May 2007 00:01:48 -0700
From:    Zoltan <zolo@FOXINTERNET.NET>
Subject: Keep pouring oil in ...

I checked the oil level of a diesel and there was no show of oil on the
= stick.=20 But this van has a stick that is built into the oil fill cap
too, so one = does not have to open the engine area.  On that stick it
was ok, but it = is obviously a home made thing.
I checked the back of the Bentley and it says 4 quarts.  And less if the
= filter is not changed.
I had to put in more than four to make it to the top of the mark of the
= factory stick and there was plenty in there already.
I have a Golf with the same engine and it is not as slanted as the one =
in the van. =20 Anyone knows about this subject?
Zoltan