Having your oil changed on a regular basis is one of the best things you can do to keep your car running better and longer.
However, between oil changes you should get into the habit of checking your engine’s oil level. How often you do this depends on your driving habits, but I suggest at least once per month. Now, go ahead, find that dip stick, pull it out and check the oil level. Of course you may have the luxury of an electronic oil sensor in your car, but there is nothing better than a manual oil check.
Here are the steps for manually checking your oil…
First, make sure you park your car on level ground, and is turned off. Lift the engine hood and find the dipstick. It’s usually easy to get to, and usually can be identified with an oil can type symbol or say ‘OIL’ on it. I had people say: “I could not find the dipstick, but did find something that says LIO”… Okay, well that’s OIL upside down, that’s it!
If your car has been running, then turn the engine off and if you can, wait a few minutes for the oil to settle. If you can’t, it’s not a big issue, you’ll still get a reasonable reading of your engines oil level. Now, pull the dipstick out and wipe the end clean with a rag. Re-insert the dipstick into the engine, making sure it goes all the way in. Now pull it out, don’t turn it upside down to look at it, this will make the oil run up the dipstick and give you a false reading. The dipstick will have two marks at the bottom. These marks are either lines or holes in the dipstick. The oil level can be read by looking to see where the oil part ends, and the dry part begins. If the oil mark is between the two marks, that’s good. If it’s below the bottom mark, you need to add at least a liter of oil. Do not overfill your engine with oil.
That’s it! Dipstick back in, hood down and secured and your ready to go. Oil checked!
I have new car so why check my oil?
Even modern engines can use as much oil as older ones. That’s why it’s important to check your engines oil level and keep it topped up between services.
If your car is still in its warranty period, then it’s just as important to check the oil. No company is going to pay out if the cause of engine failure is neglect and lack of oil.
