Car Basics - How to check your engine oil
The full version of this article complete with
photos is available to view at ;
www.carbasics.co.uk/how_to_check_engine_oil.htm
ARTICLE
Think of the oil in your engine like the blood in your veins.
It is essential and without it your body and your engine will
die.
Regularly checking your oil level will help maintain the
engine and make it last longer.
It is quite literally a 30 second job that can save you a lot of
hassle.
So how do I check my engine oil level ?
1. Ensure that your engine is warm and has not been running
for a while.
This will mean that all the oil
has settled to the bottom of the engine and that you are getting a true reading.
2. Locate the oil dip stick. This will be under the bonnet, in the engine bay
and usually at the front of the engine.
You can see in the photo
above the that the dipstick handle on this car is yellow and is circular.
Not all dipstick handles are like this, however there is an effort on more
modern cars to ensure that stuff
that needs regular checking is coloured
yellow. However, on older vehicles the dipstick handle could be any colour
or shape.
I've had Red, Green, Black and some have been circular, hooked or just
sleeved.
3. Ensure that you have a
clean rag to hand and then pull the dipstick handle in an upwards direction.
You will notice that underneath the handle is a long strip of metal with
markings on the end.
These markings show the maximum and minimum levels
for the oil.
4. Give the dipstick a wipe
and remove all the oil and then slide it back into the tube from where it was
removed.
This will clean the dipstick so that you get a correct oil level
reading.
Ensure that the dipstick is pushed all the way down or you will
get a false reading.
5. Pull the dipstick out
again and look to see how much of the end is covered with oil.
Ideally, the oil should have
reached up to the maximum mark on the dipstick.
However anywhere in between the maximum and minimum levels is OK.
It typically takes 1 litre of oil to take the oil level from minimum to maximum,
however
this value can be different for each car so it is a good idea too check the
exact figure
in your
Haynes Manual if you
have one.
6. If the oil level is OK
then put the dipstick back in making sure it is pushed all the way down.
Now you can feel happy that your engine has plenty of life-blood.
My
oil level is LOW, what do I do ?
If you are concerned that your engine oil is low (perhaps you are going on a
long journey)
or it has fallen below that minimum level on the dipstick then you
need to 'top-up' your engine oil.
We have written a short
article on topping up your engine oil,
it is not a difficult job so here it is ;
Article - How to top up your engine oil
How often should I check my engine oil ?
There is no straight forward answer, it depends on how often you use your car
and how many miles you travel.
If you use your car every day to travel a long distance to
work,
you should be checking your engine oil level
more often that your gran who only uses her car a few times per week.
See other articles ;
How to check your
engine coolant
How to top up your
engine oil
How to change your
engine oil and filter
For the full
version of this article complete with photos, please visit ;
www.carbasics.co.uk
