How To Check Oil

Motor oil is an essential element of the engine. It plays a major part in lubricating the moving parts and helps reduce deposit build-up, prolonging the service life along the way.

If you don't change or check the oil, it can bring about various problems or straight-up internal damage. So, it’s best to look under the hood periodically to ensure things are fine.

How Often Do You Need To Check And Change The Oil?

Regular change of oil is a part of every vehicle’s yearly routine. You probably have nothing to worry about if you do regularly scheduled check-ups at dealers or repair shops. Some mechanics claim you need to change the oil once in 3000 miles or three months, but always check the manual, as some manufacturers have less severe recommendations and suggest changing the oil once in 7 500 – 10 000 miles or in 6 – 12 months, whichever comes first. 

Some older cars don’t have maintenance alert systems, and it’s best to check the oil once a month. This is especially true for vehicles with mileage higher than 100 000 due to increased oil consumption and extra oil burning or tiny leakages. If you do it within the specified timeframe, you’ll get an idea of just how fast the engine spends the oil. 

How To Check The Oil Level With A Dipstick

Now let’s get to the methods of checking the oil level. The first one involves a dipstick and a tissue or a rag. Just do the following:

• Park the vehicle on an even surface on level ground, and make sure the transmission is in Park mode or Neutral for manual transmissions. The parking brake should be on, and the engine - off.
• Check your car manual before an oil check, as some manufacturers recommend warming up the engine, and beware of some hot parts under the hood. Also, you may find out that your model does not have a physical dipstick, only an electronic sensor. In this case, go to the next paragraph.
• Open the hood. Usually, it has a release lever inside the cabin below the steering wheel on the left. Push or remove the safety catch so you can open up the hood and secure it with a retainer. 
• Locate the dipstick. It’s hard to miss as it has a small colored handle with an oilcan sign or a small ring.
• Pull the dipstick out of the tube and wipe off the oil with a rag or a tissue. The oil remaining on the rag should be bright and clear. If you see that it’s black and gritty, it is a clear sign that you need to change the oil asap. You will see two marks on the dipstick: the bottom line indicates a low oil level, and the top is for a full oil tank. Some dipsticks have captions like “full” and “add.” 
• Insert the dipstick back in all the way. Remove it once more and look at the end of it. The oil must be orange or yellow, and you should be able to easily see the level. 
• If it’s on the bottom line or below, just add more oil through a funnel. Just make sure that the new one is okay for your engine beforehand. Alternatively, if the level is in the middle, everything is fine. Write down the results if you want to compare consumption at different time periods.
• Place the dipstick back in place and close the hood. 

How To Check The Oil With An Electronic Sensor

If your vehicle is not that old, it should have a maintenance alert system installed. In this case, you won’t even have to touch the dipstick, as the sensors will do the job for you and just warn you when the oil level gets too low.

To that end, there should be a designated light on your dashboard or a display that will show the alert. Things differ from manufacturer to manufacturer, but you can just check the oil level by navigating the settings. Just find “Car Settings”, then locate “Engine”, choose “Oil Level” or “Check Oil Level”, and follow the instructions on display.

Please note that most electronic sensors are inert and show the oil level with some latency. In case you got into an accident with some damage to an oil tank, the sensor reacts slower and doesn’t show you the level went entirely down.

Be Careful With An Overflow

Do not pour the oil over the top mark on the dipstick. Overfilled oil tanks tend to make things even worse! The increased oil pressure in the engine damages rubber elements like gaskets and seals, so this could cause leaks. Plus, the oil filter wears out faster. What’s more, the oil could seep into the combustion chamber and get burned by the engine with an increased sooting on the spark plugs, causing engine start problems. 

Summary

Oil level is a preeminent factor when talking about the engine, as an underfill, as well as an overfill, can quickly put your engine at risk. Luckily, many modern vehicles have electronic maintenance alert systems that can warn the driver of any problems on that front. But if your automobile is an older model, just check the oil level with the dipstick as we described.

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