How to check the oil in your car

Part of keeping a car running and maintained is to check your oil on a regular basis, around twice a month would be good, if not at least once a month.
If there is not enough oil or it is dry it can stress the engine and it can become very damaged, which is costly to you.

1. Park your car on level ground
2. Always test the oil when the engine is cold, as this will give you the most accurate reading.
3. Release the hood by pulling the hood release lever which is located underneath the dashboard.
4. Find the latch underneath the hood and squeeze it and as you squeeze the latch, open the hood.
5. Locate the dipstick. This is a long piece of metal sticking out of the engine with a loop at one end, usually located near the center of the engine. Many times it will be labeled with the word “Oil” or will be brightly coloured.
6. Take the dipstick out of it’s hole and wipe the oil off it with some paper towel or an old rag.
7. After cleaning the dipstick, put it back in the hole, and make sure it is all the way in, then take it back out and hold it horizontally in front of you.
8. Look at the other end of the dipstick and if the oil on the dipstick is below the line marked “full,” add a small amount of oil. Many dipsticks have 2 lines with a cross hatch design in between. The oil level should be halfway between these 2 lines, if it is below these two, top your oil up immediately.
9. Add the oil by unscrewing the oil cap, which is about 7 cm in diameter and located on the very top of the engine. It will usually have the words “Engine Oil” on the top of it.
10. Once you have added the oil, check the oil level with the dipstick, to see whether it needs anymore. If need be add some more, it’s easier to add more than to take any oil out.
11. Put the oil cap back on and secure it tightly.

Tips and Warnings

• Your owner’s manual will tell you what type of motor oil your engine will require.
• It is not recommended that you don’t mix different brands of oil as each company puts different chemicals and additives in their own oil. Some oils will react negatively with other oils causing them to break down and reduce their life and effectiveness.
• If the oil in your car is always low, there may be an oil leak. Leaks will always get worse, and losing all the engine oil will require expensive repairs and/or replacing the engine, so don’t leave it.
• Change your oil and filter around every 15,000 km

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