How Do I Check My Oil?

 Vehicles today do not require you to check your oil at every fill up.  Long gone are the days of popping the hood and checking your oil while you fuel up your car.  However, we do need to check the engine oil level from time to time.  We recommend checking to make sure your oil level is good once a month.

It is very easy to check your oil and takes less than a minute to do it.  Here are the steps.

Step 1) Your Vehicle Needs To Be Cold To Check The Oil Level

When your vehicle sits for a while, the oil drains down into the oil pan at the bottom of your engine.  The dipstick you use to check the oil measures the oil level from the bottom of the oil pan.  This is why it is best to check the oil after your vehicle has sat for at least an hour and BEFORE you start your vehicle.  Once you start your engine, the oil starts to circulate and you will get a false reading on how much oil is in your engine.  

Step 2) Open The Hood And Find The Dipstick

The dipstick will have a yellow handle.  It will look similar to the image below:

There is no universal spot manufacturers put the dipstick so you might have to look for it.  

Step 3) Pull The Dipstick Out and Wipe It Down

The dipstick should pull out easily.  It will be pretty long.

Once it is out, use a clean paper towel or cloth and wipe it down so it is clean.  You are doing this so you get an accurate reading on the oil level.

Step 4) Put The Dipstick Back Into The Engine All The Way

Put the dipstick back into the hole you pulled it out of and push it all the way down until the handle fits securely over the hole.  Wait a couple of seconds and pull it back out.  There should be oil on the end of the dipstick.  This is what you will read to check the oil level.

Step 5) Reading The Oil Level On The Dipstick

 Hold the dipstick so you can clearly see the end opposite from the handle.  You will see some markings on the actual dipstick and a trace of oil.  You are looking to see where the oil trace is on the dipstick.  In the example below, if the oil trace is present in the areas with the criss-cross pattern, your oil level is OK.

 

Here is another reading that will more clearly show what the oil trace will look like on the dipstick. You can see the oil is going up a little less than halfway from the end of the dipstick, which shows an OK level.

Some dipsticks will only have dots and no crisscross pattern.  Some may also have words printed on them.  The process to check the oil level is the same regardless of whether the stick has dots, words, or patterns on the end of the dipstick.

Step 6) Wipe The Dipstick Off And Place It Back In the Hole

Once you have finished reading the end.  Wipe the dipstick off again then put it back into the hole until the handle fully cover the hole again.  There might be a click or a twist needed to get the dipstick fully secured again. 

Congratulations.  You are finished checking the engine oil level.

NOTE: If the engine oil level is low, do NOT just dump a bunch of oil into the engine.  Start by adding a small amount, like 1/4 of a quart.  Then drive the vehicle, let it sit and then check the oil level again.  Repeat until the level gets right in the middle of the marks on the dipstick.