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How To Check Your Car's Oil Level
Check Your Car's Oil Level. Discover everything you need to know about checking and changing the oil in a car. Videojug provides easy steps to basic car maintenance, and specifically the checking of car oil levels.
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You will need…
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Step 1:
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Secure the vehicle
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Start the oil check by making sure your vehicle is located on a flat and levelled surface at a safe distance from traffic and any inflammable materials.
Engage the parking brake and put the gear stick into first gear in manual cars. If you car is automatic place the gear stick in the parking position. Turn off the ignition.
Remember, only a check carried out on level ground will obtain an accurate result, so the car should be not be parked on a slope.
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Step 2:
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Check on a cold engine
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Carry out the oil check with a cold engine in order to obtain an accurate result. either, as this will give you a wrong oil level reading.
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Step 3:
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Open the bonnet
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Release the bonnet with the lever in the car's interior.
Now move the bonnet catch on the exterior for final release.
Lift the bonnet and secure it with the prop rod.
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Step 4:
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Identify the dipstick
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Next we locate the dipstick, which is a removable strip of metal inside your engine with low and high marks to indicate the oil level.. Look for a grip with a sling at its end.
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Step 5:
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Remove the dipstick entirely
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Pull the dipstick out of the engine block.
It should come out easily. Pull it out in a straight line and don't bend or twist it.
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Step 6:
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Wipe the dipstick clean with a cloth
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Wipe the oil off the dipstick so that the tip is clean and you can see the level indicator.
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Step 7:
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Identify the level marks on the dipstick
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Next we locate the min/max mark on the dipstick. Depending on the manufacturer there are slight variations of how the level marks are displayed; most dipsticks will use the words minimum/maximum, others will indicate the level by using low and high or abbreviations to this effect. The principle is the same. The lower mark will refer to the minimum oil level whereas the higher mark always indicates the maximum oil level permitted.
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Step 8:
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Insert the dipstick entirely
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Fully insert the dipstick again. This means that we push the dipstick all the way down. Again make sure you do this in a straight line without bending the stick.
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Step 9:
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Remove the dipstick again
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Now we are ready to pull out the dipstick again in order to read the oil level.
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Step 10:
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Read the oil level on the dipstick
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Check the oil's level against the min/max mark. The oil level should ideally be between the two extremes.
If the level is low the car needs topping up.
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Step 11:
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Remove the oil filler cap
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Locate the oil filler cap. It will be on top of the engine labelled with an oil symbol. Take off the oil filler cap and place it nearby, keeping it clean of dust.
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Step 12:
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Top up with oil
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Carefully pour some oil into the filler using the funnel. Check the level again observing the same steps as before. Stop when the level is between the two marks.
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SAFETY WARNING
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Use the correct grade for your engine oil. Go by the manufacturer's specifications. Using the wrong oil will damage the engine. Don't overfill as this will damage the engine.
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Step 13:
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Close the bonnet
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Put the oil filler cap back on and close the bonnet firmly.
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Step 14:
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Start the car
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You're done. Start the car and remember, doing an oil check once a week is the best way to ensure that your car is running with sufficient engine oil. Excessive oil consumption indicates that there might be problems with your engine. Realizing this in time can save you a lot of money.
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