Checking your engine oil is one of the easiest things you can do to ensure your car runs well. Checking the level on a monthly basis can save you a lot of headaches down the track.
First and foremost, you will need a rag or paper towel to help check the level and to wipe off any oil that you spill.
After parking the car on a flat, level surface, open the bonnet and find the dipstick. The dipstick is what we use to check the oil level and is usually found by looking for a bright yellow or red ring-pull or T- handle with the word oil, or a photo of an oil can on top.
Pulling gently on the dipstick handle will release it and you can use your rag to pull all the way out, then we can easily check the colour and smell of the oil.
This might seem like an unusual thing to do but checking the colour and smelling the oil can tell us a lot about the condition. For example, we don’t want to smell burnt, acidic or fuel smells as these are signs of old oil or sometimes damage to the motor. The colour should be light golden brown to dark brown in colour, but not black unless your car is a diesel.
After looking at the condition, we need to wipe the end of the dipstick off and dunk it all the way back in before pulling it back out again to check the level. For this, we’re looking for the low-high maker on the bottom of the dipstick.
Though yours might say low-high, min-max or even safe, they all work the same. If the level reads low, you will need a small top up of oil. If the level is between the halfway mark and maximum we can put the dipstick back in, wipe away any oil droplets with the rag and close the bonnet.
We would recommend checking your engine oil every 2-4 weeks though it's a good habit to check your oil and your tyres at the same time. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at any time.