By eHow Cars Editor
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Checking your engine oil is very important because without oil you will fry your engine. By checking the oil you can detect if you need to replenish the motor oil in time before it's too late. If you know your car is leaking oil you should check your oil level every time before you drive, otherwise every time you get gas is sufficient.
Walk around the front of the car, reach under the hood, find the latch and squeeze it. As you squeeze the latch, open the hood.
Find the dipstick, a long piece of metal sticking out of the engine with a loop at one end, usually located near the spark plugs.
Replace the clean dipstick, making sure to push it all the way in, then pull it back out and hold it horizontally in front of you.
Look at the pointy end of the dipstick. If the oil on the dipstick is below the line marked "full," add a small amount of oil (less than a quarter of a quart) with a funnel. Many dipsticks simply have 2 lines with a cross hatch design in between. The oil level should be halfway between these 2 lines.
Add the oil by unscrewing the oil filler cap, which is about 3 inches in diameter and located on the very top of the engine.
eHow Cars Editor
Comments
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 Once you have removed the dipstick, look at the oil and smell it. If it is thin, your oil may be contaminated by gas or coolant. If the oil smells like gas, you may have a leaking injector or a bad fuel pressure regulator. If the oil is creamy-looking. or just thin, it may indicate a bad head gasket or cracked block. If your oil is clumpy, or very thick, you may have a bad PCV valve.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 Although it is a closed system, cars do use oil. Some use up to a quart every 1000miles. Check your owner's manual for expected motor oil consumption.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 When changing your oil you should always fill your new oil filter about 3/4 of the way. This will prevent your engine from runing without oil and keep it running at top performance longer.
Anonymous said
on 2/12/2007 You must always read your vehicle manual. Many manufactures propose to measure your oil level with your engine warm! About 99% of them they have a standard procedure:
1) Warm your engine about 5 minutes, with a sort ride, or start the procedure when your ride ends.
2) Wait about 2-4 minutes.
3) Measure your oil level (remember to park in a flat place).
Remember, cold measures can cause faulty readings, unless your vehicle manufacture advice states otherwise.
Anonymous said
on 1/13/2006 In some older cars, the long slender dipstick can get oil on it from pulling it out of the sleeve after you have wiped it off. When the car is low on oil, it may appear fuller than it really is. What I do is wipe it off and check it a few times and try not to get any transfer on the dipstick.