Things You'll Need:
- 1 Quart of Motor Oil
- Paper Towels
- Rags
-
Step 1
Park the car on a level surface.
-
Step 2
To get the most accurate reading you want to check your oil when the engine is cold.
-
Step 3
Pull the hood release lever under the dashboard.
-
Step 4
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.
-
Step 5
Find 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 brightly colored.
-
Step 6
Pull on the loop and draw the dipstick all the way out.
-
Step 7
Wipe the oil off the dipstick with a paper towel or shop rag.
-
Step 8
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.
-
Step 9
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. Many dipsticks simply have 2 lines with a cross hatch design in between. The oil level should be halfway between these 2 lines.
-
Step 10
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. It will usually be marked with the words "Engine Oil".
-
Step 11
Check the oil level with the dipstick after adding oil. Add more if necessary. It's easier to add more oil several times, then to take oil out.
-
Step 12
Put the oil filler cap back on and secure it tightly.










Comments
spartanic said
on 4/30/2009 Nice article. If anyone is interested in oil pump info check out the following link:http://www.garage411.com/OilPump
hotrodgranny said
on 3/17/2009 Can we get this article corrected? Ideally you should check the oil after the engine has been off over night. That's when most of the oil will be in the pan, so you'll get the most accurate reading. This is especially important if you use synthetic oil, because it clings better and takes longer to drain down. You definitely don't want to overfill an engine with oil.Transmissions on the other hand need to be warmed up before checking. Thanks to Good and Better and the Traveler for correcting the misinformation. Excellent example of why it's a good idea to read the comments before acting upon an instruction.Changing a headlight isn't even simple any more.
pressa said
on 2/20/2009 It's a good idea to consistently check oil levels, I just changed a Truck that should have had 6 quarts and 3 quarts came out, this taxes the engine and makes the remaining oil work that much harder. i check mine at least once a week, and before and during long trips.
Beavertalk said
on 1/6/2009 A very easy to read article. It is surprising how many people do not know how to check their oil. We did a mechanics 101 blog and video for women (and some guys that know very little about cars) Check it out...xoxo the beavers
DrDanny said
on 9/26/2008 www.wweinfo1.blogspot.com