Comments on: How to Check Your Oil

on 8/31/2008 Again with the bad advice. This has to stop! These days there is absolutely NO reason to "prime" your oil filter. Have you ever taken an oil pan off before? Apparently not, because if you have you will know that draining the oil does not get all of the oil out. #1 there is usually about 1/4 to 1/2 quart left in the pan that will not drain due to the fact that the drain plug is higher than the lowest point on the pan (oil can't drain up!). #2 Some oil sits in the head. If you have ever had to remove a head, or even a valve cover for that matter you would know that a pretty good amount of oil doesn't get drained to the oil pan, it sits in the head. Therefore, no dry starts. Have you ever seen a car started without an oil filter? A guy I work with did it. It takes less than 1/2 second for oil to start flowing out.

on 8/30/2008 I have to disagree with this article. As a mechanic, oil does not expand enough to notice. Transmission fluid however does. If the dipstick has 2 lines with a cross hatch pattern on them and you only fill it half way between these 2 lines, then you are 1/2 quart low on oil. This is not a good idea! As far as the tips, the oil should ideally be a closed system. However, did you know that Cadillacs with the Northstar motor are expected to use 1 1/2 quarts of oil between oil changes? Yes, Cadillac will tell you this too. This is why they hold more. (About 7 1/2 quarts) A lot of engines on the road use oil. It is a natural part of an aging engine. The piston rings get worn out letting oil get by them into the combustion chamber, therefore being burned off. Sure, it is not supposed to happen, but as with everything an engine ages, and gets worn out. If you truly want to know whe

on 8/24/2008 Very illustrative, step by step guide. Thanks.

on 8/23/2008 I love the pictures, they are a great help!

on 8/22/2008 Be careful my friends ! I don't see anywere in this article that tells you that there are TWO dipsticks under the hood !!
The other one is a transission fluid dipstick and they can sometimes look exactly like an oil stick.
They work the opposite way as I described below in my other comment.
A trans dipstick is checked with a warm motor/transmission. I'm not going to bother explaining, just go ask any mechanic which is which on your car if you don't know. Don't ever add any fluids to your car unless you are 100% sure you know whats what under the hood. Not even washer fluid. I've seen people with brand new cars and they were complaining the washer fluid would not work when they filled it.
Well of course they added the washer fluid to their radiator or sometimes even the engine oil. So don't just pop the hood and start adding stuff unless you are 100% sure.

on 8/22/2008 Your very first instruction, to check the oil when warm is patently WRONG !! THIS IS ONLY THE SECOND ARTICLE I READ HERE AND BOTH HAD MAJOR FLAWS. Not good, so I joined just so I could comment on them.

So every last Car Owners Manual on the planet tells you to check the oil when the engine is COLD.
This is because if you check it warm it's already expanded and will give you a false reading.

Lets say it is actually actually one quart low, but if you check it when it's warm it is expanded and shows as full on the dipstick. Well duhh, that's not good to be driving around with it a quart low now is it ?

Especially with modern small cars that only have 4-quarts in them to start with. If it's 1-quart low then it's lost 25% of it's volume. That's a lot for any car. My Van on the other hand holds six quarts.

Jeepers, if you folks are not really Professionals at something then just

on 8/20/2008 Love the pictures.

on 8/5/2008 For most vehicles, you will need a small plastic funnel to add oil without getting it all over the place. It's best to store one in your vehicle with a spare quart of oil and some paper towels.

on 7/18/2008 Good advise, since some folks wait until the engine is knocking before checking the oil level.

on 7/1/2008 Good job, wonderful info.

on 6/17/2008 This is a great article on oil changing especially for those who think changing their oil is HARD, yet I also stress changing your thought pattern when it comes to consuming fuel. Try water as a source of fueling your vehicle and you'll wind up using LESS petroleum based products. Water4fuel.info has great tips on utilizing water and gas!

on 5/28/2008 I wish my wife would have seen this a month ago.

on 7/1/2007 Ideally, engine oil should be checked with the engine cold. This way, all the oil is down in the pan and will show correctly on the dipstick. A warm engine will have oil still up on the top side, thereby giving a low indication on the dipstick. Engine oil should be CHANGED with the engine warm, not checked. Transmission fluid should be checked when warm, however. Happy motoring!

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.

on 6/30/2006 You should never check your oil when the car engine is warm. The best time is in the morning before you start the car. Leaving the vehicle overnight the oil will have drained down to get an accurate reading. At this point you should get a reading of just above the min-line. Perfect reading of just above the mid line when cold. If you take a dipstick reading while hot, you will see this expands up to half way between min-max. If you get a low reading, undo the oil cap (only when the engine is cold) and pour about a quarter of a cup of oil in trying to disperse it over any internal workings or the chamber to lubricate fully. Wait for 15 minutes, then check the level again and either drive away or fill up a bit more and wait 15 more minutes. If you check a level when warm, because the oil is warm, it will be expanded and not all at the bottom where dipstick readings are taken; giving a dangerously false reading (ie: overfilling). Also if cold oil from a tub is added to warm oil, or a hot internal engine, you can crack vital parts or contribute to metal fatigue. So only do this if you're prepared to buy a new engine, which doesn't come cheap!