Comments on: How to Check Your Oil

on 11/1/2009 Not entirely correct. Had fuss with spouse, who thought engine should be "warm," while I had always thought "cold." I cited this Web site but he brandished his owner's manual which said "warm." I further checked the Consumer Reports Web site which confirmed that some automakers recommend the engine be "warm." So, it's wisest to check your own car's manual. The research for this article didn't go quite far enough, sorry to see.

on 7/27/2009 If you are checking your oil while the engine is cold & has been sitting up long enough for all the oil to drain into the oil pan, it is not necessary to wipe off the dipstick, in fact, you really don't want to. Simply pull out the dipstick & look at it, this is the true reading of your oil level, & this is the best time to check the oil. Then replace the dipstick & go on. In fact, if you wipe off the dipstick & re-instert it, then pull it out again, your reading will not be accurate, because you smear oil in the tube as you 1st removed the dipstick. Why would anybody want to unnecessarily complicate things?

on 4/30/2009 Nice article. If anyone is interested in oil pump info check out the following link:http://www.garage411.com/OilPump

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.

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.

on 9/26/2008 www.wweinfo1.blogspot.com

on 9/25/2008 I honestly dont know the first thing about cars, YET. This might be a good place to start.

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 8/22/2008 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 5/28/2008 I wish my wife would have seen this a month ago.