Check your engine oil level at least once a month

The purpose of motor oil in your cars engine is to keep the engine parts lubricated so they wont grind together and wear down, and also to help keep the engine cool.

Damage occurs as soon as you turn on an engine with no lubricant. In less than a few minutes it can do enough damage to totally ruin your cars engine.

If your cars oil light comes on while you are driving, you might have oil in the pan, but it is not getting to the engine.
Stop immediately, and fix the problem. Significant damage may have already occurred.

To check the oil level in your car:

make sure you are parked on level ground.

If you just shut off the engine let the vehicle sit for about 5 minutes to let the oil drain into the  pan below.

The oil dipstick is usually yellow, at the front of the engine.

You can barely see some writing on the handle of the dipstick, it says "engine oil".

With a clean paper towel or cloth,
remove the dipstick. Wipe it down,
put it all the way back in, pull it out again.

The tip of the dipstick will have a line or dot for the full level and add level.

It should be close to, but not over the full level.

If the engine oil level is close to the add line (under the first red line in the picture below)
then add a quart of oil, opening the cap to the engine and using a funnel to prevent spills.

*If you have trouble seeing where
the oil is on the dipstick, take a clean,
small part of your cloth you
use to wipe the stick,

whatever part of the dipstick you last touched with the cloth after you see some oil will show you the  level.

Make sure not to over fill your engine .
If the oil gets high enough to reach the pistons, when the crank shaft spins the pistons,
it will whip the oil into a foam,
taking away it's lubricating properties,
causing serious damage .

top of page

Return from checking engine oil level to home page