How to check your car oil level - and understand it

Hey All!

Welcome to the first of many helpful guides. In this guide we’re going to go over how to check the oil level in your car - as well as understand the condition (and what it means).

Importance of checking the oil level in your car

Let’s think of motor oil as the life’s blood of your car’s engine. Checking it on a regular basis is a key part of keeping your engine running well and helps prevent premature engine wear. The oil lubricates the engine’s moving parts (keeping them from wearing too quickly), helps keep the engine clean (by preventing dirt build up) and helps keep it from overheating (by reducing friction and dissipating heat).

And I want to show you how to check if your oil is low, and if it needs to be changed. Because this is a relatively quick and easy thing you can do to maintain at home. Or at work. Or at the park. Pretty much somewhere on a level surface.

Before the show goes on I’d like to reiterate it’s good measure to check your oil level regularly. If you have an on older car, or higher K’s. If you have discovered a few pesky drops on the driveway - or if you’re blowing a bit of blue smoke (I recommend visiting your local mechanic for these last two). My friend’s dad always says ‘Better safe than sorry’. But I’m also pretty sure a lot of people say that?

How to actually check the oil in your car

So - let’s get down to business. You’re going to want a clean rag or paper towel, your car owner’s manual (for reference) and gloves to keep clean.

TAGtip: I suggest not wearing anything too coarse or rough either. This way if you lean onto your car you won’t leave any scratches

Now, some car manufacturers say to check the oil level when your engine is cold, and others when it is warm (or close to operating temperature). You can check this in your car’s manual - and then bring your beast to the recommended temperature. Careful now.

TAGtip: You also want to make sure your car is on a level surface (déjà vu to earlier woah)

Ok, how to actually actually check the oil in your car

Let’s work through this together:

First, locate your dipstick. It’s normally yellow (or light coloured) - and this one has the ‘oil’ icon on it.

You’ll want to pull it out and wipe it clean (as there may be oil splashed on it and it may give a false reading). Then, insert it all the way back in. And then pull it out again.

TAGtip: Hold the dipstick facing the floor so the oil does not run up and give a false reading

Dipsticks will have markings (dots, lines, cross hatch area) to show the minimum and maximum allowable oil levels. Refer to your owner’s manual for reference. Our one has dots.

As you’d imagine, if your oil reads near max - you’re at a good level.

If your oil is in in the middle section - you are generally OK. But, if you know you have a slow leak or that your car burns oil - I would keep an eye on it. Better yet - a little top up.

If your oil is in the bottom section you should (at a minimum) top up. I would consider looking into why the oil is so low (leak/ burning too much oil/ time for a service) and get things sorted out quickly.

TAGtip: It’s best to maintain your oil level at or near the maximum mark

TAGtip: Check the oil level twice (re-insert and then pull out and check) - because it doesn’t hurt to verify with yourself

Examining your engine oil

So, checking the level of our oil is super important, but so is observing the colour and texture. This will help you understand a little more about the condition of your engine - and if you should service your car.

Source: https://carbuyerlabs.com/the-color-of-your-engine-oil-says-a-lot-so-pay-attention/

New oil is generally amber/ golden. Depending on how colour blind you are - or I am. It is also transparent (clear).

So, if your oil is brown or dark, with a transparent appearance, this indicates that your oil is doing a good job lubricating the internals of your engine.

If your oil is black or very dark in appearance (not so transparent, dull) then this indicates that the oil has most likely lost its viscosity [explained further down] and that you are due for an oil change. Typically, the oil will also be a bit thicker and have a bit of a burning smell to it.

If your oil is milky or cream coloured, this means that your oil has been compromised and indicates that there is water in your oil. This might be coupled with your car blowing white smoke and that you are losing coolant (head gasket leak). I recommend jumping down to your local mechanic to see what’s up.

And finally - check for any metal flecks in your oil. This could mean that there is internal engine damage. Again - further investigation is recommended.

Oil viscosity

Viscosity of engine oil refers to how easily it flows at specific temperatures (engine heats up from cold to hot).

Ideally we want an oil that behaves ‘thin’ when cold (to flow into all of the tight spots to lubricate the engine better) and behaves ‘thicker’ when hot (to protect the oil under heavier loads). This is why vehicle’s have a specific operating temperature.

We will most likely throw in another guide to speak more about engine oil - to help wrap our head around things.

Finito!

OK. So I bet you probably weren't expecting such a long winded guide on how to ‘simply’ check the oil of your car. But hey - now you know what’s up. And now you know that it’s not just about how much oil you have, it’s also about the health of your oil.

It’s all about preventative maintenance.

If you are in doubt with any of these steps - visit your mechanic to help out.

And as a final note - we’re just starting out with these blog/ guides. Please drop us a line and let us know if you like what we’re doing, if you don’t like it, if you really don’t care - or if you have a cool topic you’d like to know more on :)