| Checking Oil Level |
|
Page 1 of 2
Start by finding your car’s oil measurement device, called a dip stick. It’s so called because it is a long, slender metal stick with its head at the top of the engine and its bottom tip in the oil that coagulates at the bottom of the engine. By pulling the dipstick out of the engine and inspecting the tip you can see the level of oil in the engine. So it makes sense that you want to make sure your car is relatively level when you check its oil. And the car’s engine should be off for a few minutes so that the circulated oil drains down into the bottom of the engine (called the oil pan). Also, make sure the dipstick has been pushed down as far as it will go in its tube so it gives an accurate reading of the depth of the oil in the pan. It actually takes longer to read about checking oil than doing it. Lift the stick from its tube and visually check where the top edge of the oil is. If you have any doubt, wipe the dip stick clean with a rag and reinsert the stick all the way into the tube for a moment and withdraw to visually verify. (Check the car’s owner’s manual if you’re not sure where the FULL line is.)
|
Oil is your engine’s blood supply. Newer and well-maintained engines don’t use up or leak oil, so checking oil means testing it for grit and water—two things you don’t want running around in your engine. Older engines may burn oil (oil actually gets inside the cylinder and explodes with the gas mixture!) and must be replaced. So you’ll also be checking to make sure that the oil level is FULL.
