How to Check Car Oil

When you’re in between oil changes, you might want to check the volume and quality of your engine oil to understand how long you can wait until your next service. In this guide, our service team shows you how easy it is to learn how to check car oil at home in Winter Haven or Haines City!

Learn How to Check the Oil Level in a Car: 4 Simple Steps

If you’re driving a modern vehicle, you might not even need to know how to check the oil level in your car because it may have an electronic oil life monitoring system. But, for those that don’t, here are the four easy steps to check the oil using your dipstick:

1. Park your car on level ground and turn it completely off. Allow the engine to cool completely before proceeding.
2. Lift the hood and locate the oil dipstick.
3. Pull the dipstick out and use a rag to wipe the oil off. Re-insert the dipstick.
4. Pull the dipstick out again, but don’t wipe the oil off this time. Check the oil level line against the measurements on the dipstick to check the volume of oil.

If the oil level line is within the crosshatched area on the dipstick or between the two markers, then your oil level is fine. If the oil level falls below the bottom indicator on the dipstick, you need to add more oil. If you’re adding oil, make sure to use the proper type as recommended in your owner’s manual. Use a funnel to add the oil a little bit at a time, and check the oil dipstick in between additions so you don’t add too much.

Why Learn How to Check Your Car’s Oil?

Knowing how to check the oil level in your car can tell you a lot about the condition of your vehicle. With a simple oil check, you can find out if there’s an oil leak and schedule service before it becomes a much more serious problem. You can also check the overall condition of the oil; if it looks dirty and/or has little metallic specks in it, this is another sign that you should schedule service. In short, taking a few minutes to check your oil once per month can help you catch a small issue before it becomes a huge problem!

Schedule Service in Lake Wales

Our team is here to help keep you moving on the Frostproof roads. If you’d prefer to let us check your oil or want to have your vehicle inspected, schedule an appointment. We’re here to provide all the service tips and master-level maintenance you will need!