How to Check Your Motor Oil Like a Professional

Let’s motor!
Checking your motor oil is a great skill to have. Regularly checking your oil can help prevent unseen problems from becoming expensive repairs. Knowing what to do, and what to look for can help keep your motor running in better shape.

*Please note: Some newer cars electronically monitor oil levels, and won’t allow you to do manual oil checks as they don’t include traditional dipsticks. This is especially true for recent European models. Check your vehicle’s owner manual if you’re unsure.

The necessary ingredient
Motor oil is the lifeblood of your car’s engine. Checking it regularly keeps your engine running smoothly and extends its life. The oil lubricates the engine’s moving parts to mitigate wear and damage, keep the engine clean, and prevent the engine from overheating.

It’s easy!
Checking your oil is easier than you might think. Monitoring your oil ensures there’s enough oil in your engine and that the oil isn’t contaminated. All you’ll need is a rag or paper towel, your vehicle owner manual, and a little know-how.

How to check your motor oil like a professional:

1. Park your car on level ground. This shouldn’t be too difficult as Michigan is a reasonably flat state, but it’s good to keep this in mind. A level surface means the oil will be evenly distributed in the oil pan so you can get a more accurate reading.

2. Turn off your engine and take out the car keys.

3. Wait for 5 to 15 minutes for the engine to cool down and for the oil to settle. You also don’t want to burn yourself!

Tip: Check your oil in the morning. The engine and the dipstick will be cold because you haven’t used the car yet that day. Most importantly, the oil will have had time to run back down into the oil pan. However, some automakers recommend checking oil after the engine has been warmed up. Refer to your manual.

4. Pop the hood.

5. Locate the oil dipstick. Look for a red, yellow, or orange plastic tab, ring, or hook. When you lift on the tab or ring, a long, skinny, metallic rod will come with it. Usually, the dipstick is on the side of the engine. For a front-wheel drive, the dipstick will be near the front of the engine. For a rear-wheel drive, the dipstick will be toward the center of the engine. If it’s not easy to spot, refer to your owner’s manual.

6. Pull out the dipstick and wipe it off with a rag or paper towel as you go, handle to tip. Though unnecessary, wear gloves if you want to keep your hands clean!

7. Insert the dipstick in dipstick tube all the way in.

8. Wait for three seconds.

9. Pull the dipstick back out.

10. Read the dipstick. The end of the dipstick has markings near the tip that indicate the safe operating range. Markings might be two pinholes, ‘L’ and ‘H’ (low and high), ‘MIN’ and ‘MAX,’ an area of crosshatching, or something else to demarcate a safe range. If the oil doesn’t reach up to the safe operating range, your oil is too low, and you need an oil change.

11. Next, inspect the quality of the oil.*

12. Put the dipstick back into its place and close the hood. You’re finished inspecting your oil. Now make a decision on if the next actions need to be taken.

*When Inspecting Quality, Check that:
• There’s enough oil
• The oil isn’t contaminated

You want to pay attention to how much oil is left and if it is still good. In other words, quality and quantity!

Tip: If your vehicle constantly needs more oil, there is probably a leak.

Motor Oil Characteristics to Inspect:
• Color
• Consistency
• Smell

Motor oil eventually becomes contaminated. Debris from the air, tiny metal shavings from the engine, and combustion by-products all contribute. Oil filters try to keep these contaminants at bay, but it’s only a matter of time before the motor oil will go bad.

If your oil appears off-color, a strange consistency, thick, gritty, or milky–get a checkup. It’s probably time for an oil change!

Motor oil is light-colored and transparent but darkens over time. If the oil appears black, you probably need an oil (and oil filter) change. If the color is a light brown milky color, this may indicate the radiator is leaking coolant into the engine, and you should have the car towed.

If the oil smells of gasoline, your engine, fuel system, or ignition might need servicing.

How often
Different sources give different advice, but there are a few ways to approach the question of when it’s time to check your oil. This is what the experts recommend:

Check your oil once per month (or, even once per week) or at every or every other gas fill-up.

Pay attention to when you need to change your oil without relying on your car’s light indicator. Many new vehicles have oil light monitors that use an algorithm instead of mileage to determine when it’s time to change the oil. These new models indicate you need a change every 6-7,000 miles, while you should really change your oil every 3-5,000 miles!

If the algorithm fails to prompt you to change your oil, it could damage your engine, and then you’re looking at engine replacement at $2-3,000! With a cloth and an owner’s manual, there’s no reason to shell out thousands of dollars unnecessarily.
Checking your oil helps you know when it’s time for an oil change before you face paying bills that were preventable!

Tip: Tech to the rescue! Download a smartphone app to remind you to get your oil changed.

Conclusion
Treat your car well, and it will treat you well. Part of this includes checking the motor oil on a regular basis. Do this, and you’ll save time and money and extend the life of your car. Questions? Contact the experts at Thelen Chrysler Jeep Dodge Ram or stop by our quick lane to get your oil changed!

Resources

How to Check Your Oil Like a Pro

https://www.consumerreports.org/car-repair-maintenance/how-to-check-car-engine-oil/

How to Check Oil: 6 Things Every Car Owner Should Look For

http://www.elf.com/en/advice-corner/how-to-check-oil/how-to-check-engine-oil.html

#PopTheHood: A Dipstick’s Guide to Dipsticks

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