How to Check the Oil in your Car

Today I’m going to answer the top three questions that we get asked in our workshops about checking how to check the oil in your car.

Question number one:  Do I check the oil when the car is hot or cold?

You want to check the car when it’s cold, that way you’re definitely not going to burn yourself pulling out the dipstick.

We’re going to check the level of the oil with a clean dipstick. You have taken the dipstick out and cleaned it and  you’re going to see there are two markers when you put the dipstick back in you’re going to check that the oil level sits under the top marker but above the low marker. Stick the dipstick back in, then pull it out so you can check the level.

Question number two is how do I choose the right oil for my car?

If you go to an Auto Supermarket, you give them your car details your rego and your car info they will look up and tell you what the manufacturer recommends as the perfect oil for your car. Today. I’m going to use Mobil 1 because that’s what my car really enjoys.

If you do need a Top-Up remember, it’s not where the dipstick is. But look for the engine oil cap, remove it and that’s where we would pour the oil.

Question number three is how much oil do I need to fill it back up?

Use the one litre bottle, if when you’re checking the dipstick the oil was only a little bit lower than the top marker start off with just a couple of hundred mls. then check the dipstick. If it was closer to the bottom, then you might need the litre. Stay on the side of caution do a bit, wait, check the dipstick, put a little bit more in.

And don’t forget lefty-loosey to get the cap off and righty-tighty to get it back on!

Want to get more confident with basic car maintenance?

Join us in our hands-on car maintenance workshops. Find out more here: Hands-On Workshops

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