Here is a Step by Step Method of How To Check the Oil in Your Car

Having the right oil level in the engine of your car is extremely important to the longevity of your car. It is very easy and does not take a lot of time to check the oil in your car. But if you do not check the oil periodically it can cause major damage to your engine and cost you thousands of dollars. It is a good idea to check the oil in your car every time you fill up your car up with gas, or at least once a week.

The only thing you will need to get is a rag or towel, and you may want to keep one of these things in your trunk so you can check your oil when filling up your gas tank.

Here are some steps to take to check the oil in your car.

∗ Open up the hood of your car and find the handle of the oil dipstick. The oil dipstick is generally a yellow plastic ring near the top of the engine. If you are not sure where the dipstick is located you can either look at the owner's manual of the car or ask someone at the gas station to point it out for you.

∗ Carefully take a hold of the dipstick using a towel or rag because it will be hot being close to your engine. Pull it out and then take the towel or rag and wipe it clean.

∗ Put the dipstick back and then wait a second and pull it out again. You can now read the oil level in your car.

∗ There will be markings on the dipstick that will show both “Full” and “Add.” If the oil is up to the Full marking that you have the right amount of oil in your car. But if the oil is at the Add marking than it is time to put oil in your car. Even if the marking is just below the Full marking it may be a good idea to put at least one quart of oil in your car. (Sometimes on dipsticks, depending on car models, the dipstick may say either “Low” rater than “Add”.

∗ You also need to look at the color of the dipstick. The dipstick should be lightly colored. If the oil on the dipstick is very dark or black you should get an oil change as soon as possible.

∗ After you have checked the oil or changed it put the dipstick back and close the hood.

TIP: Even though it is easy to check the oil in your car if you still do not have time to do it you should go to a full service gas station and have them check the oil when they are filling up your car with gas. Do not wait until you get a tune up or a car check up to check the oil, because it needs to be done more often.