Engine oil is the lifeblood of your vehicle’s engine. To increase the longevity and performance of the engine, it must always have an adequate level of oil. Some amount of oil is used up as you drive, which results in a drop in oil level. It is necessary to keep checking the engine oil level to ensure that your vehicle has enough oil for a smooth ride. Know how to read oil dipstick.
Importance of Checking the Oil Level and Vehicle Oil Change:
- Facilitates improved lubrication between various engine parts
- Reduces friction and wear and tear
- Prolongs engine life
- Ensures that your vehicle’s engine is clean, healthy, and happy
- Enhances fuel efficiency and performance
- Protects other essential parts of your vehicle
- Reduces vehicle emissions
Checking the oil level and replacing it at regular intervals of time is crucial to keep your car running seamlessly.
Step by Step Process on How to Check The Oil Level in Your Vehicle:
- Park the car on a level surface and make sure it is warmed up. Turn off the ignition and wait for the engine to cool down.
- Open the hood and search for the oil dipstick. (Be careful as the engine may still be hot)
- An engine oil dipstick serves as a gauge to check both the level of oil in your vehicle
- In most vehicles, the dipstick has a yellow or orange coloured ring that you can easily find near the engine. The word ‘CHECK OIL‘ is also printed on top of the ring.
- Pull the dipstick out. Make sure that the cloth is kept below it so that the oil does not fall on your vehicle’s engine or yourself.
- Wipe the dipstick gently using a paper towel or tissue paper or any clean cloth. Be careful as the oil may still be hot. You can see two marks or dots at the bottom of the dipstick. One is the lowest mark (Minimum) and one is the higher mark (Maximum). The difference between the minimum and maximum indicators on a dipstick is about 1 or 2.5 litre.
- Insert the dipstick back into the tube from where you had pulled it out.
- Pull the dipstick out again as you did previously and inspect it for the oil level.
Identifying the Status of Engine Oil:
Once you pull out the dipstick, this is how you can identify the oil level:
- Sufficient oil in a car: Oil level would be between the lower and higher mark
- Low oil in a car: Oil level would be on or below the lower mark
- No oil in a car: Oil is not shown on the dipstick at all
If the oil appears to be very low or/and extremely blackish, it means that the oil has become dirty and requires an immediate oil change service.
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