How to check your car’s oil

Getting the right amount of oil in your engine is key to keeping your car running well. If your car is almost out of oil, it can cause additional wear and tear on the internal parts and premature failure of the parts. It is important that you keep your oil checked to ensure that your car continues to be healthy and efficient. Here’s how to do it, with tips from experts.

Road & Track spoke to Kevin Hines, Senior Technician at McLaren Philadelphia, to learn how to safely and effectively check your car’s oil. Hines is North America’s only factory-certified McLaren F1 technician, which means his day job is working on $ 20 million worth of exotics. If anyone understands how to check the engine oil level, it is them.

Aaron Brown

Of course, no two cars are the same. “There will be differences between every car,” Hines says of oil control procedures. “In my experience, when working with a number of different cars, it is always good to consult the owner’s manual to learn how and when to check the oil.”

Refer to your owner’s manual for detailed instructions on how to perform an oil level check. Depending on your car, you may have to go through a multi-step process to get a correct display. “Sometimes [the manufacturers] I want you to check it out when it’s cold. Sometimes they want you to check it out when it’s hot, sometimes when it’s working, sometimes when it’s not, ”says Hines. “Sometimes, like a dry sump system, the engine needs to be spun at 2000 RPM for 15 to 20 seconds, then turned off, and then checked.”

How to check your engine oil level with a dipstick

If your car has a dipstick, checking the oil level is pretty easy. Make sure the car is off, then open the hood (or the rear hood if your car has a mid or rear engine). Find the handle for the dipstick (usually marked in yellow or marked with an oil symbol) and pull it out of the tube. Wipe off the oil with a clean rag and put the dipstick back into the tube. Make sure it is completely reinstalled and seated properly so that you can get an accurate reading.

Aaron Brown

Pull out the dipstick a second time and look at the level markings below. Most dipsticks have high and low markings to indicate the oil level. Again, you should refer to the owner’s manual for exactly what to look for and where your oil level should be.

If you’ve recently driven your car, your oil level may be a little lower than if you’ve been sitting for a few hours. This happens because some of the oil can still be distributed in the engine and has not yet settled on the bottom of the pan on which the dipstick is located. So, unless you are concerned that your car will burn or leak an excessive amount of oil, this shouldn’t be a problem.

How to check your engine oil level without a dipstick

Some newer cars are designed without dipstick. Instead, there is a sensor (or sensors) in the engine that displays the oil level and displays it on the instrument cluster or infotainment screen. Often this data is hidden from the driver and hidden in a submenu. Consult your owner’s manual to find out how exactly to display the oil level in your car.

In the BMWs of the 1980s and 1990s, a light comes on above the rearview mirror when the car detects that it is running low on oil.

Brian Silvestro

Many modern cars don’t have a dipstick at all. Instead, the oil level is checked using sensors in the engine and displayed on the dashboard.

Aaron Brown

Depending on the vehicle, the engine may need to be cold and stopped or fully warmed up and running for an accurate reading. For example, my 2005 Porsche Boxster had to be switched off for at least 30 minutes before a reading was displayed. However, my 2008 BMW M5 needs to be at normal operating temperature before I can get a reading. It all depends on how your car’s engineers designed it.

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