Engine oil

General engine oil guide

Reading the oil level dipstick correctly

One of the common faults when reading the oil level by using the oil dipstick is to remove the dipstick only once from the engine and go with the first reading of the dipstick. This causes two problems:

1. The dipstick will show to different oil levels, depending on which site of the dipsteak you are looking at
2. There is a good chance that remaining excess oil will be on the dipstick

In order to get a correct reading of the oil level dipstick proceed like this:

1. Make sure the engine is warm since the oil will expand under heat
2. Position the car on an even surface
3. Turn off the engine and let it sit for about 10 minutes
4. Remove the dipstick and clean it with a paper towel. Repeat this step 3 times.
5. The 4th time you remove the dipstick, read the oil level from both sites of the dipstick. This will be your definite oil level.