How to Check Your Oil - 29th Apr 2008 11:58pm
Things You’ll Need:
* 1 Quart of Motor Oil
* Paper Towels
* Rags
Step1
Check the oil when the engine is warm. Oil expands when it's hot
and contracts when it's cold. Different temperatures will give you different readings.
Step2
Park the car on a level surface.
Step3
Turn off the engine.
Step4
Pull the hood release lever under the dashboard.
Step5
Walk around the front of the car, reach under the hood, find the latch and squeeze it. As you squeeze the latch, open the hood.
Step6
Find the dipstick, a long piece of metal sticking out of the engine with a loop at one end, usually located near the spark plugs.
Step7
Pull on the loop and draw the dipstick all the way out.
Step8
Wipe the oil off the dipstick with a paper towel or shop rag.
Step9
Replace the clean dipstick, making sure to push it all the way in, then pull it back out and hold it horizontally in front of you.
Step10
Look at the pointy end of the dipstick. If the oil on the dipstick is below the line marked "full," add a small amount of oil (less than a quarter of a quart) with a funnel. Many dipsticks simply have 2 lines with a cross hatch design in between. The oil level should be halfway between these 2 lines.
Step11
Add the oil by unscrewing the oil filler cap, which is about 3 inches in diameter and located on the very top of the engine.
Step12
Check the oil level with the dipstick after adding oil. Add more if necessary. It's easier to add more oil, but fairly difficult to remove oil if you add too much.
Step13
Put the oil filler cap back on and secure it tightly.