How To Measure The Oil Level In Your Car

The first thing you should do in order to measure the oil level in your car is to switch your car off and let it cool down, this will make the oil level go down to its normal level, as high temperatures in a working engine warm the oil and make it expand.

Once the car has cooled down, you should open the bonnet and find the oil bar that is usually in a visible place and normally has OIL written on it.

You have to pull this bar and clean it with a dry cloth, then put it back in its place. The first time you pull the bar out will not be valid to measure the level of oil as your car has previously been in movement, so the oil level has moved.

Therefore, you should then put the bar back in and pull it completely out of the hole.

You should check the two marks on the bar, one for the maximum and another for the minimum. Your oil level should be between these two marks, preferably closer to the maximum mark rather than the minimum, as this will indicate that your car has a good level of oil.

If your oil level is close to the minimum line, you should go to the mechanic for security, so he can put oil in your engine. For further information, take a look at our article on what to do if you run out of oil.

Do you think you have a leak? Find out what to do if your car is leaking oil.

If you want to read similar articles to How To Measure The Oil Level In Your Car, we recommend you visit our Car Maintenance and Repair category.

Tips

• In new cars, you'll notice they hardly use any oil and its level doesn't vary, but you should control the oil level in old cars every week for precaution reasons .
• You can also perform this duty before you've actually used the car, for example right after you wake up and your car has had some rest in your garage and hasn't been used for some time.
• Check your car's manual to make sure that your car brand is suitable for these instructions.