How To Check And Top Up Your Motor Oil
Posted on: 25 June 2015
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Motor oil is an integral part of your vehicle, and performs a variety of functions for your engine. Motor oil cleans the engine, lubricates the moving parts so that they operate efficiently, and helps dissipate the heat produced by the engine while your vehicle is on. Ensuring that your motor oil is at optimal capacity and adding more oil as needed is a crucial part of basic vehicle maintenance, and thankfully can be completed in a matter of minutes.
Checking Motor Oil Levels
Turn on your car and let it idle for five minutes or so. This circulates the oil throughout the engine.
Park the car on a level surface and turn it off. Let it sit for a few minutes, so that the engine has a chance to cool down before you start working on it.
Open the hood and locate the oil dipstick. If you have a rear wheel drive vehicle, the oil dipstick will be on the left of the engine, whereas if you have a front wheel drive vehicle, the oil dipstick will be at the front of the engine compartment, near the front bumper.
Pull the dipstick out and clean it off with a rag. Then reinsert it into the oil chamber and pull it out again to get an accurate reading. The oil level should reach between the "minimum" and "maximum" labels on the dipstick (sometimes labeled "add" and "full").
Topping Up Motor Oil Levels
If your motor oil is below the minimum line, you will need to add more motor oil. Check your owner's manual to see which type of oil your vehicle needs, and how much you should add, as this differs depending on the make and model of your vehicle.
Find the oil fill compartment. This is a separate receptacle that has an oil can on it.
Fit a funnel into the oil fill compartment and slowly pour motor oil into the compartment. Keep checking the oil dipstick after you add oil to ensure that you do not exceed the "maximum" amount of oil needed for your vehicle.
Once you are near or at the "maximum" level, you can close the oil fill compartment and replace the dipstick, ensuring that both are closed securely before closing the hood. Your vehicle is now ready to continue operating as it should, and you are now able to refill your motor oil whenever you need to in the future. For more information, contact companies like Joe Troegner Auto Service.