How to Check Your Oil
What you’ll need
Paper towel or clean rag
Step-by-step guide
Checking your oil is one of the simplest things you can do to look after your car. You do not need any special skills — just a paper towel and five minutes.
1. Make sure your car is parked on level ground and the engine has been off for at least five minutes. This lets the oil settle back down into the pan so you get an accurate reading.
2. Pop open the bonnet (hood). There is usually a lever inside the car near the driver's footwell or under the dashboard. Pull it, then find the secondary catch at the front of the bonnet and release it.
3. Find the dipstick. It usually has a bright yellow or orange handle and is near the front of the engine. If you cannot spot it, check your car's manual — there is usually a diagram showing where everything is.
4. Pull the dipstick all the way out and wipe it clean with your paper towel. This removes the old oil so you can get a fresh reading.
5. Slide the dipstick all the way back in, then pull it out again slowly. Hold it horizontally so the oil does not run.
6. Look at where the oil line sits. There will be two marks on the dipstick — a minimum and a maximum. Your oil level should be between these two marks, ideally closer to the max.
7. If the oil is below the minimum mark or you cannot see oil at all, you need to top it up. If it is between the marks, you are all good!
8. Slide the dipstick back in, close the bonnet, and you are done. Easy as that.
The colour of the oil can tell you something too. Fresh oil is a golden-amber colour. Over time it turns darker. Very black, gritty oil means you are due for an oil change.
1. Make sure your car is parked on level ground and the engine has been off for at least five minutes. This lets the oil settle back down into the pan so you get an accurate reading.
2. Pop open the bonnet (hood). There is usually a lever inside the car near the driver's footwell or under the dashboard. Pull it, then find the secondary catch at the front of the bonnet and release it.
3. Find the dipstick. It usually has a bright yellow or orange handle and is near the front of the engine. If you cannot spot it, check your car's manual — there is usually a diagram showing where everything is.
4. Pull the dipstick all the way out and wipe it clean with your paper towel. This removes the old oil so you can get a fresh reading.
5. Slide the dipstick all the way back in, then pull it out again slowly. Hold it horizontally so the oil does not run.
6. Look at where the oil line sits. There will be two marks on the dipstick — a minimum and a maximum. Your oil level should be between these two marks, ideally closer to the max.
7. If the oil is below the minimum mark or you cannot see oil at all, you need to top it up. If it is between the marks, you are all good!
8. Slide the dipstick back in, close the bonnet, and you are done. Easy as that.
The colour of the oil can tell you something too. Fresh oil is a golden-amber colour. Over time it turns darker. Very black, gritty oil means you are due for an oil change.