When is The Best Time to Check Oil Level in a Car?

Checking your car for the oil level is significant. Avoidance towards oil level can have various consequences including engine damage as well. But, the question here is- When is the best time to check oil in car? If you too have the same question, you are at the right place. Here you will come to know why actually you should regularly check the vehicle for oil level, when is the best time to check your oil, and how often should you do it.

So, without a further ado, let’s find out now!

What Is The Best Time To Check Oil Level?

Your engine’s performance relies on oil level. You can get best out of your vehicle with frequent oil level checks. So, let’s find out the best time to check oil in car right away!

1. Why Exactly Should You Check The Oil In Your Car?

The car is like a human body and oil is its blood. It doesn’t matter which car’s model you own, checking the oil level is vital. Oil lubricates your engine and helps to prevent corrosion. In addition, when the oil level drops down, engine parts are more likely to be damaged. Therefore, it’s recommended to check your vehicle’s oil level regularly. All you need to figure out is the best time to check oil level.

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2. The Perfect Time To Check Oil In Your Car

The numerous aspects are there that must be considered before finding the best time to check the oil in a car., so when is the best time to check your oil? Depending on the temperature of the engine, the right to check the oil is defined. The overheat engine can be the reason for lower oil level. The cold engine is considered to be not a matter of concern.

If the oil is lower, your vehicle will, as a result, wear out. To avoid this situation it’s better to check the oil. In order to get the exact estimation of oil in the tank, look at the engine reading.

The number of distances your car has traveled is directly proportional to filter draining in the sump.

The other way to do it is to use the manual when you think it is the best time to check oil in car. Here it has been given clearly that when and how should you check the oil level. Moreover, you can find in the manual that when a hot engine is shut off, after fifteen minutes you can check the oil.

Besides, when your car is ground, checking out at that moment improves the entire accurateness of the car. You can keep your vehicle safe by maintaining the level at the dipstick at the safe zone. This means the oil level must be somewhere in between the LOW and FULL indicator. So, varying from vehicle to vehicle, you can definitely check the oil at the right time.

You can use various techniques to test when to check oil level. The basic method for doing this is by using a dipstick (as mentioned earlier). Are you confused about checking the oil with a car on or off? Well, due to safety reasons, it’s preferable to do it when the engine is off. All you have to do is just locate the dipstick on the engine’s hood, pull out, read the end of the stick for correct measurement. If you still have doubt, you can repeat the procedure all over again but this time clean the dipstick first.

So, now you know the best time to check oil level!

3. How Often Should You Check The Oil?

Testing oil level is vital but the real question here is- When is the best time to check oil in car ? Many people test the oil level after two or three days, but actually, you can extend the interval. Checking it once in a month is sufficient. Moreover, one should take care of the dirty oil in the tank as it can affect other parts of the car.

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Check out the video below to see more details:

How To Check Oil Level In Car

You’ve learned about “what is the best time to check oil level”. So in this part, we will show you how to check the oil level in your car in a detailed way. Everything you should do is to follow the 8 easy steps below:

Step 1: Find A Piece Of Old Fabric

Find a piece of old fabric or a lint free rag to use when you check the oil level in your car. Usually, an old T-shirt works great.

Step 2: Check Information In Your Owner’s Manual

If you don’t know well about what exactly is under the hood of your car, the detailed information in your owner’s manual will be a great guide for you. It illustrates the location of your dipstick in a detailed way so you just need to follow it.

Step 3: Warm Up Your Car

It is recommended to check the oil when it is still warm. So the best time to check your oil level is after a short trip around the town or to a local supermarket.

Step 4: Turn Off Your Car

After taking the car for a quick trip around, the next step is to turn off your car before you start the process of checking its oil level.

Step 5: Open The Hood

Next step is to open the hood. Pull the handle placed on the inside of your car (it is usually located on the side of the driver side door). And then press the lever placed underneath the center of the hood. Be sure that the hood of your vehicle is propped securely.

If you don’t know how to open your hood. The video below is useful for you.

Step 6: Detect The Dipstick

Usually, the location of the dipstick is on the left side of the engine. The dipstick as it usually has an orange or yellow circular handle. A long piece of metal will slide out of the engine when pulling this handle.

Step 7: Wipe The Dipstick And Re-insert

Once you find the dipstick and remove it, wipe it with a piece of old fabric and slide it back. Car owners must make sure the dipstick is installed in the right way.

Step 8: Take The Dipstick Out Of The Engine And Inspect

Then you remove the dipstick again. Take a deep look at the end of the dipstick and start inspecting it. Some vehicles have a textured area which represents the capacity of the oil pan while others have a line marked “full”. The oil color is amber and it is pretty easy to inspect the oil level.

Oil level

Normal oil level: If the oil level shown on the dipstick is normal, so you just need to reinsert it.

Dirty oil or low oil level: If the dipstick shows that the oil level is low, you should use two fingers to touch the dipstick and feel the oil texture. If the oil is clean, you just need to add new oil by using a funnel. If the oil is dirty, you should change the oil in your car as soon as possible.

Other Useful Information

Do You Check Oil With Car Running?

While you can pull out the dipstick when your car is running, the reading of the oil level isn’t possible. 

While the car is operating, the internal oil pump will run through the engine to cool the pistons as well as lubricate bearings. This leads to the fact that more oil volume is in circulation with a running engine than that of a stopped engine. Additionally, when the car is running, there is a thicker film of oil on all surfaces of the engine due to the oil circulation. For that reason, the best time to check oil level in car is when the car is not working.

In A Nutshell

It takes only a few minutes to check the oil level. All you need to figure out is the best time to check oil in car . Now, that you know the right time for doing it, maintain the accuracy of your vehicle. Try not to avoid the engine’s temperature, as it is the indicator of engine’s oil. Moreover, different cars have different symptoms of the oil level. If you are not sure about opting the DIY method of checking the oil when the car is hot or cold, consult the experts. Moreover, you can use a few maintenance tips to handle a worst-case scenario as well.

Stay safe and keep your vehicle sound.

Frequently Asked Questions

Understanding the best time to check oil in car is one thing, to be able to know all the aspects of the car’s blood is another. There are various issues about automobile oil apart from just knowing when to check oil level, so here are some tips for some of the most common questions:

How long should you wait after putting oil in your car?

5 to 10 minutes. If you have just driven your vehicle, it is essential to wait around 10 minutes before checking the oil level. It is the best time to check oil in car right before you drive it. However, never, we repeat, never check anything under the bonnet when the engine is still running. 

How much oil is too much on dipstick?

More than 20 percent. Most engine dipsticks have a range of acceptable oil levels of oil around a quart. However, if car owners have much more oil than that, play it safe and let some out to avoid spilling and unpleasant surprises. 

How often should you check the oil in your car?

At least once a month. We have made our points quite clear up there: Engine oil is the most important thing to keep in mind if you are a car owner. So once a month or even more often, car owners need to check the oil. 

What happens when your oil light comes on?

If your oil light comes on, it usually means the pressure is running low. The symptom shows that either there is not enough oil in the system or the pump is not circulating enough. Either way, it cannot lubricate the surface. In this situation, drivers need to pull over and turn off the engine to prevent damage from friction. 

Does car need to cool before adding oil?

Yes. Cold oil will not damage the hot engine and you can add oil to the high temperature engine. However, hot oil will expand and your reading will not be exactly accurate. 

Is it OK to slightly overfill engine oil?

Slightly overfill engine oil is not that much of a problem. However, if the engine sucked the overfill oil, or bad quality oil, it will start contaminated and foaming in the crankcase, which needs to be repaired by automobile mechanics.