How Often Do You Check Your Oil?

Mar 23, 2018

How often do you check your oil? Chances are that you don’t do it at all (it’s okay, that was me once upon a time) and believe that this is what the oil change was invented for. Well, that’s not necessarily true! You should probably check your oil at least every time you fill up the tank, and at the bare minimum check on it once a month. Here’s how to do it, for those who don’t know:

Open the hood. Prop it so it stays open.
Locate the oil dipstick next to the engine. It should have a yellow handle and/or be labeled.
Pull out the dipstick and wipe it on a clean cloth or paper towel.
Dip the stick all the way back in.
Pull it out again and look at the oil level. If it’s in the middle of the hatched/indicated area, you’re good. More is better, less is okay, but if you’re lower than the area you need to get your oil topped up and have your system checked for leaks.
Look at the oil quality and color. If there are a lot of particles or if the oil looks sludgy, you need to get it changed as soon as possible.
Put the dipstick back in.
Close your hood.

Checking your oil is important because it lets you know if your vehicle is burning oil when it shouldn’t be, and also can alert you to a leak or let you know if your engine is getting a little dirty. Oil’s purposes include lubricating your engine, sure, but it also keeps sediment, particles, and other things from building up in your engine. The downside of this is that those particles and sediments end up in the oil and might necessitate an oil change. If you see particles or other grime in your oil, take your vehicle in for an oil change.