Checking your oil is one of the simplest yet most important maintenance tasks you can do. It takes three minutes and could save your engine from catastrophic damage.
Find a flat surface and turn off your engine. Give it about 5 to 10 minutes to cool down. This lets the oil settle back into the pan so you get an accurate reading. If you check it right after driving, you'll get a falsely low reading and might think you need oil when you actually don't.
Pro tip: Always check your oil on level ground. If your car is tilted, the oil will pool to one side and give you an incorrect reading.
Pop open your hood and look for a handle with a bright color loop on the end. Most manufacturers use yellow, orange, or red to make it easy to spot. The dipstick tube is usually located near the front or side of the engine block. If you're having trouble finding it, your owner's manual will point you in the right direction.
Quick tip: Still can't find it? Search online for your specific make and model with the year, and someone has probably posted a photo showing exactly where it is.
Grab the dipstick handle and pull it out completely. Use a clean lint-free rag or paper towel to wipe off all the oil from the end. Here's the important part: you need to reinsert the dipstick fully into the tube until it clicks into place or stops moving. This ensures you're getting a true reading.
Use a white paper towel if possible. It makes it much easier to see the oil color and determine if it's clean or dirty.
Now pull the dipstick out again and hold it horizontally, with the end pointing toward you. You'll see two marks on the stick. These might be labeled 'L' and 'F' for Low and Full, or they might just be two notches or holes. The oil should be somewhere between these two marks. If it's at or below the lower mark, you need to add oil immediately.
Check the oil color too while you're at it. If it's milky or foamy, that could indicate a serious problem like a blown head gasket.
Our experts can recommend the perfect oil for your vehicle based on your make, model, and driving conditions.
Get Oil Recommendations