Oil no matter how greasy and avoidable in real life is essential to the well being of your car. The secret to keeping your car in good running condition is by making sure your engine is full of clean oil. Waiting until you see a warning on the oil pressure light can cause severe (and often expensive) damage to your engine. Make it a habit to check your oil when you visit the petrol station and definitely before a road trip. A couple of oil changes and you will eventually learn to estimate how often your engine needs a refill. Ordinarily oil should be changed every 4500 kilometers. The older your car the more often you need to check. Maintaining a record will also help you keep track of the oil level in your vehicle.

How To Check The Oil Yourself

1. Park on level ground and shut off the engine.

2. Open the hood locate the engine and find the metal loop sticking out of it at the end of a metal stalk. That s the end of your dipstick. If you can t find it your owner s manual should help.

3. With a rag or thick paper towel in one hand pull on the metal loop and remove the dipstick with the other. Wipe the straight end of the dipstick and push it back into the stalk you pulled it out of.

4. Wait a few seconds and pull out the dipstick again. Look at the end of the dipstick and notice where the oil ends. There are markings that indicate the parameters of where the oil should reach. If the oil doesn t reach inside the markings you need to add at least a quart of oil. It s also a good idea to look carefully at the oil on the dipstick. If it is grainy or has little nuggets or dirt in it it s time for an oil change. The oil should look smooth.

5. To add oil make sure the engine is off. Find the oil cap on the top of the engine and unscrew it. Pour the oil into the hole. A funnel might help but don t worry if you spill a bit of it on the engine.

6. Replace the oil cap and recheck the oil level like you did before.