How to Check Car Oil

Your vehicle needs motor oil to keep running on the roads of Princeton. That’s why you should always take the time to make sure there’s enough oil in your car to help protect the engine’s internal moving parts. Don’t know how to check car oil? Learn how to check the oil level in your car below in Spitzer Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Homestead’s following service guide.

Learn How to Check the Oil Level in Your Car

Before we jump into the instructions, you should know that some newer cars have electronic oil monitors that don’t use traditional dipsticks. That said, find your owner’s manual and check it for the automaker’s recommendations. If you’re checking the oil manually, here’s how to check the oil level in your car:

1. Make sure the vehicle is parked on level ground and that the engine is turned off and cold.
2. Open the vehicle’s hood and find the dipstick.
3. Pull the dipstick out of the engine and wipe any oil from the end of it.
4. Re-insert the dipstick all the way back into its tube, then pull it out and look at both sides to see where the level is.

Dipsticks always have some way of indicating the proper oil level. If the top of your oil streak is between two marks or within a cross-hatched area, then the level is good. However, if it isn’t, you’ll need to add more oil.

Be sure to buy the grade recommended in your owner’s manual. Once you have it on hand, remove the oil filler cap, and then add oil a little at a time until the dipstick indicates you’ve reached the proper level.

Why Check Your Car’s Oil Level?

Now that you know how to check your car oil, do you know why you should perform this inspection? The right amount of oil is necessary for your vehicle’s performance. In general, oil changes should be performed at least twice yearly, depending on the model and how it’s driven in Key Largo. 

Oil checks should occur more often and should be performed at least once a month. When you’re diligent with monthly oil checks, you can be sure that there are no leaks, and that your car has enough oil for all your drives near Florida City. 

If you ever notice your car’s hood is hot to the touch or steam billowing out from under the hood, immediately schedule a service appointment. Those are signs that your car could have an oil leak and the engine is overheating. 

How to Reset Oil Change Light

The overall process for resetting the oil change light is about the same even though the exact process varies by car model. If you’ve changed your oil, you will want to reset the oil change light– but only if you’ve actually changed it! If you accidentally miss an oil change, it can damage your car in the long run, so you will want to avoid that. Here are the steps to resetting the oil change light: 

1. Turn all systems of your car off, but leave the engine running.
2. Find the “reset” button or stick on the dashboard (typically found near the speedometer and fuel gauge).
3. Hold the button down until the oil change light begins to flash (signs of resetting may differ per vehicle).
4. Turn the ignition off, wait a few seconds, then turn your car back on.
5. The oil light should be reset at this point.

Learn More About Car Maintenance with Spitzer Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Homestead 

Now that you’ve learned how to check your car oil, let’s learn more about how else you can maintain your vehicle. Our team can tell you more about how often to change the cabin air filter and the engine air filter!