Basics
How to check your engine oil
Checking engine oil takes two minutes and can save your engine. Here is the correct way to do it.
📅 Aug 17, 2026
✔ Free guide
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Why it matters
Engine oil lubricates, cleans and cools. Low oil can destroy an engine in minutes; the cost of a dipstick check is zero.
Step by step
- Park on level ground and switch the engine off
- Wait 5 minutes so the oil drains back to the sump
- Pull the dipstick, wipe it clean, reinsert fully
- Pull it out again and read the level between MIN and MAX
- Top up in small amounts with the correct viscosity and spec
- Re-check after running the engine briefly
What the oil should look like
Healthy oil is amber or light brown. Black, gritty oil is overdue for a change; milky oil means coolant is getting in (head gasket).
- Between the marks: OK
- At or below MIN: top up and look for leaks
- Milky / mayonnaise: get it checked immediately
Questions about this guide
Once a week or before long trips, and always before a journey in an older or high-consumption car.
Yes, and overfilling can damage seals and the engine. Add small amounts and re-check.