How to Check Car Oil

With changing technology, the way people check the oil in their cars has changed. Newer Toyotas may not use the traditional dipstick for checking oil, so you should consult your owner’s manual to find out what method you should use for checking the oil in your car. If you’re checking the oil manually with a dipstick, however, you should follow these steps:

1. Bring your Santa Clara vehicle to a park on level ground. Make sure your engine is cold for an accurate reading.
2. Pop the hood on your vehicle and locate the dipstick.
3. Pull the dipstick from the engine and wipe away any oil that has accumulated on it.
4. Re-insert the dipstick all the way into its tube, then pull it out and inspect both sides to determine the level of your oil.
5. If your oil level is in the crosshatched area or in bounds with some other visual indicator on the dipstick, you’re fine. If not, you need to add more oil.

You’ll want to make sure to buy the correct grade of oil recommended in your owner’s manual and fill your oil a little bit at a time so as to not overshoot the amount of oil you’re putting in.