Car Engine Oil Check: How And When To Do It

You need to pay attention to your car's engine oil quality, among other maintenance and care steps. After all, the engine oil is your car's lifeline. Typically, after a few thousand kilometres, the engine oil gets dirty and demands change. The oil helps lower the friction in parts and hence it is essential that 

If you want your car to skip past mechanical damage and performance deterioration, you must be careful of the oil quality. Besides, it should also stick to the manufacturer's recommended oil change schedule. This article will walk you through how and when to check your car's engine oil quality.

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Step-by-Step Guide to Check the Engine Oil Quality of Your Car

if you are checking the oil for its quality for the first time, you might find the process perplexing. To make things simpler, we've broken down the process step-by-step. Take a look:

• Step 1: Make sure you park the car on levelled ground and turn off the engine before starting the process.
• Step 2: After opening your car's bonnet, find the oil dipstick. This dipstick might have an “OIL” labelling and will be yellow in colour.
• Step 3: Typically, newer car owners might find it difficult to spot the dipstick. In this case, check the dashboard for an electronic oil monitor.
• Step 4: Once you spot the dipstick, pull it out.
• Step 5: Clean the dipstick to remove the oil residue. Then, put the dipstick back in its place.
• Step 6: Pull out the oil dipstick once again.
• Step 7: Place the dipstick horizontally to check the maximum/minimum indicator. If the oil level is lingering between minimum and maximum, you can leave it as it is.
• Step 8: Analyse the colour of the engine oil.  If it has a dark brown or amber appearance, you are good to go. However, if the oil had gone sludgy and blackish, the oil needs replacement.
• Step 9: If the engine oil is clear but lower than the minimum indicator, add more engine oil.

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When's the Right Time to Check Car's Engine Oil Quality

You might also doubt how often and when to check your car's engine oil quality. Thankfully, it's not a weekly process! The best way to proceed with this is to rely on the manufacturer's recommendations for an oil change. Most car manufacturers suggest an oil change every year. So, when your car hits 1-year milestones, you can check the engine oil quality around that time. Here are a few other indicators that hint towards an engine oil quality check:

• If your car's fuel efficiency has recently dipped
• If your car emits fumes in the morning, it's a sign that the engine oil quality is not up to the mark.
• Moreover, if your car drives through heavy start-stop traffic conditions, the engine oil quality is prone to degrade.

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Checking your car's engine oil quality is critical if your car's performance matters to you. By scheduling engine oil checks at regular intervals, you can ensure the upkeep of your vehicle.