Oil Change Tips: How To Check Your Oil Levels

No motor vehicle can function properly without access to clean, fresh motor oil. Oil maintains your engine by keeping its heat under control, lubricating its moving parts, and performing several other essential tasks in your car.

That said, this fluid won’t last forever — so instead of ignoring engine oil, you’ll need to take precautions to ensure your car’s oil isn’t dirty or running low. These days, many (but not all) Nebraska drivers can still benefit from checking their oil levels by hand. In this article, you’ll find our complete guide to manual oil checks and advice on whether or not you truly need to handle this task.

Oil Change Scheduling: A Brief Overview

While you may have heard that you need oil changes every three months or 3,000 miles, oil change scheduling is more nuanced than such advice implies. All sorts of factors can affect your ideal oil change interval, including:

• The age of your car. Newer vehicles shouldn’t need oil changes as often as older models. As your car ages, you’ll want to schedule this service more frequently than you used to.
• The temperatures you drive in. Extreme heat and cold can both have an impact on how your car uses oil. Of course, Lincoln, NE regularly experiences both hot summers and cold winters.
• Your driving habits. Being a “severe” driver isn’t anything to be ashamed of. Still, you may need oil changes more often than usual if you drive on dirt roads, travel long distances under 50 mph, or have other severe driving habits.

Oil Level Inspection 101

A well-thought-out oil change schedule should usually be enough to help you keep up with this service. That said, there’s always a chance that your oil level could get lower than you’d think between one change and the next. To avoid this, you’ll want to know how to check your vehicle’s oil level — and luckily, this is not a difficult task to complete.

If you need to check your oil by hand, it’s wise to take care of this task once a month (or before an extended road trip). Start by parking your car and giving it a chance to cool down. After a few minutes, turn your vehicle off and locate the dipstick (which should be in its oil reservoir under the hood). Get rid of any excess oil that’s left on the dipstick, put it back in the reservoir, and take it out again.

Once you’ve pulled your dipstick out for a second time, take a close look at where your oil level falls. The dipstick should have two markings or a cross-hatched area; if your oil level is within this area, you should be in good shape. Otherwise, you’ll want to visit T.O. Haas for oil change service.

Do You Have To Check Oil Manually?

If you have an older vehicle, following the steps above can help you meet your vehicle’s oil change needs. However, this might not be the case if you drive a newer car — many of these vehicles can check their own oil. 

If your car has self-checking capabilities, you could get anything from detailed information on your oil level to a simple warning when your oil level is getting low. Most vehicles with self-checking systems also don’t allow drivers to manually check their oil level, meaning you won’t have to go through the process described above.

Other Signs You Need an Oil Change

Low oil levels aren’t the only red flag that can let you know you’re overdue for oil change service. Even if you haven’t checked your oil lately, you might notice oil change warnings such as:

• Unexpected vibrations. Have you found yourself dealing with vehicular vibrations that don’t have an obvious cause? If so, dirty oil may be the culprit (especially if you notice these vibrations while your vehicle is idling).
• Engine noise. Surprisingly enough, oil problems can affect how your engine sounds. Listen closely for “ticking” noises while your engine starts and “knocking” sounds from this component — these can be caused by dirty and thin oil, respectively.
• Exhaust smoke. If you’ve spotted smoke coming from your vehicle’s exhaust pipe, you should know that this can be a symptom of several issues — and aging motor oil is one of them.
• The smell of something burning. A burning smell inside your car is never a good sign. In this situation, you could be dealing with an overheating engine due to insufficient oil levels or an oil leak.

Know Where To Go for Oil Changes

Whether you’ve noticed oil change-related warning signs or it’s simply been a few months since your last oil change, you deserve the best service Lincoln has to offer. The most trustworthy auto shops in the area go the extra mile for their customers by providing:

• ASE-certified mechanics
• Online coupons
• Locations throughout the area
• Helpful service quotes

Are you looking for all these benefits and more? If so, you’re looking for T.O. Haas Tire & Auto — schedule an appointment for your next synthetic oil change today!