WHAT SHOULD I LOOK FOR WHEN CHECKING MY MOTOR OIL
To stay on top of your vehicle’s condition and maintenance, you should be monitoring your motor oil regularly. Checking your engine oil is simple as opening the hood and locating the dipstick. However, if you don’t know what you’re looking for, it could be a problem. First and foremost, you need to find the yellow oil dipstick. It can also be found in the vehicle’s owner’s manual if you have trouble.
If you get your oil changes on time, you will rarely find any problems with your oil levels or condition. Nevertheless, it’s still worth taking some time to check the oil on your own. It can give you insight into the condition of your car.
After you have found the dipstick, wiped it off, and reinserted it, you can take it out and get to analyzing. When pulling the dipstick out the second time around, you should check for the following:
Level – The dipstick will have two lines or indicators. If the oil sits in between these lines, you have a sufficient amount of oil in your engine. If it is running below the lowest line, please take it to our auto repair shop immediately. You could be suffering from an oil leak or need an oil change. Whatever the situation demands, you should not drive with low engine oil.
Color – You should pay attention to the color of the motor oil. Clean oil should be free of contaminants and be a golden or light brown color. If the oil looks super dark or discolored in any way, then it’s probably time for an oil service.
Viscosity – The consistency of the oil matters too. If the oil looks to be too thick, gloppy or has any contaminants in it, then you should probably have it changed soon. Driving on thick or contaminated oil can cause engine damage and even overheating.
Smell – You should check to see if your motor oil has a burning smell. If it does, it means that your engine oil may have been contaminated.
If you notice anything peculiar about your oil, please do not hesitate to ask our professionals. It’s always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to your engine oil.
If you need an oil service and oil filter change soon, please call or bring your vehicle to Eric’s Automotive, Inc.