Checking Your Vehicle Oil is an Easy Process You Can Do at Home

Checking Your INFINITI Oil at Home is Quick & Easy

Knowing how to check your current oil levels and health is a great skill to have when trying to keep up with the overall maintenance of your INFINITI. Fortunately, the process of doing so is simple even for those who are inexperienced with their vehicle knowledge. Mike Ward INFINITI in Highlands Ranch, CO, is ready to help you learn the steps it takes to check your engine oil at home. If it is time for an oil change, our Service Center staff will make sure your INFINITI receives quality oil to maximize performance and longevity in the Denver Metro region. 

How to Check Your Engine Oil

Supplies – Before you start the process of checking your oil, you will need only a couple of supplies. Most important is either a paper towel or a lint-free cloth. These will be used to wipe off existing oil for an accurate reading on the dipstick when that step arrives. If you don’t want to accidentally get oil on your hands, you can also wear a pair of gloves for quick cleanup. 

Starting Steps – When you are ready to check the oil, make sure the vehicle is parked on level ground and is turned off.  If the vehicle has been running for a while, allow it a few minutes to cool first so that you don’t burn yourself. Then open the hood of the vehicle and secure the hood upright.  Start looking for a little handle that is either yellow or orange in color or has an oil can pictured on it. This is the oil dipstick and it is what will provide you with the information you are looking for.

Process of Checking the Dipstick – Once you have located the dipstick under the hood, have your cloth or paper towel ready as you pull on the handle to remove the stick from its sheath. You will notice the stick already has a coating of oil on it as you remove it. This is not an accurate representation of what is in your vehicle currently. Use the towel to wipe off the dipstick and then reinsert the stick back into its compartment. After a second or two, remove it again and take a look at the oil coating the metal.

Knowing Your Oil Levels – Most dipsticks have notches in the metal, or some other form of visual indicator to represent when the oil levels are high, just right, or too low. If you see that the top oil line falls in between the high and low notches, you’re good to go. However, if your oil line is hovering around the low end of the stick, you don’t want to delay having a complete oil change service done with Mike Ward INFINITI. 

(Photo Credit: iStock)