do i need to top up the oil on my car ever?

Question

am new to cars! measured the oil on my new very old car and it seems a little on the low side - is it OK just to top it up or is it a bit more complicated than that?

Answer 1

Some cars need the oil topping up weekly. Others need no oil in between services, but you should check regularly.

If the level is the same from one week to the next then just check monthly. But you should check. Honest.

Answer 2

If you're not sure when the oil was last changed, I should get an oil and filter change done now. Then you know you're off to a good start. It's cheaper than having your new old engine go bang!

Having done that, to keep an eye on your oil, warm the engine up by going for a drive and when you get back, park on the level, switch off and wait for 10 minutes or so. By then the nice warm oil will have run back to the sump. Pull the dipstick out and wipe it (paper towel's handy here). Put it back in and withdraw it again to read the level - it should be between the top and bottom marks. I'd do this twice to be sure.

Certainly you can and should top it up. Get a container of oil with a screw top (try Halfords) so you only need to use what you want and add it a little at a time via the cap on the top of the engine, allowing it to run down to the sump before checking with the dipstick. Bring it up to the top mark, but don't overfill it above this mark, that could cause serious problems. And don't forget to put the filler cap back on (saw someone once who did forget, he had a very oily engine, bonnet, everything under there!) If you're not sure, ask some kindly looking person in Halfords while you're buying your oil, don't feel embarrassed, no-one knows anything until they ask!

Personally, I check my oil weekly, probably unnecessarily, but I like to be sure everything's all right.

Hope this helps

Answer 3

The orange dip stick (on new cars) has the mark at the bottom. The mark is usually a punched out circle, a line, a xxxxx, a high/low side. If it falls between the level after you wipe if with a tissue or a cloth, you are on the right level. You don't need to top it all the way up. I don't know the term when you overfill it so much because I am NOT a ASE certified mechanic. According to my experience and the website that I subscribe to, at least 1 quart of oil is lost before the next oil change if you have a old car, they considered it normal. My experience when you speed 80 mph all the time, you consume more oil than before, because it needs lubrication.

When you check the oil level, shut the engine for at least 10 minutes, park on the level ground. Park downhill, oil is on the full side. Park uphill, oil is on the low side.

Answer 4

You what to keep the oil between the marks on the dipstick it does not need to be right up to the full mark. Also make sure the car is parked on level ground and enough time has passed (10 min)since the engine has been shut off so the oil can run back to the oil pan so you get a proper reading. In the old days cars tended to use oil so it was recommended that you check the oil after each fill up with gas but modern cars really only need to be check once a month or so along with the air pressure in your tires.

Answer 5

An aside to funkysoul. An annual oil change? Don't know much about cars, do you? Every 3 to 5 thousand miles, or every 3 months, which ever comes first.

Okay, get a rag, open the hood, pull the oil dipstick and wipe it clean. Look at it. It will have a MAX MIN on it probably, and a line that says "ADD".

When it gets to or below the ADD mark, add one quart of oil, change oil as outlined above.

To check it, put the dip stick back into the hole in came out of, fully, pull it out again and look to see where the oil is. If it's between MIN and MAX, it's fine. If it's below ADD then add a quart and check again. If you don't see oil on the stick at all, keep adding one quart at a time until you do, and be very glad you caught it before you ran completely out.

Answer 6

You need to take the oil stick out....wipe it clean with a rag/paper towell...insert back in....pull back out...you should be able to get an accurate read now. If it is below the full line, you need to add just enough to bring it up to the full mark. It is good to buy oil with a screw cap, so as you don't have to add the whole thing if it is not needed. But yes, it is alway better on the engine of your car if you keep it to the full mark.

You should have a full oil/filter change done every 3,000 miles.

Answer 7

Ah, you need one of two things: more oil or an oil change. Take a clean white towel and check your oil. If the oil is very dark/sludgy then it is time for a oil change. If it is an amber or caramel color and clear than it likely just needs to be topped off. When was the last oil change it had? If in doubt, a Quaker State, Jiffy Lube, etc. will be happy to take about 30 bucks off you and a few minutes of your time to change your oil.

Answer 8

I never check the oil on my car, you'd have thought I'd learn my lesson when the engine started making a funny noise, so did my partner! I'd go back to riding your bike, or get some other person to check your car for oil, you'll only get messy hands. My partner sometimes checks my car for oil, so does the garage, but it's all such a bore isn't it.

Answer 9

they should be 2 marks on you dip stick the one at the lowest point is your minimum level all you have to do is top it up to the higher mark (max)when the car has been turned off for a hour or so and its parked on a level surface, remember to much oil can be as bad as to little oil

Answer 10

No, leave it.

Then with a bit of luck it will stop working when the piston thingy's stop pumping, make some grinding noises and smoke to a halt.

One less car on the road- more room for you and I on our bikes!