What is the normal oil level in the engine. How to check the oil level

In a modern car, most diagnostic work, as well as checking the condition of components and assemblies, is increasingly being left to the mercy of electronics. Moreover, leading automakers promise that by 2025 engine oil will be filled once and will last the entire life of the engine. In the meantime, any of us need to know how to properly check the oil level in the engine, which we will do now.

How to correctly determine the oil level

At first glance, such a trifling job as checking the oil level can cause certain difficulties and anxiety for the owner - this is a sudden increase in the level, a drop, a change in the characteristics of the oil. All this can be tracked if you conduct a check with sense and knowledge of the matter. In any engine, the check is carried out using a probe., which is always in the easy access zone. It is inserted into a sealed hole in the cylinder block, and the other end is immersed in an oil bath in the crankcase.

Checking the oil level

Oil dipstick features

Each dipstick, regardless of engine model, has two marks- maximum and minimum lubrication levels. However, there are certain conditions under which the probe reading may be incorrect. To minimize the influence of these conditions and determine the amount of oil in the crankcase as accurately as possible, you must use the simple rules outlined below.

Level check algorithm

To check the level correctly, as well as to understand the main points of the process, we present the verification algorithm as accessible as possible:

A big mistake is to judge the level immediately after removing the dipstick. Control is carried out only after re-immersion of the probe into the crankcase.

1. On the probe we find two marks - a minimum and a maximum. Normal level- oil is between these two notches. Add oil only if its level is below the minimum or a few millimeters above it. It is also not advisable to keep the level at the maximum.

It is worth remembering that in most engines with a full standard sump between the minimum and maximum on the dipstick, the total oil volume can be from 500 to 800 ml.

Additional nuances

The oil level should be checked as often as possible - at each refueling, during daily inspection, and if the car is operated periodically, then before each engine start. Adding oil should be done either on a cold or slightly warm engine. so that after topping up the dipstick readings are as real as possible. At the same time, topping up is carried out with exactly the brand of oil that was filled before, or the brand recommended by the manufacturer.

Adding oil is best when the engine is cold.

How often to check?

The frequency of the check depends on the condition of the engine. But the frequency of changing the oil is highly dependent on the brand of the engine, its power and design features. Eg, for low-speed low-power motors, a normal replacement period may be 15 thousand km, but the regulation also depends on the quality of the lubricant.

In this case, it is worth being guided not so much by the regulations specified by the manufacturer, but by the results of the level check. Black and too thin oil on the dipstick- the first reason to change the lubricant and filter. Serve the engine correctly and in a timely manner, good luck to all the roads and the millionth run to your motor!

Video about checking the engine oil level

Hi all! Oddly enough, not all motorists know how to check the oil level in the engine. Although this wording is not entirely correct.

Almost everyone knows that to assess the level and condition of the lubricant in the crankcase, it is enough to insert and pull out the dipstick. From it it will be seen how much oil is available on which engine. Already further conclusions are drawn as to when it is better to change it or simply fill in the missing amount before the planned change of lubricant.

There are a few rules and tips to follow. In some cases, you can check the level without a dipstick. But it will be better if a special measuring tool is at hand.

Why and when to check

Whether you have a MAN-type truck or some kind of passenger car, all installed internal combustion engines involve filling in lubricating oil.

Over time, the oil is consumed and loses its physical and chemical characteristics. And then the lamp lights up , and the motorist is thinking about the possibility of changing the lubricant in the crankcase in the near future. He will do this using or not is another question.

First, the main questions. When and why? Checking the oil level makes it possible to control not only its quantity, but also its condition. Driving a car whose engine is cooled and lubricated with used oil threatens with serious problems. This is a replacement of parts and even a major overhaul. That is, you don’t even need to ask why such a procedure. It's more important to know when to do it. It is difficult to answer this question correctly. In general, you should check frequently.

It is especially important to make sure that the oil is sufficient and in good condition if you are going on a long trip. Knowing from the marks what the correct level should be, you check with the current indicators. If you see that the amount is less than necessary, or the lubricant has become completely black, it is dangerous to drive far.

In everyday life, if you just drive a car to and from work, and also take the children to school, do shopping, then it is enough to check at least once every 2 weeks. Some do it more often, some later. Oil is one of the indicators of engine problems. Therefore, its verification will never be superfluous.

There are a few basic tips that you should definitely follow when checking the oil level. And it doesn't matter what kind of car you have.

These rules apply equally to vehicles such as:

• Nissan Teana;
• Kia LED;
• Mercedes 211;
• Audi A4;
• Honda SRV;
• BMW;
• Hyundai Sonata;
• Skoda Octavia;
• Nissan Beetle;
• Volkswagen Polo sedan;
• Lada Priora 16 valves, etc.

That is, any motor that involves the use of an internal combustion engine.

In winter and summer, it is important to fill in engine oil that is optimally suited to the requirements of the automaker and weather conditions. Here, by the way, it will be relevant to recall the . Whether you need to do this or not, you will find out by clicking on the link to our previous material.

In order to avoid mistakes and not receive incorrect data when checking the amount of lubricant in the crankcase, I advise you to start by learning simple 5 rules.

• To ensure the oil level is correct, use level ground to check. Any bias to the side will result in the probe not showing the true value;
• Which engine do you think the measurements will show the correct value? That's right, warm. Therefore, the motor is first heated to operating temperature;
• All oil should drain back into the crankcase. If you just drove into the garage or stopped in the parking lot, do not rush to insert the dipstick. A lot of oil is still in the system, and has not had time to drain down. After all, after pressing or when you turn the ignition key, the oil begins to be distributed throughout the engine. When the engine stops, the grease flows back into the crankcase;
• For a correct assessment of the amount of grease, use the original dipstick. Trying to make some kind of wire or homemade probe is not worth it.

As for me, the advice, although simple, is extremely important. Without following these recommendations, you will definitely not be able to find out the real level of lubricant in the engine. Therefore, in the future you may encounter additional problems.

Check sequence

And now directly about how to obtain accurate information about the oil level in the engine of your car. First, remember all the above rules.

After that, you can get to work. It will take just a minute of your time.

• Stop the car, turn off the engine;
• If the test is done in the winter on the street by car after a long parking, start the engine and let it warm up;
• In summer, on hot days, it is not always necessary to warm up, but it is better to scroll the engine at idle for the exact value;
• 10-15 minutes after warming up or stopping, the oil will have time to drain down;
• Raise the hood;
• Find the dipstick;
• Pull it out;
• Wipe with a dry cloth;
• Insert into place until it stops, and scroll in different directions;
• Pull the dipstick back. On it you will see a trace of oil;
• The correct level is the one that is located between the two labels of the minimum and maximum values;
• If the level goes down, add oil.

Checking on a cold engine does not give accurate data. But some motors are equipped with probes, where the measuring tool has a special marking for checking on a cold and hot motor. Your benchmark is a hot engine.

Oversaturating the engine with oil is also not recommended. If too much is added, the excess will seep into the crankcase ventilation and into the cylinders. Plus, an excess amount poses a threat to the catalyst. Changing it is not only difficult, but also very expensive.

Details

If you have recently purchased a car and do not yet know how much oil it consumes per 1000 km, then oil level check should be carried out as often as possible, at least once for refueling the fuel tank.

Fig 1 - Car engine.

It is best to check the oil level before starting the engine for the first time. When checking, it is very important that the car is strictly in a horizontal plane, a small unevenness can introduce a significant error.

If you are checking the level on a hot engine, be sure to wait at least 5 minutes after stopping the engine. The oil must have time to drain into the crankcase, otherwise the measurement will also be erroneous. But it is better to do this, I repeat again, on a cold engine before the first start.

Checking the oil level is carried out as follows:

• Remove the dipstick (oil level indicator), wipe it dry with a clean cloth. The rag should not leave fluff behind.
• Push the dipstick back into the engine until it stops.
• Wait a couple of seconds and pull it out again. At the tip of the dipstick you should see the oil level.

The oil level must be between the min and max marks.

If the oil level is slightly below the bottom mark, then you should add oil to the engine. The amount of oil between the min and max marks is usually 1 liter.

You must watch the oil level and do not allow it to fall below the min mark. This is especially dangerous if the car is driven in a harsh manner or it is operated in mountainous areas. It may turn out that the oil will collect in the opposite corner from the oil receiver and the pump will suck in air instead of oil, which will lead to oil starvation of the engine.

A high oil level is also undesirable. Excess oil can enter the crankcase ventilation system and then into the cylinders. This is especially dangerous for vehicles equipped with a catalytic converter. If there is a large amount of oil in the exhaust gases, then soon this will lead to the failure of an expensive catalytic converter.

The best option is to keep the oil level strictly in the middle, between the min and max marks.

In order for cars to work smoothly and without breakdowns, it is required. Unfortunately, car owners cannot do many planned works on their own due to lack of knowledge and experience. Fortunately, routine maintenance that requires skilled assistance does not need to be done as often. But there are a number of scheduled checks and work that any driver can do on their own. The simplest thing is regularly to keep your car in good condition.

Here are the fluids in the car you should check so that all the systems of the car work without failures and breakdowns.

Most fluid checks in a car do not require your skill or any special knowledge. After all, it is not difficult to lift the hood to check the necessary fluids. By doing regular checks and scheduled fluid changes, you will keep your vehicle in good condition and avoid costly breakdowns.

In addition, self-changing fluids in the car will allow you to avoid dishonest treatment in car services, where we are often forced to replace various fluids, even if this is not necessary, and various other methods of deception are used.

All you need to check and replace yourself is where to look and what to look for. Surely you have often heard that for the normal operation of the engine, it is necessary to regularly check the oil level. Let's take a closer look at what this means.

Keep in mind that each make and model is different in its design and therefore the location of the oil indicator (“dipstick”) is different, so ours must be taken as a universal instruction that you can slightly modify to suit your vehicle.

Engine oil

Most likely, the first thing you learned about your first car is that you need to check the engine oil level in it and periodically change it. These works must be carried out in most cars in which, as a rule, it is possible to check the fluid level in.

In most cars, to check the oil level, you need to turn off the engine, open the hood, find the oil dipstick, which you need to pull out and wipe it. After that, it is necessary to insert a clean dipstick back into the engine block for a short time and pull it out again after looking at the oil level. If the oil level does not correspond to the minimum permitted value, then it is necessary to add engine oil to the normal level. Remember that the older the car, the more often you will have to add oil. If the machine burns a large amount of oil, then it is necessary to contact the car repair shop for engine diagnostics.

How often should the engine oil be checked: Once upon a time, car manufacturers recommended checking the oil level in the engine every time you refueled at a gas station. These days, modern cars don't need to check that often. Checking once a month is sufficient.

How often should the engine oil be changed: It depends on the automaker, on the driving style, on the climatic conditions of the vehicle, on the year of manufacture of the vehicle, and much more. Someone claims that the oil needs to be changed every 5,000 kilometers or every 6 months. Someone on the contrary believes that it is necessary every 15,000-20,000 km. In order to find out exactly how often an oil change is necessary, you need to refer to the manual for the car (or to the service book) where the manufacturer recommends the frequency of oil changes.

Oil in the gearbox

Your gearbox does the hard work of transferring engine power to drive the wheels. Thanks to her, the car accelerates smoothly and quickly. In many cars, you can also check the transmission oil, just like you check the engine oil. The difference between checking the oil in the gearbox and checking the oil in the engine is that the engine must be running.

Unlike engine oil, transmission oil is inside a closed system, so the oil level in the box cannot be low.

If the oil level in the transmission is low, then without adding oil to the box, contact a specialized car service to diagnose box depressurization and oil leakage. During the check of the oil in the box, the color of the liquid, viscosity and smell are checked.

The oil in the box should be red in color and not contain a burnt smell. If the liquid is brown and smells like burning, then you need to change the oil in the box.

How often should the oil in the box be checked: Monthly.

How often do you need to change the oil in the box: It depends on the type, brand and model. Also, the frequency of replacement depends on the type of transmission. But, as a rule, in most cars, the frequency of changing the oil in the box is from 80,000 to 160,000.

Coolant (antifreeze)

As the name suggests, coolant, otherwise known as antifreeze, cools the car's engine from overheating. If the coolant level is below normal, then most likely our car will overheat. The coolant is inside the radiator. You can check its level by simply unscrewing the cap of the radiator or the cap of the antifreeze expansion tank (depending on the make, model of the car, the cap is located in different places under the hood). Remember that the antifreeze test must be carried out on a cold engine, which must be turned off. If the fluid level is low, then it is necessary to add antifreeze to the required minimum level.

How often to check the antifreeze level: At least twice a year. Spring and autumn. We recommend that you check the coolant level each time you open the hood of your vehicle. This is not difficult to do, but it will help to avoid unexpected fluid leaks as a result of depressurization of the engine cooling system.

How often to change antifreeze: 1 time in 2-3 years.

Brake fluid

Just like in a gearbox, the brake fluid is inside a closed system, so the fluid level in the brake system should never be low. However, it is necessary to check the fluid level to avoid unexpected breakdowns of the brake system. The container with brake fluid is located under the hood of the car. Basically, the fluid reservoir is located on the left side of the machine. To check the fluid level, you just need to look at the level from the side. The color of the brake fluid is also checked. It should be golden in color. If the color is brown or darker, the brake fluid needs to be changed.

How often to check the brake fluid: Every time you change your engine oil.

How often to change the brake fluid: Every two years.

Power Steering Fluid

Your power steering helps you keep your steering soft and light. When the power steering fluid level becomes low, you may hear a squeaky steering wheel or other strange noises. To check the power steering fluid level, you need to find a special reservoir under the hood where this fluid is located. Usually, to check the power steering fluid level, it is enough to look inside the reservoir. Usually the fluid level in the hydraulic booster does not drop to the minimum values. Therefore, if you find a low level in the tank where the hydraulic booster fluid is filled, then you need to make diagnostics in a car service to identify a possible fluid leak from the steering system.

How often to check the power steering fluid: Once a month.

How often do you need to change the fluid in the hydraulic booster: Not earlier than 80,000 km or never. Typically, manufacturers recommend not changing the fluid in hydraulic boosters until, for some reason, the fluid is below the set level. But not in all cars, the fluid in the hydraulic booster is not changeable. In many models, manufacturers recommend changing the fluid every 80,000 kilometers of the car. Read your vehicle owner's manual carefully to find out how often your vehicle's power steering fluid needs to be changed.

Checking the engine oil is a mandatory procedure before each vehicle operation. An incorrect level of lubricant on the dipstick serves as a certain indicator of a motor malfunction. In order to prevent a breakdown in advance, it is necessary not only to constantly check the oil level, but also to know how to do it correctly.

To understand how to check the engine oil level correctly, you need to familiarize yourself with some of the nuances of the procedure.

An oil check must be carried out before starting the engine of the machine. Do not check the lubricant level immediately after driving or after simply warming up the car. A hot motor will prevent all the grease from draining into the sump and checking with a dipstick will be inaccurate. Therefore, only the cold state of the engine is considered ideal for checking the oil level.

If the machine still worked for a certain time, but it is required to measure the level of lubrication, then the engine should be turned off and allowed to cool for 15-20 minutes. Only then can the level be checked.

How to check the oil in the engine if it is winter or cold weather outside? To do this, the car must be started and warmed up for several minutes. After that, muffle and after a few minutes you can check the level. At cold temperatures, the oil thickens and may not show the exact amount in the sump. Some dipsticks of modern cars are designed so that they have 4 marks. Two of them allow you to measure the oil when the engine is cold, and the other two when it is hot.

Be sure to watch the video:

Before measuring the lubricant in the engine, you should make sure that the machine is on a relatively flat surface. Tilt in any direction will cause the oil in the sump to be unevenly distributed, and it will not be possible to correctly determine its amount. You should not be too scrupulous in this matter and go as far as using the level, it is enough to park the car on a flat road and take a measurement.

Procedure for measuring oil

In order to correctly determine the level of lubricating fluid, it is necessary to open the hood of the car and find the dipstick. The probe is a narrow metal strip with a convenient plastic handle on the end, which is located in the cylinder block. The colors of the probes can be different, it all depends on the brand of the car, but most often manufacturers prefer red, orange or yellow. Cars with an automatic transmission also have a second dipstick, which is located either to the side of the engine or on its rear. You should know exactly what a particular dipstick is responsible for in order to avoid a mistake when filling oil.

Oil dipstick

After the probe has been found, it must be pulled out of the block. To do this, you should not make significant efforts, it is enough to slightly pull it towards you. At the beginning of the movement, the sealing rubber may be tight, the probe can be turned slightly from side to side, and then freely pulled out.

Taking out the dipstick, the first step is to check the color of the oil. It should be yellow-brown, this color means that the oil has recently been changed and does not need to be changed urgently. If the oil is black, then it is necessary to replace it as soon as possible; you cannot ride on a long-used lubricant. Such a ride can lead to overheating of the engine and its rapid failure.

Now the probe must be wiped with a rag and reinserted in its original place. The dipstick must be fully seated, including the rubber o-ring. If it does not fall into place, it must be turned first in one direction, then in the other.

Once all of the above operations have been completed, the measuring probe is taken out again. And now the level of the lubricating fluid is checked. On different cars, the marks on the probes are also different. Some probes may have two dashes with the words ‘min’ and ’max’. On other probes, two small dots are simply drilled. The one closest to the handle is responsible for the maximum oil level, and the one located closer to the end of the dipstick is responsible for the minimum oil level. If the oil is at the first mark or has fallen below it, then this means that it must be topped up.

If the oil mark is approximately in the middle, then this level can be considered the most correct. It should be remembered that on a hot engine, the level of lubricant will be completely different.

If the dipstick in the engine has become unusable or has been damaged in any way, then you must purchase exactly the same one. A dipstick from another car will not allow you to accurately measure the oil, as the design of cars is different.

What happens if you don't check the oil level on time?

If you treat checking the level of lubricating fluid with disdain, then later this can lead to very negative consequences and you need to know how to check the oil level in the engine before buying a car.

If such malfunctions occur as the failure of the silent blocks on the crankshaft, the crankcase ventilation is disturbed, or the oil gradually flows out from under the valve cover, then a timely measurement of the oil level can prevent a breakdown in time. Also, the worn-out cylinder-piston group of the engine will mercilessly consume not only excess fuel, but also lubricant.

Before each departure of the car, it is very important to check the oil level correctly, especially since it does not take a lot of time. It is also necessary to know that a certain amount of lubricant will be used up irretrievably. For example, the lubricant that appears on the piston group. Natural oil consumption is indicated in the owner's manual, and constant level measurements will help to control it more carefully.

Checking the oil in the engine will help not only monitor its level, but also constantly monitor the quality of the lubricant. It does not always turn out that the lubricant needs to be replaced precisely through the mileage indicated in the instruction manual. If the car is used frequently and in urban conditions, then no matter how much the speedometer shows, the need for a complete replacement of the lubricant may arise earlier.