Winter car health check: topping up your oil

Wednesday, 24 July 2019

It's easy to forget about your car's oil level. It's out of sight, out of mind and if there's a problem a warning light will come on, right?

Ignoring the slippery stuff until service time can be a false economy.

Oil is the lifeblood of your engine and running it too low can cause serious damage.

If something's a bright colour under the bonnet it's probably asking for your attention.

It pays to do a simple oil check every few weeks. Do it when the car's cold and park on level ground, with the handbrake on.

**READ MORE:

Oil is out of sight, out of mind. But it should be checked every few weeks.

* Car 101: five important bits under your car's bonnet

* Winter car health check: how to adjust your tyre pressures

* Tips to stay safe in wet-weather driving

* Winter is coming: so get your car ready**

You'll need to identify the dipstick. Most items under the bonnet that regular driver maintenance are a bright colour and they're almost always clearly labelled. The dipstick will likely have a hoop on the hand, to help you pull it out.

Remove the dipstick and wipe it with a clean, strong paper towel. You might have soft tissues in the car but don't use those - they might flake apart and stick to the oil.

Once it's clean, push the stick back in as far as it will go. When you pull it out again you'll be able to see what level your oil is at; most dipsticks have a minimum-maximum range marked on them.

If you need to top up, make you buy the correct type of oil for your car. Consult the handbook or ask your dealer garage.

Like the dipstick, the oil filler cap will be clearly marked. Don't get carried away filling up - add about 50ml at a time, waiting five minutes for it to settle and checking the level in between times.

Check out the video above from UK breakdown cover company GEM Motor Assist.