by Allen Teal

Created on: February 10, 2009

To determine how often to check your car's oil, you have to first think about your car. If it is a new car or late model with low mileage, you probably will not need to check the oil as often as on an old high mileage vehicle. For most drivers, there are some natural times to check the oil that will help you remember to do it. Here are some guidelines to help you decide when you car's oil should be checked.

Check the oil at least once per week.

If you drive very little, you will want to check the oil on a designated day of the week. Checking it on your day off is a great choice because if you get a little messy, you have time to clean up. When possible, check the oil before you start the car for the day while the engine is cold. This will have all of the oil in the oil pan. You also will not have to wipe the oil of the dipstick to get an accurate reading. When you pull the dipstick up from a cold engine block, the level of oil shown on the stick should be exactly right. It is best if the car is sitting level when you check it.

When you fill up your tank, check the oil level.

While the fuel is running into your tank, it is a good time to pop the hood and check the dipstick. Since the engine has been running, do not forget to wipe the oil from the stick and recheck the level for an accurate reading. It is a good idea to check the oil at this time because you have driven your car a hundred miles or more. This could have caused the oil level to change. If you are traveling, make sure to check the oil at every fill up.

The oil should be checked after you have had it changed.

This may seem a little silly to some. However, there are plenty of stories out there about mechanics making mistakes on routine oil changes. They may have forgotten to put oil back in your car after the servicing. The oil pan plug may not have been properly tightened. The plug can strip at times without the mechanic realizing it. The seal on the filter could fail.

Always check the oil after you have had it changed. One service shop even failed to do the oil change. When the vehicle owner checked the oil before leaving the parking lot and found dirty oil and the old filter still on the car, it was not a very good moment.

Check the oil every day or two if your car has an oil leak.

A few drops of oil on the driveway can indicate that your car has an oil leak. A car can leak oil for years without damage if you check you oil every day or so and keep it filled. Obviously, after a while, you will develop a feel for exactly how often that you need to check to keep the crankcase filled. This same approach is used if your car burns a little oil between changes. It is common for older cars to use a quart or more between oil changes.

If warning lights come on or the oil pressure drops, check the oil immediately.

For most people, this is just common sense. However, driving the car even a few miles if it is more than a quart low on oil can do serious damage. Warning lights do not usually light up for oil unless you are more than a quart low and the oil pump cannot keep the oil pressure up due to lack of oil.

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