FIlling up Oil

[milly143]

I have had the most ridiculous journey of my life today but I'll spare the details. On my way back my oil warning light came on so I stopped at a petrol station and put some oil in. My Dad asked if I had checked the oil level before I filled it up and as I could tell from the way he was asking me that I should have done, I fibbed and said yes. What could happen if I didn't check the level and just put more oil in? The light went off once I'd done it.

[milly143]

I'm not sure I should be laughing at that, but I am.

[sara3]

can I just say... some of us women do have the first idea!

milly, learn about your car. love it, look after it and it will be kinder to you :o)

[chrissa1]

Did anybody pick it up???

[milly143]

I know I know. I'm usually better with it, just very lazy recently. Poor excuse.

Don't know Chrissa. The two coppers with it were certainly keeping their distance. Think they were hoping they could pretend they hadn't seen it.

[milly143]

Thanks Eddie, I will check it before I go to work tomorrow. So if the level is ok and the light stays off, should I just leave it?

[AlBags]

It'll be ok Milly.Check it at work.
The light might come on temporarily round roundabouts as the oil level changes. If on again, just drive lightly and see if goes out again on the level. Don't drive with it permanently on.

[ChuckFickens]

Though if your oil light is coming on when going round roundabouts either 1) you are getting low on oil. or, 2) you are driving very fast round them :)

[AlBags]

It's likely to be both.

[wolfblane77]

i once overfilled the oil and my catalytic converter(in the exhaust)died after about a week,which cost a fortune! however i had overfilled it by about 4 pints. check your oil in the morning and if its way up the dipstick take it to a garage and get a bit drained off.

[AlBags]

Could you explain tho ... How exactly does one overfill .. by 1/2 a gallon?!

[Hopkirk]

I think you should confess your lie to your father, and ask his help.

[radiogaga]

right milly, jump in the car say your going to tesco, get to petrol station then check dip stick etc...

[chrissa1]

My thoughts exactly albags!!!!

[AlBags]

Yes.. Check your dipstick you dipstick Millie : )

xx

[sara3]

has anyone described what a dipstick looks like yet?

[AlBags]

Yes ... Its a long thing with a red end .. about 10-12" .. and fits into a hole on your bottom end somewhere. When you push it in and pull out again, you notice it gets a bit wet. You can read this like a guide.

[Andyvon]

Don't buy any more oil from the garage Milly! £15 for 1 litre is a terrible rip-off. My brother stopped on the motorway for oil once and they tried to charge him £45 for a gallon (or 5 litres)! Go to any motor parts factor (supplier) and they'll charge you fairly.

If the oil light has gone out you have just the bare minimum of oil in the engine. Buy a 5 litre can of oil then slowly top the oil up until it is level with the top (full) of the two marks on the dipstick. Get your father to show you how if you need to and then you'll always know. You car should take about another 3 - 4 litres at a guess. It doesn't matter too much if the level is slightly either side of the full mark but fill it slowly and try to get it exact.

Make sure you don't overfill the engine. My first wife once told me to my surprise that she would top the car up with oil, then got all funny when I asked her if she knew how. OK, OK, I thought. I then got a call from the petrol station saying the car wouldn't start and had a flat battery. When I got there with jump leads the engine was only turning over very slowly. I eventually found she'd continued pouring oil in until it was up to the top of the filler cap!

[chrissa1]

If you're so scared about your father finding out, it beats me why he didn't give you a crash course in looking after a car's engine before you started driving. It would have taken ooh, all of 5 minutes.

[Argonaut40]

Hi milly,

You should check your oil level regularly and not rely on warning lights as bulbs can blow and sensors can fail. This is why your Dad asked if you had checked the level first.

Look at your handbook to find where your dipstick is located and to see what markers are used to indicate the correct level. You also need to get the right type of oil i.e. for a diesel or petrol engine and the correct viscosity. To check your oil level you should Have the car on level ground and run your engine until it reaches normal operating temperature and then switch it off and wait for 5 min before checking the oil level. Remove the dipstick and wipe clean using a CLEAN lint free cloth. Re-insert the dipstick for a few seconds then remove and check the level against the markers on the dipstick (these markers vary dependant on vehicle hence why you sould refer to handbook). The reason you check oil when it is warm is that it expands with heat. As has been stated already most cars (but not all) will take about 0.5ltr of oil to fill the engine from min to max. Also please remember running a car with too much oil can cause serious problems too. e.g. blown oil seals.


I'm sure if you ask you dad will show you - it's best you know for future reference and to avoid ghastly repair bills.

I hope this helps,

Jason