A simple guide to making sure your car engine oil is exactly where you want it every time. You need not fear "engine knock" if you have the checklist. See it here!
We probably all know that car engine oil is very important for the proper functioning of the car. Without good engine oil, the engine of the car can be damaged thus rendering the car completely useless unil you get a new engine.

Car engine oil helps lubricate the engine of the car. The metal components which are in the engine rub against each other, and this quickly leads to damages or being worn out. The lubrication from the engine oil helps hinder this, making the metal components in the engine to move together smoothly.

Besides this function, the car engine oil helps to perform other functions such as removing impurities inside the engine. Many car engine oil brand have additives which serve as detergents that help remove impurities or other deposits from the engine. Free from deposits, the engine can run smoothly as it is free from dirt.

Overheating of the engine can cause a car to break down. Engine oil has some cooling effects that keeps the upper engine cool and also cools the other parts of the engine. This cooling effect also assists to boost the energy of the engine.

Not using the right engine oil or probably the right amount of oil for your car can cause your car to consume high volumes of fuel. Using clean engine oil will help you to save the amount of fuel you put in your car from day to day.

Now that we have known how important engine oil is, let's quickly look at car engine oil checklist for keeping our car engine oil at the level it should be.:

1. Do not overfill

Filling the engine with too much oil is very unhealthy for the engine. You should have a limit on how much oil you are adding in your car. Too much engine oil can cause oil froth which will gradually destroy your car engine. Moreover, overflow can also amount to waste as you could have used that wasted amount on your next oil fill.



2. Check the oil color


Do not overlook the color of your engine oil as it may be telling you something. Newly purchased engine oil has a light golden brown hue: more like a light honey color. When your oil starts turning black or is black in color, know that it is the right time to change the oil.

Though, cars which use diesel engines unlike the fuel engine will have car oil which is black in color when newly filled. The sudden change in the color of the oil is because of the increased carbon content created by the combustion temperature unlike the petrol engine. The way to confirm this and know if your oil should be changed is to check if it is distended or if it has a ‘diesel fuel’ odor.


Black color means your engine oil needs change

3. Know your car oil grade or viscosity

Cars comes with different oil grade or viscosity. Your car oil may be mineral, synthetic based or semi-synthetic, synthetic technology, or even 100% synthetic. This is very important; you are not expected to use a synthetic based oil when you should be using a semi-synthetic. This information may be provided on your engine’s oil cap or in the vehicle’s owner’s manual.

If you are still not sure or confused about the oil grade to use, simply ask your car manufacturer or even your car dealers, they can be of help.

4. Know your oil level

This is what the dipstick is made for; you should always check your oil level using your dipstick. If you checked and the level of the oil is at or below the marks which could be the “min” or the “add”. Then consider adding a little bit of oil to the required level. To recheck, remove the dipstick, wipe and reinsert it again.



5. Check the smell of your engine oil

Apart from checking the smell of the diesel engine oil, you can also smell your petrol engine oil. To do this, simply dip your dipstick and sniff it. If it has a burnt odor: then it's time to change the oil. Also the feeling the oil with your on your finger can help too. If it feels grainy this is another good sign too.

Source: https://naijauto.com/car-maintenance/car-engine-oil-checklist-2938