FAQs

Why Is Checking My Oil Important?

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The oil in your engine is like the blood in your body: vitally important to keeping your vehicle running down the road smoothly. The oil is specially formulated to minimize wear, help keep the engine cool, and clean and lubricate the internal components of your motor. Checking your oil is an easy bit of maintenance that should be performed regularly, and the technicians at our Jeep service center around the Woodbridge area can provide this service quickly and have you back on the road in no time.

Step 1

Start with the car on level ground so that you can make sure you get an accurate reading. You will want a cool or warm engine (check your owner's manual for your OEM recommendation), so if your vehicle is fully warmed up, park it and let it stand until it has cooled down.

Step 2

Open the bonnet of your vehicle and locate the "dipstick". Usually, the end of the stick will be adorned with a brightly colored pull handle. Remove the dipstick fully, and wipe all oil off of it. Then re-insert the dipstick falling into the engine, and remove it again.

Step 3

Visually inspect the level on the dipstick. Your dipstick will either have two holes, two notches, or an engraved mesh area. If the oil level is between the two points, then your oil level is good. If it is above the higher mark, you have too much oil in your vehicle and will need to remove some. If the reading is below the lower marking, you are low on oil and will need to add some. When you take advantage of the Express Lane service of our Springfield Dodge repair center, we can gauge this for you and take care of it without you needing to lift a finger!

Remember that you before you add oil, you should check the owner's manual or local dealer on the proper grade of oil to put into your engine. When adding oil, do so a little a time. Overfilling your oil can cause harm to other components of your vehicle, such as the catalytic converters. It is also a lot more work to remove the oil than to add it, so take your time and add slowly. If you have questions or feel uncomfortable performing an oil change yourself, please give us a call at (844)344-9042 or schedule your oil service online at our service center in Springfield, Virginia! Our quick and efficient technicians will have you in and out in no time.