The Dangers of Driving with Low Oil Level

Oil is a fluid that is essential for the engine of nearly every vehicle. Oil serves multiple roles in a vehicle’s engine and protects the engine during its operation. There are many reasons why you should make sure that your vehicle’s engine always has enough fresh oil circulating around it.

The Role of Oil in Your Vehicle

Oil is a fluid that your vehicle’s engine relies on to continue running smoothly. Primarily, oil lubricates the many rapidly-moving parts that are located in your vehicle’s engine, preventing them from damaging one another while the engine is running. While the engine is running, the engine’s oil coats the components in the engine and produces a protective layer of lubrication between the parts, allowing them to glide against one another.

Oil also helps your vehicle’s engine to remain cool while the engine is running. Oil circulates around a running engine, coming into contact with the engine’s many parts and absorbing heat from the parts. The circulation of oil around the engine allows the oil to dissipate the heat that it absorbs from the engine’s components.

A vehicle’s engine is kept clean by oil. As oil circulates through the engine, it removes debris from the engine’s components. Oil then deposits the engine’s debris in the engine’s oil filter, which is a tool that helps keep an engine’s oil clean.

Low Oil Level Problems

A vehicle’s engine will suffer from excessive wear when a driver uses their vehicle without having enough oil in its engine. The excessive wear is caused by both excess heat and excess friction in the vehicle’s engine, two things that oil is responsible for minimizing in the engine. This damage is irreversible and can eventually lead to premature engine failure.

Checking Your Vehicle’s Oil Level

You should routinely check the oil level of your vehicle’s engine to make sure that it has enough oil. Checking your vehicle’s oil level is quick, simple, and can be done in a variety of ways. Many newer vehicles allow drivers to check the oil levels of their vehicle’s engines from the convenience of the vehicles’ cabins. If your vehicle is equipped with the technology, then you can simply check the oil level of your vehicle’s engine by accessing the proper menus in your vehicle. You can learn more about how to use this technology from the owner’s manual of your vehicle. At Buchanan Auto Park, we can also show you how to check the oil level of your vehicle’s engine using this technology if your vehicle is equipped with it.

Most drivers need to use dipsticks to check the oil level in the engines of their vehicles. Most vehicles have dipsticks in their engines, providing drivers with accurate readings of the oil levels of their vehicles. To use the dipstick of your vehicle to check its oil level, you will first need to park the vehicle on a flat surface where the oil will remain at an even level. Once the vehicle is parked, you will need to remove the dipstick from its tube and wipe any of the existing oil off of the dipstick with a rag. After cleaning the dipstick, place it back into its tube fully. You will need to remove the dipstick once again from its tube and check where the top of the oil line is on the dipstick. The oil should be between the minimum and maximum markings that are labeled on the dipstick. If you notice that the oil level of your vehicle’s engine is below the minimum marking of its dipstick, then you will need to add oil to the vehicle’s engine.

Oil is one of the most important fluids in your vehicle, which is why it is essential for you to make sure that your vehicle’s engine is filled with enough oil. It is recommended that drivers have the oil in their vehicles’ engines replaced at least once every 3,000 miles. However, with the variety of oil types and engine designs that are used in the automotive industry, this mileage can vary. Visit us at Buchanan Auto Park if you need products and services that you can depend on. We will gladly provide you with information that will help you keep your vehicle running smoothly and reliably.