How to Respond When Your Car's Oil Light Goes On
Pull over to the side of the road and shut off the engine., Check the oil level with the dipstick., Look for signs of a leak., Add oil if it’s low and check the oil light., Do not drive the vehicle if the oil light comes back on.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Pull over to the side of the road and shut off the engine.
When your engine oil light comes on, you should look for a safe opportunity to pull the vehicle over immediately.
Continuing to run the engine with insufficient oil to lubricate the moving parts can result in catastrophic damage to the internal components of your engine, but your safety and the safety of those around you should be your first concern.
Shut the car off as soon as you are safely on the side of the road.Pull the vehicle over and shut it off as quickly as you can do so safely.
The longer the engine runs with low oil pressure, the greater the likelihood that damage is occurring inside the engine. -
Step 2: Check the oil level with the dipstick.
Once you are safely on the side of the road, pop the hood and check the oil level in your vehicle’s engine using the dipstick.
Locate the dipstick in the engine bay and remove it, wipe off the oil that is on the indicator at the end of the dipstick using a rag or napkin, then slide the dipstick back into the tube it came from.
Now remove the dipstick again and look at the amount of oil on the indicator.Look at how far up the indicator the wet oil line reaches.
Each line below the “full” line indicates a quart of oil the engine is low.
If the oil line reaches the second line below the “full” line, it means the engine is short two quarts of oil. , If there was the appropriate amount of oil in your engine before, but the level is now far too low, it means the oil either leaked out of the vehicle or was burned by the engine due to an internal leak.
Look under the car for any indications of an oil leak.
If you see oil dripping down from the engine below the car, it likely means a gasket has ruptured or the oil filter is not securely fastened to the vehicle.Be careful, the oil leaking from the engine is likely extremely hot.
If you do not see any signs of a leak and the oil level was not too low, the problem may not be a lack of oil, but a lack of oil pressure. , Your oil light may have come on because there wasn’t enough oil in the system to maintain adequate oil pressure.
Purchase the same kind of oil the vehicle already has in it, paying attention to the weight of the oil (5w30, 10w30, etcetera) and add enough to bring the dip stick oil indicator back to full.
Start the engine, and see if the oil light is still on.If the oil light stays off, it means your engine was low on oil.
You will need to assess where the oil went, but can safely drive the vehicle as long as the oil doesn’t leak out of the engine too quickly.
If the oil light comes back on, shut the engine back down. , If you add oil and the light comes back on, it means the issue is oil pressure, not the amount of oil.
Oil pressure is created by the oil pump forcing the oil through the engine.
If the pump fails to function, the engine will not be properly lubricated and running it will cause damage.If the oil light stays on, you will need to have the vehicle towed to your house or a repair facility.
Do not drive the vehicle with the oil light on if at all possible. -
Step 3: Look for signs of a leak.
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Step 4: Add oil if it’s low and check the oil light.
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Step 5: Do not drive the vehicle if the oil light comes back on.
Detailed Guide
When your engine oil light comes on, you should look for a safe opportunity to pull the vehicle over immediately.
Continuing to run the engine with insufficient oil to lubricate the moving parts can result in catastrophic damage to the internal components of your engine, but your safety and the safety of those around you should be your first concern.
Shut the car off as soon as you are safely on the side of the road.Pull the vehicle over and shut it off as quickly as you can do so safely.
The longer the engine runs with low oil pressure, the greater the likelihood that damage is occurring inside the engine.
Once you are safely on the side of the road, pop the hood and check the oil level in your vehicle’s engine using the dipstick.
Locate the dipstick in the engine bay and remove it, wipe off the oil that is on the indicator at the end of the dipstick using a rag or napkin, then slide the dipstick back into the tube it came from.
Now remove the dipstick again and look at the amount of oil on the indicator.Look at how far up the indicator the wet oil line reaches.
Each line below the “full” line indicates a quart of oil the engine is low.
If the oil line reaches the second line below the “full” line, it means the engine is short two quarts of oil. , If there was the appropriate amount of oil in your engine before, but the level is now far too low, it means the oil either leaked out of the vehicle or was burned by the engine due to an internal leak.
Look under the car for any indications of an oil leak.
If you see oil dripping down from the engine below the car, it likely means a gasket has ruptured or the oil filter is not securely fastened to the vehicle.Be careful, the oil leaking from the engine is likely extremely hot.
If you do not see any signs of a leak and the oil level was not too low, the problem may not be a lack of oil, but a lack of oil pressure. , Your oil light may have come on because there wasn’t enough oil in the system to maintain adequate oil pressure.
Purchase the same kind of oil the vehicle already has in it, paying attention to the weight of the oil (5w30, 10w30, etcetera) and add enough to bring the dip stick oil indicator back to full.
Start the engine, and see if the oil light is still on.If the oil light stays off, it means your engine was low on oil.
You will need to assess where the oil went, but can safely drive the vehicle as long as the oil doesn’t leak out of the engine too quickly.
If the oil light comes back on, shut the engine back down. , If you add oil and the light comes back on, it means the issue is oil pressure, not the amount of oil.
Oil pressure is created by the oil pump forcing the oil through the engine.
If the pump fails to function, the engine will not be properly lubricated and running it will cause damage.If the oil light stays on, you will need to have the vehicle towed to your house or a repair facility.
Do not drive the vehicle with the oil light on if at all possible.
About the Author
Lori Cook
Experienced content creator specializing in lifestyle guides and tutorials.
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