How to top up engine oil yourself — What happens if you underfill or overfill the oil? ➤ AUTODOC CLUB

DIY engine oil top-up

Make sure the oil is always topped up to the recommended level! If there isn’t enough oil to lubricate the moving parts of the engine, these will wear faster and could overheat.

Park your car on an even surface.
Make sure the oil you top up with is the same as what’s already in the engine. This applies to both the viscosity and the brand.
Turn off the engine and let it cool down for 10–15 minutes.
Remove the oil filler cap. This is usually marked with the word oil, a viscosity rating, or an oil can symbol.
Place a funnel in the oil filler.
Pour in 100 ml of engine oil and wait 10 minutes. This is the time required for the oil to settle in the oil pan.
Check the engine oil level with the dipstick.
Add more oil. Keep adding 100 ml of oil at time and checking the level until you reach the recommended one.
Screw the oil filler cap back on tight. Do not overfill the oil. Too much lubricant can lead to blown seals, carbon deposits on the engine walls, and catalytic converter failure.

Caution: Don’t let any oil spill onto the drive belts and their pulleys!

NB: A sudden increase or decrease in the oil level can be a sign of a system malfunction. Contact specialists for diagnostics and repair!

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Den

a smiley technician with plenty of experience starring in AUTODOC's video tutorials; Never seen without his goggles; races his BMW X5 E53; dreams about receiving a Gold Play Button for getting 1,000,000 subscribers on YouTube.