Why Check Your Oil?

Most household plants get more attention than the average engine! Yet an engine rebuild - following damage from lack of oil - could cost you well in excess of £1,300 ... It's time to check!

Checking your oil and topping it up need be no more complicated than filling up with fuel or replenishing the screenwash. But whilst all cars have fuel gauges so you don't run out, very few have anything other than an oil warning light to signal the oil level.

The trouble is, if the oil light flashes on, you're probably already dangerously close to causing major damage, and receiving major garage bills. It may already be too late - so don't give it the chance to light up.

Check your oil level at least once month, always before a long journey - or even more often, subject to the advice given in your vehicle handbook.

The clue's in the name really ... it's a warning light. The warning is to stop the car immediately.

If the oil light comes on...

If you check your oil level frequently it shouldn't happen - but there's always a chance your oil light will come on - and even if the level is fine, the oil pressure might not be. Knowing what to do when the light comes on could help you save a lot of time, effort and money!

If the oil warning light on your dashboard comes on:

• stop as soon as safely possible and turn the engine off
• park the car on a level surface so that the oil rests in the sump as the engine cools
• check the oil level after a few minutes, using the dipstick, remembering to wipe clean with cloth when it is first withdrawn and taking the reading from the second insertion
• most dipsticks feature a minimum and maximum level line - correct oil level should read between these two lines, although it's different on every vehicle so consult the handbook
• if the level is too low, top up - it always pays to carry one of Comma's one-litre top up packs of oil in your car for just such an emergency
• if you don't have a top-up pack on you, get oil brought to your car - don't keep driving
• restart the engine only once more oil has been added and given a chance to rest in the sump - if the warning light stays on, turn off engine immediately and call for professional assistance.

And it pays to know what to do before the light comes on too! Check your vehicle's manufacturer handbook for advice on what to do if the oil warning light comes on - don't wait until it happens to find out what it means!

Click here to see car manufacturer's advice

How much might it cost to rebuild your engine?

These engine rebuild costs should give you an idea of how much it might cost to rebuild your car's engine, following damage caused by not having enough, or the right type of oil.

Avoid big bills

Running your car with little or no oil is a one-way street to (at best) the garage or (at worst) the scrap heap. Low engine oil is known to have caused all these horrors:

• big end bearing failure, they will quickly wear out and seize - eventually they could break and literally burst through the side of the engine block
• main crankshaft breakage
• camshaft damage

In plain English, and in a worst case scenario, running a car with none, or very little oil, can cause it to 'blow up'. It takes one minute to check your oil level and a few quid to top-up - don't take the risk of it happening to you!

"I've got a new car - I'm not worried!"

...Well you should be! Even modern engines can use as much oil as older ones. That's why it's important to check and top up in between services.

And if your car's still in it's warranty period, then it's still just as important to check the oil. Leading UK warranty experts, Warranty Direct, said: "No company is going to pay out if the cause of engine failure is lack of oil. Top up and miss out on motoring misery."

It's just as important to use the right type of oil - so make sure you select the right oil for your car - Click here for products guide

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