We get A LOT of questions from customers about what the holes and “x’s” on their engine oil level indicator aka, “dipstick”, means. Years ago the dipstick was designed to show when the oil in the pan was “full”, generally shown by MAX a section of knurled or cross hatches and a bottom mark that was stamped MIN. The top mark meant it had the correct amount of oil in the pan, the area in the middle meant the engine had used or may have leaked some out and the bottom meant the engine was 1 quart below full. See the image below.
On late model vehicles the dipsticks look very similar but the way they are read is completely different. This stick has two holes, one on the top and one on the bottom with the same cross hatch area in between. The difference is that the top hole means the engine is ½ quart OVER FULL and the bottom hole is ½ quart LOW. If the oil is anywhere in between these marks the engine is considered to be in the correct range and is neither over full nor low.
While most engines do not use much oil between normal scheduled services, leaks being the exception, manufacturers recommend owners check their oil monthly. There are a few reasons why it is a good idea to check your oil frequently: First, service intervals are becoming less frequent, from 3,000 miles all the way to 7,500. For example, if you your engine has a capacity of 5.5 quarts and you “lose” ½ quart every 1,000 miles if your service interval is 5,000 miles, you would have lost 2.5 quarts or 45%! While that is very extreme, it should illustrate the importance of checking your oil. Second, checking oil can alert you to potential problems. If the oil has a milky appearance it could indicate a possible coolant leak internally which could lead to severe engine damage. If the oil is thin and smells like fuel it may mean you have a fuel injector leaking which can lead to bearing damage if not caught quickly.
The good news is it is not hard to check your oil everything you need to know is located in your owner’s manual. If DIYing is not your thing or you have questions about how to do it correctly you have a friendly Ford service team (hint, hint) that is more than happy to help! Stop by, call or email and we will help you with any questions or service needs you may have.
If you have service related questions, wonder what that light is on your dash, how to extend the life of your tires or what cleaning products to use just drop us a note. We will do our best to answer your questions!