Checking your engine’s oil is one of the most important items of routine maintenance that you can perform at home. It’s very easy to do in any vehicle, and especially in your Volkswagen. All you have to do is open the hood, pull out the dipstick (this is located very close to the engine and has a labeled yellow handle), wipe it off with a clean paper towel or rag, put it back in and pull it out again to check the oil level.

If the level is between the two marks, you’re good. If it’s a little high, there’s no need to worry. If it’s low, you can top up your oil yourself. You just need to make sure that you’re using the same oil that is already in your engine. To know this, talk to your dealer or consult your owner’s manual to find out what type of oil you need.

You should also be checking for the quality of your oil. If there are little specks and bits of grit in it, you should have your oil changed ASAP. This doesn’t mean that there’s anything wrong with your oil; rather, it means that your oil is doing what it’s supposed to. Oil is supposed to keep these gritty bits from getting stuck in your pipes and tubes and engine bits (technically speaking, of course). But to have those bits moving around in your oil for too long isn’t good, so you should get it changed as soon as you can.

In the meantime, check out this great video from Volkswagen on how to check your engine oil! If you have questions, come talk to us at King Volkswagen and we’ll get you on track.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9iL0oxF6Wq4