Don’t let the dipstick dry out

Let’s go to the basics. Your engine has many moving metal parts. When moving parts make contact with each other, there is friction. Friction generates heat. Combustion also creates heat, and the combustion inside your car’s cylinders produces the power needed for your car to drive. The faster you drive, the faster the metal parts will move because the cylinders go through the combustion cycle more often. Lots of heat from friction and combustion means metal parts get very, very hot. Motor oil is used in your engine to cool metal parts and reduce friction. Your car therefore needs oil. Without oil, your engine will seize up and become a useless block of metal. If that happens, your motor is toast and will need to be replaced.

That pretty much sums up the cause and effect workings of a car engine. (a bit simplified). The moral of the story: his car needs oil. Think of your oil dipstick as the “oil gauge” for your car’s engine. It is marked with a “complete” line and it is marked with a “add” line. To check your engine oil, pull the dipstick out, wipe it clean, and reinsert it. Then pull it out again and see where the oil level reads. If it’s between “add” and “full” lines, you’re probably ready to go. However, if the dipstick stays dry when you pull it out the second time, you have a problem.

What to do if the dipstick is dry

Assuming your engine hasn’t seized yet, you need to add some oil before you start the car again. You want to see it on the rod. If the engine oil warning light hasn’t appeared on your dash, you might be in luck and have two to two and a half quarts left in the engine. Be sure to add the right type of oil for your vehicle, which you can find in your car’s owner’s manual or a motor oil guide. A complete oil change is needed at this point. Either a mechanic does it or you do it yourself. Synthetic oil is better for your engine than conventional oil because it offers more protection, lasts longer and maintains its specifications at higher temperatures. If your dipstick is dry, your car has an emergency. To meet the emergency head-on, synthetic oil is the way to go.

Take your car to the car hospital

Once you’ve added the proper oil to your engine, Assuming your car starts, take it to a mechanic to have the damage inspected. Ask them to do an oil change (if you haven’t done it yourself) and inform them of the circumstances. They need to look at the oil drained from your engine for signs of metal fragments and sludge. If you’re lucky, you’ll have corrected the problem before further damage occurs. If you’re not so lucky, the repair bill will be high for an overhaul, up to and possibly including the cost of a new motor.

Learn the lesson BEFORE you experience it

Change the oil in your car and check the level once a month (sort of) is prudent preventative maintenance. It may be inconvenient, but it’s cheap insurance against a massive and unnecessary repair bill. So, use your “oil meter” (the dipstick) and keep your engine running smoothly by using the best synthetic oil that’s right for your vehicle.