Symptoms of Low Engine Oil

Your engine is one of the most important features of your vehicle. That's why it's important to take care of it, which means keeping an eye on the oil that keeps it running smoothly.

This guide is designed to help drivers in Stroudsburg, Lehigh Valley, and Nazareth diagnose a low engine oil problem by providing you a breakdown of its most common symptoms.

Low Engine Oil Indicators

One of the most obvious indicators that your engine oil is low is seeing a light on your dashboard. The lights on your dashboard communicate a couple different things to you. One is that a system in your vehicle is in use, such as your high beams. Another is that something in your vehicle is not functioning properly.

There's a specific light for your engine oil, and this light lets you know when there's an issue with your oil. While it may not be that your oil is low, you still need to have it checked out by a professional.

Listen Carefully

Unfortunately, you can't always rely on your dashboard lights to let you know when something's wrong. Sometimes, you'll have to use your other senses to find a problem, like what you hear. A common symptom of low engine oil is knocking or grinding noises coming from under the hood.

These noises are caused by friction between the engine's parts. This friction is soothed with the presence of enough, fresh oil, but without it it can cause damage to these internal parts like the engine rods.

Burning Oil Smell

You can also be informed by low oil in your engine by a smell. When you're sitting inside the cabin of your vehicle and your engine is experiencing low oil levels, you'll smell burning oil, sometimes mixed with the smell of exhaust smoke.

This is usually an accurate indicator of low motor oil, but this smell can also point to other issues happening within your engine that need immediate attention.

How to Prevent Low Engine Oil

Now that you know what to look for when it comes to low engine oil symptoms, the good news is that it's very easy to prevent low engine oil problems. Checking your motor oil regularly-at least once a month is one way to do this. To check your motor oil, follow these steps:

1. Let the vehicle cool down. Never try to check your oil right after driving.
2. Open your vehicle's front hood.
3. Locate the oil dipstick and pull it out.
4. Wipe the dipstick clean with a paper towel or cloth.
5. Find the minimum and maximum notches on the dipstick before inserting it back into the oil reservoir.
6. Pull it out again and check where the oil line falls between the minimum and maximum lines.

If your oil line is close to the minimum line on the dipstick, your engine needs oil.

Need Your Oil Looked At?

We hope you're feeling more self-assured about monitoring your oil and diagnosing any issues with it.  However, if you're experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned in this guide, don't hesitate to get ahold of our service team at Ray Price Lincoln today to schedule an appointment.  We're just a short drive from Stroudsburg, Lehigh Valley, and Nazareth areas.