Performing a routine car maintenance especially an oil change is something every car owner must do as recommended by car manufacturers. It helps to keep the engine lubricated while running.
When adding oil to the engine, you should be able to do it when the engine is in its best state to receive the oil to avoid causing other problems to the car. So, when is the best time to add oil to the car? Should car be running when adding oil?
No, the car should not be running when adding oil rather, the car should be in a cool state and at a level ground. Adding oil to a running engine will clutter the readings and stop you from knowing how much oil you’ve added.
Should Car Be Running When Adding Oil?
You should never add oil to a running engine. No car manufacturers recommends adding oil to a running engine, rather they prefer you add the oil when the engine is not running.
Adding oil to a running engine means adding oil to a hot engine. It’s not advisable to do so to avoid causing other problems that might cost you money to fix.
It’s very simple, anytime you wish to perform an oil change or add more oil to the engine, you should do it when the engine is not running. A word they say is enough for the wise.
Reasons why you Should Not Add Oil to a Running Engine
The major reasons why you should never add oil to a running engine are:
To Get the Correct Oil Reading
When you add oil to a cool engine, you tend to get the actual amount of oil you’ve added from the dipstick. But this is impossible if the car is running.
If the engine is running, the oil will not be settle to get the perfect readings needed for the engine because the engine is using the oil at the moment.
Since getting the actual reading of the amount of oil added is important, it’s very important the engine is not running when adding the oil to avoid adding too much oil.
To Avoid Hot Oil from Burning You
Adding oil to a hot engine is very dangerous. If the hot oil from the engine touches you by mistake, it can burn your skin and give you an injury that will cause money to treat.
When the engine is running and the oil cap is not tightened, hot oil can splash from the place into your skin causing a severe burn. Imagine such hot oil entering in your eyes.
What Happens if You Add Oil to a Hot Car?
Nothing will happen if you add oil to a hot car. When you add oil to a hot car, the engine will not spoil, however, the oil readings will be incorrect and you stand a risk of getting hot oil on your skin.
The fact that nothing happens when you add oil to a hot engine does not give you the permission to do so. Therefore, no matter how hurry you are, allow the car to cool for a while before adding the oil. This is the safest way to do it.
When to Add Oil to the Engine
The best time to add oil to your engine is:
- When the Car is Cool: As reiterated earlier, all oil changes whether top ups or fresh oil change should be done when the car is not running.
- When the Car is in a Surface Ground: Whether it’s an oil change or a top up, you should always add the oil when the car is in a surface ground to be able to get the correct oil reading needed for your car. If the car is in a shallow ground, bending or hill, the oil will bend with the car preventing you from knowing the quantity of oil in the car and the quantity to add.
- When You Have Low Oil: If the oil in the engine is low, its wise to do an oil top up and add more oil to the engine to enable it lubricate the engine the way it should. Driving a car whose engine has low oil is very dangerous.
- When the Oil Has Lost its Quality: If you’ve been using an oil for a very long time (thousands of miles), its best to replace the oil with a fresh one to enable the engine run better.
How to Add Oil to your Engine
To add oil to your engine:
1. Park the Car
The first step to adding oil to your engine is to park the car. As reiterated earlier, the car should be parked in a level ground with any bending of any type. After you have parked the car, turn the engine off and remove the key from the mouth.
2. Allow the Car to Cool Down
After the car is properly parked, the next stage would be to allow the car to cool down before adding the oil.
3. Check the Oil Level
When the engine is cool, your next action is to check the level of the oil on the car. This is a must thing to do as long as you’re topping up.
You must check the current level of the oil to determine the quantity of oil to add. You can only do this through the oil dipstick. If you don’t check the level, you won’t know the quantity to add. And mind you, you need the engine to be cool and in a level ground before you can do this.
4. Open the Oil Cap
After you’ve verified the level of oil in the engine, it’s time to add more oil to get it to the safe zone. Open the oil cap located on the engine.
5. Add the Quantity of Oil Needed
You can now add the quantity of oil needed to the engine. Do not overfill to avoid causing problems to your engine. Just add the required quantity and you’re good to go.
6. Check the Oil Level Again
After adding the oil, allow the oil to settle before checking the level to ensure you got the quantity the engine need. If it’s not enough, add more, but do not overfill.
Nevertheless, when adding oil to the engine, ensure you’re adding the same type of oil recommended by the manufacturer. Do add 0W-20 to an engine that requires 5W-30. Also, if the oil in the engine is 5W-30, do not use another type of oil when doing the top up.
Conclusion
It will be a terrible thing to add oil to a running engine, while it might not destroy your engine, it might lead to circumstances that can damage the engine. Circumstances like adding more than is required. Moreover, you risk getting burnt by the hot oil from the running engine. Therefore, allow the engine to cool down before adding oil to it.