You have a long trip ahead of you to the sea or the mountains, the trunk is packed to the brim, and the whole family is already in their seats. Before you turn the ignition key, however, there is one quick check under the hood that can save your vacation from a real nightmare. It is about the engine oil level - that vital fluid, without which the heart of your car will simply refuse to beat. Most drivers live with the illusion that the golden mean is the safest place, but the truth turns out to be a little different when hundreds of kilometers of hot asphalt lie ahead.
The popular belief that the marker on the dipstick should be exactly halfway between the MIN and MAX divisions actually hides serious risks during prolonged driving outside the city. When the car drives for hours on the highway, maintains high revs and makes sharp overtaking, the engine works under enormous stress. Under these extreme conditions, the consumption of lubricating fluid jumps dramatically. If you set off with a half-full system, the risk of missing the moment when the level drops below the critical minimum is alarmingly high. In addition, the larger volume of fluid in the crankcase ensures that it will retain its protective properties for a much longer period. That is why experts advise before a serious transition to top up so that the level reaches about 90% of the scale on the dipstick.
Alas, here lurks the other extreme - excessive enthusiasm with the tube in hand. The idea of being reinsured and pouring “to the top“, exceeding the maximum limit, is a recipe for guaranteed damage. The excess lubricant will inevitably make its way into the combustion chamber through the crankcase ventilation, which will immediately disable the spark plugs. The lubricant will also start to burn in the exhaust tract, which will literally clog and destroy the expensive catalytic converter. The rule here is absolutely ironclad and does not tolerate compromises: never exceed the MAX line.
To save yourself such headaches and get a real idea of the situation, the inspection procedure itself requires precision. You will get the most accurate reference point early in the morning, when the car is completely cold and everything has drained to the bottom. If you still have to react while driving, pull over, turn off the engine and wait 15 minutes before removing the dipstick. Of course, it is absolutely essential that the vehicle is on a perfectly flat surface, so as not to be misled by false readings. Follow these simple steps to ensure a smooth ride and trouble-free machine operation.