How often do you check your oil??

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Both vehicles, every single day before I start the car first thing in the morning. Just take the dipstick out and take a quick look. I also take a quick glance at the coolant level too. Once a week, wipe the dipstick and put it back in for a proper reading.

At every fill up, the ATF/PSF, brake fluid, washer fluid and tire pressures get checked.

Neighbors think I'm nuts, but who on earth cares?
grin.gif
 
Once every 3-4 months for Honda S2000 and MB E430 because either car has no measurable oil consumption. Once every month or two months for Lexus LS400 because it consumes about 1/2 quarts every 3-4k miles.
 
You kinda learn the oil consumption of a certain motor depending how you are running it. As you approac or leave the car and in the garage or parking spot you look for drips and leaks under the car.
 
I'm as anal as can be on this stuff. Both cars in the garage have white paper stapled to 1/4 inch plywood and strategically placed under the vehicles to make any leaks easily identified. I also check the oil in my car and my girlfriends car at least twice a week. Only her car uses oil and not much at that but it's something my Dad yaught me. As they say "like father, like son". Same thing with the 5000 km OCI's.
 
Originally Posted By: Steve S
You kinda learn the oil consumption of a certain motor depending how you are running it. As you approac or leave the car and in the garage or parking spot you look for drips and leaks under the car.


+1

I agree.. All my motors have consumed oil at a very predictable rate. After owning for a few months I know how often it needs to be checked.
 
I don't check it as regularly as I should. I have a good idea of what the consumption rate (if any) is on all my vehicles. Most will go an entire OCI without using any. Catastrophic oil loss not withstanding.

The Legend has an oil level warning built into the Info Center so I rarely check the oil level in it. The warning tells me when it's a quart low.

The Lumina leaks a bit so I'll check it every 1.5k miles or so. When I check the Lumina, I'll go around and check the Lexus, Camaro and the Safari.

I guess I check oil and other fluid levels on average every 1.5k miles.
 
About once a month for me or whenever im board and just feel like it. None of my vehicles use much over the entire OCI so there is not much need to check it constantly.They also all have pressure gauges so i can tell immediately if something is wrong.
 
Originally Posted By: hisilver
Many say before a long trip, but no one said after a long trip.


Here, here...

I checked the oil in my '98 Grand Marquis the first weekend of Nov after a 800 mi trip, don't think the hood has been open since... This is a one prev owner grandma car, just turned 40K mi(lowest mileage of all my vehicles)and uses maybe a half qt in 5K mi, mentioned to the wife earlier today I probably ought to check it...

I haven't opened the hood on the '07 Grand Marquis since I changed it around six weeks ago(probably doesn't have 600mi since)... In the three years I've owned it, it's never needed any oil added...

So you guys will feel better, I checked the oil on my '93 Lightning pickup last weekend after repairing a leak, it was approx 1.5qt low...

The Marauder in my sig hasn't been out of the garage since early Dec, needless to say the oil hasn't been checked...
 
I do not know of one person on earth that checks their oil [or anything else] between oil changes...I check mine whenever I wash it which is generally every 2 weeks...Everyone else on earth [besides the people here] wait for the oil light to come on...On long hauls I check it after about 20 minutes of sitting in the rest area.
 
Originally Posted By: CROWNVIC4LIFE
I do not know of one person on earth that checks their oil [or anything else] between oil changes...I check mine whenever I wash it which is generally every 2 weeks...Everyone else on earth [besides the people here] wait for the oil light to come on...On long hauls I check it after about 20 minutes of sitting in the rest area.


I pretty much do like you.I check under the hood about every 3 weeks. On long trips(like to Gainesville) I usually check the oil at least once going down and coming home.
 
I'm going to be laughed at but... twice a day but I've don't it up to five times a day. I just am always messing with something so I always pop my hood going into the garage to check things like fluid levels and leaks for the turbo or cleaning or something... so I usually just check it for giggles to see what happens. Interestingly enough this has led me to find some early issues before they could become an issue.
 
Originally Posted By: GoldenRod
Originally posted by Boaz:

"Maybe I am a litte O.C.D. about it but I check my oil everytime I fill up with gas. (about once a week or every 200-250 miles)"

I can't believe OCD is actually becoming fashionable or widely excepted, but if that's the case.... I'm alright with that. It kind of puts people like me (whom have OCD for real) in a better light.

After having this horrible disease all my life; it's nice to know that I'm finally starting to be in vogue.


lol. One time I was on a forum where people were claiming to be OCD and everyone was talking about going back to check burners or coffee pots or locks on doors and I told my story about when I watch football I will do something like lean on one side of my body to "help" my team win and how I can get stuck in one position for over 3 hours without moving. The thing is, I *know* for a fact this actually does nothing and has no bearing on anything but somehow I can't stop myself from doing it.

So a doctor who was on the forum who wasn't going to post seen my disturbing post and came on there to say everyone in the thread was fine and that stuff is fairly normal. Except me, he pointed out, actually did have it and needed to seek help. lol. I've learned to live with it. My wife finds it amusing, especially when I'm watching a recorded game, she goes on to say everything has already happened and there's no way I could effect the past. I go on to say I know, but I cannot stop myself. Apparently, according to the doctor, this is the very definition of having the disease. Knowing you can't change anything but still not being able to stop yourself. Most of my friends just find it funny.

This happens with my oil checking too. Sometimes I will go out to the garage to mess around with something and while there, check the oil again... even though I've already done it and the car hasn't even been started since the last time. If I go out there, I will check it no matter what. The hood is up and I'm there so... lol. It doesn't matter that I've done it 3 times in the last hour and I haven't even took the car anywhere.
 
Just depends for me. I have two vehicles that use/leak no oil so I check them every few weeks. On the other hand I have an 89 mazda b2200 that have a healthy appetite for oil so I check it just about every time I drive it.
 
The S10 and the Sunfire get checked once a week. The Camaro though only gets driven about 1,000 mi./yr so I check it every time after it gets driven.
 
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