How to Check The Engine Oil Level of Toyota Car

If the engine is the beating heart of your Toyota car, the oil is its lifeblood. Ensuring that you have the right amount of oil in your engine at all times is essential to avoid damaging delicate moving parts.

Why is oil so essential?
Inside the centre of your engine, you have dozens of metal moving parts. All these parts need lubricating to keep them moving smoothly, keep them cool and reduce friction. If you run out of oil, those moving parts can overheat and swell, causing an engine seizure. That adds up to a very big repair bill. Keeping your oil at the correct level is the best way to prevent a catastrophic engine failure.

What engine oil should I use in my Toyota?
Whether you’re driving a Toyota Corolla, a Land Cruiser or a pre-owned Toyota Camry, you need to use the correct type of oil. If you check in your owner’s manual for your specific Toyota car, it will tell you what grade of oil you need for your exact model.

The most important number is the oil viscosity or its thickness. Most Toyota cars use a low viscosity oil. If you're not sure what type of oil you need to use, especially if you have an older pre-owned Toyota, give us a call at Al-Futtaim Toyota, and we'll be happy to advise you.

How to top up your engine oil
Topping up your engine oil is very easy. You should check your oil at least once a month. If you do a lot of stop-start commuter driving, check your oil at least once a fortnight to be on the safe side.

Make sure that the car is parked on level ground and that the engine is cold.
Pop the bonnet and locate the oil filler.
Take out the dipstick and wipe it with a clean cloth.
Reinsert the dipstick and take it out again. You should see a level of oil on the bottom of the dipstick. If the oil is at the maximum marker, your oil is at the correct level. If it's below that marker, it may need topping up.
Using a funnel to prevent spilling the oil, add a little fresh oil and then check again. Avoid adding too much, as while it's easy to add oil, it's much harder to get excess oil out!
Keep adding a little new oil at a time until your oil level is at the maximum marker.
Reinsert the dipstick and make sure it’s secure.
That’s all there is to it!

Doing an oil check is one of the most straightforward home checks you can do. However, this simple check is also one of the most important, as a regular oil check will prevent wear and damage to your engine.

Manufacturers recommend that you should have an oil change every 12 months or every 14,500-15,000km. Often, this will be part of a major service but if you've done 15,000km before your next service and need an oil change, contact the team at Al-Futtaim Toyota. They'll be happy to book you in, and our technicians can carry out an oil change for you to keep your engine running smoothly.