How to read a dip stick

My husband and I don’t know much about cars at all, but we’re slowly trying to learn and familiarize ourselves with the rights and wrongs on car maintenance. We are hardcore beginners. We’re reading the dipstick for our oil this morning, there is barely any liquid at all above the full line on the dip stick. It is only visible on one side of the dipstick when we pull it out, currently we’re in a cold climate. Is it condensation or is the car to full on oil? There is a little bit of dark oil near the bottom of the dipstick

It’s a 2019 Kia Rio hatchback

  • Ravenblack67@alien.topBEnglish
    1·
    1 year ago

    There should be a diagram in the owners manual that shows the procedure and what a good level is. As a general rule, you check the oil level on a cold engine on a level surface:

    1. Remove the dipstick and wipe it off with a paper towel.
    2. Note the marks for min and max.
    3. Insert the dipstick fully
    4. Wait 1 second
    5. Remove the dipstick and see if the oil is between the min and max.