Where is the mark on the dipstick to show you have enough oil?

As cars (particularly expensive ones) move to electronic monitoring of their engine oil level, it's nice to remember simpler times when all cars had an engine dipstick. This simple little strip of metal is inserted into the engine block and shows exactly where the oil level is at any given moment (when the engine is not running, anyway). And while a new car can suffer from a bad sensor or warning light, the dipstick, used properly, never lies.

Just about all engines have a dipstick with a pair of marks etched or stamped on them towards the lower part of the dipstick (the end that sticks farthest into the engine). The lower mark represents the lowest level you should allow the oil to reach, while the physically higher mark is the upper level the oil should be at. Anywhere in the middle of those two marks means you're okay. Sometimes the lower mark will be in the form of a little `E' for Empty, or `A' for Add, while the upper mark will be marked `F' for Full. Foreign cars will often use a foreign letter or symbol, but the meaning is the same. Sometimes the marks are simple grooves etched into the dipstick and sometimes there will be a cross-hatched area which shows the acceptable range of oil levels. Any combination of those marks or patterns has been used over the years.

When checking you oil, don't forget to have the car on level ground, and to remove the dipstick, wipe it clean, reinsert it and then read the level to get an accurate reading. And ensure that the engine was fully warmed up last time the car was driven and that you've allowed the oil to settle for at least a few minutes after stopping the engine.