When do you check your oil? When it's hot? cold? when engine is running? or a few minutes after you shut the engine off? i need oil looks like. I'm a little freaked out. i was driving the car around and i checked the oil and found only a lick of oil at the end of the stick. i checked it after about a 45 min run and with engine off and warm. Later when i brought the car home i checked a second time and found it at the minimum mark but that might be because my parking spot has a very slight angle to it.

 

Also is it ok to mix oil brands? i.e. Valvoline 20w 50 with Castro GTX 20w 50?

I have Valvoline in the car, but none of the major stores have it. Wal-Mart. and in Canada -- Canadian Tire.

 

I like to check mine before driving from home and I always carry 2 quarts of oil and a shop towel with me

 

Oil, like tires is better to check when cold because you get an acurate reding since all the oil in in the pan. If you check it warm, give it at least 5 inutes to let gravity do it's work. Yes, you can mix oil and when the oil is at the tip of the dipstick, it means it needs a quart...