Car How to top up screenwash, oil and coolant
Car · Beginner
How to top up screenwash, oil and coolant
We may earn from shop links, at no extra cost to you. Disclosure
Checking the easy levels is a short, useful habit if the engine is cold and you use the fluids the handbook specifies. This guide is for a top-up, not a full oil change, not a cooling-system flush, and not any job on a hybrid or electric vehicle’s high-voltage parts. If a level keeps dropping, that is a leak — find a garage.
Your call
Go or no?
Fancy giving it a go, or would you rather call a garage? There’s no wrong answer.
Right then. Here’s the kit, then the steps.
No problem. We’ll show you how to find a local garage.
At a glance
Shop the full kit
You can pick up the items below as you need them. Prices vary by shop and country, so we have not invented a figure here — check the live price before you buy. Shop links go to a product search on a local store for your country.
All-in-one kit
There is not usually a single boxed kit for this job. Buy the items below as you need them, and skip anything you already have.
Before you start
Safety
Stop and get a pro: Never open a hot coolant cap — scalding fluid can spray out. Do not work on a hybrid or EV high-voltage system. If the oil-pressure or coolant-temperature warning light is on, or the engine is overheating, stop driving and find a garage or recovery. Do not mix random oils or coolants “to see if it helps”, and do not keep topping up a leak instead of getting it fixed.
- Park on level ground, apply the parking brake, switch the engine off and let it cool. Oil and coolant checks are for a cold, or at least not hot, engine unless the handbook says otherwise.
- Keep fluids off paintwork and skin. Wash off spills. Do not siphon anything by mouth.
- Used oil and leftover coolant must be taken to a recycling point, not poured down a drain.
- Keep children and pets away from open bottles. Coolant can taste sweet and is dangerous if swallowed.
Prep that is worth doing
- Read the handbook for the correct oil grade (for example 5W-30, and the approval your maker specifies) and the correct coolant type. The wrong coolant can damage the system.
- Check screenwash concentration if you expect frost — neat summer mix can freeze in the washer jets.
- Have a funnel, cloths and a torch. Do the check before a long journey, not on the hard shoulder if you can avoid it.
Tools and materials
Check the live price at a shop you trust. Typical prices on this site, where they appear, were checked in the UK and may be out of date. Do not invent or assume a figure from this table. Shop links go to a product search on a local store for your country.
| Item | Why you need it | Typical price | Shop link |
|---|---|---|---|
| Screenwash or washer fluid, ready-mixed or concentrated | Keeps the windscreen clear. Use a mix rated for the temperature you expect. | Typically £3–£8 at a UK shop. Check the live price. | |
| Engine oil that matches the handbook grade and specification | Only if the dipstick or electronic reading is below the mark. A litre is usually enough for a top-up; a big drop means a leak or burning oil. | Typically £8–£18 at a UK shop. Check the live price. | |
| The correct coolant or premixed antifreeze | Only if the expansion tank is below the cold minimum, and only when the engine is cold. | Typically £8–£20 at a UK shop. Check the live price. | |
| A funnel and disposable cloths | To pour cleanly and wipe the dipstick and any spills. | Typically £3–£8 at a UK shop. Check the live price. | |
| Nitrile gloves | Oil and coolant are messy and irritating to skin. | Typically £4–£8 at a UK shop. Check the live price. |
Shop this list:
Step-by-step
Do this on a cold engine, on level ground. Screenwash first if you like — it is the lowest risk — then oil, then coolant, and never force a cap that is still hot.
Top up the screenwash
Open the blue-capped washer bottle (check the handbook if you are unsure). Fill with the right mix, not plain water in winter. Do not overfill to the brim if the handbook marks a level. Test the jets.
Check the engine oil
If there is a dipstick, pull it, wipe it, dip it fully, and read it. The level should sit between the min and max marks. If the car uses an electronic check, follow the handbook, usually with the engine warm or in a particular ignition position — do not guess. If it is below min, add a little of the correct oil, wait a minute, and re-check. Do not fill above max.
Check the coolant — only when the engine is cold
Look at the expansion tank. The level should be between the cold min and max marks. If you need to open the cap, do it slowly, with a cloth, and only when it is cold. Add the correct premixed coolant, or mix concentrate with distilled water as the bottle and handbook say. Do not add neat water as a habit, and do not mix a different coolant chemistry.
Look under the car and around the filler necks
Fresh drips, a sweet smell, milky oil on the cap, or mayonnaise-like sludge on the dipstick are reasons to stop and find a garage. So is a level that drops again in a few days.
If a warning light is on, or the temperature gauge is high
Do not keep driving to “see if the top-up fixed it” on a hot engine. Pull over safely, switch off, and get help. A seized engine or a blown hose is far more expensive than a recovery call.
General guidance only. Check our disclaimer.
Common mistakes
- Opening a hot coolant cap. The system is under pressure. You can be scalded. Wait until it is cold.
- Using any oil or any green coolant from the back of the garage. The handbook specification matters. The wrong fluid can damage seals or the catalyst.
- Filling oil above the max mark. Overfilling can damage seals and the catalytic converter. Add a little at a time.
- Ignoring a repeated drop in level. A top-up is not a repair. Find the leak or the reason it is burning oil.
- Checking oil on a slope or straight after a hard run, and misreading the dipstick. Park level and wait a few minutes after the engine is off, unless the handbook says otherwise.
FAQ
How often should I check?
A monthly check, and before a long trip, is a sensible habit. Check sooner if you see a light, a drip, or if the washers have stopped squirting.
The oil is black. Do I need to change it now?
Engine oil darkens in use. Colour alone does not tell you it is due. Follow the service interval in the handbook, or sooner if the oil is milky, gritty or smells of fuel.
Can I use water in the washer bottle?
In mild weather, a little water will spray, but it freezes in winter and it does not clean road film well. Use a proper screenwash mix.
My car has no dipstick.
Many newer cars use an electronic oil-level check in the dashboard menu. Follow the handbook exactly. If you cannot get a reading, a garage can check it.
Would rather not DIY? Find a local garage
If a level keeps dropping, a warning light is on, or you are not sure which fluid to use, a garage can find the leak and put the right oil or coolant in. Do not drive an overheating car to the workshop if you can have it recovered.
We may earn from shop links, at no extra cost to you. Disclosure