How Do You Check If My Oil Has Been Changed?

You can check if your car's oil has been changed primarily by inspecting the oil on the dipstick and, if possible, the oil filter.

According to the provided information, there are two main ways to verify an oil change:

1. Check the Oil Color on the Dipstick

This is the quickest and easiest method.

Locate the Dipstick: Consult your car's manual if you're unsure where the engine oil dipstick is located. It's usually a brightly colored loop or handle.
Pull and Wipe: Pull the dipstick out completely and wipe it clean with a lint-free cloth or paper towel.
Re-insert and Pull: Insert the dipstick fully back into its tube, wait a second, and pull it out again.
Inspect the Oil: Look at the color of the oil on the tip of the dipstick.
- New Oil: If the oil change was done recently, you should see new, golden oil on the stick. New oil is clear and has an amber or honey color.
- Old Oil: If the oil has not been changed or is significantly used, it will typically look black. Old oil accumulates dirt, soot, and combustion byproducts, causing it to darken.

"If you are concerned they put new oil in, just pull the dipstick and you should see new, golden oil on the stick. Old oil looks black."

Checking the oil filter requires a little preparation before the oil change but can provide assurance that a critical component was replaced.

Before the Change: Before taking your car in for the oil change, locate the oil filter. This might be tricky depending on your vehicle's design. Take a black permanent marker and put a big 'X' on it.
After the Change: After the oil change is complete, check the location where the oil filter was.
- If the filter was changed, the old filter with your marker 'X' should be gone, and a new, clean filter should be in its place.
- If the filter with your 'X' is still there, the oil filter was likely not changed.

"If you want to assure the filter was changed, just take a black permanent marker and put a big 'X' on it. Make sure it is gone after the change."

Here's a quick overview:

Method	What to Do	What to Look For	Indicates Change Was Done?
Oil Dipstick	Pull dipstick, wipe, re-insert, pull, inspect.	Golden, clear oil (vs. black oil)	Yes
Oil Filter	Mark old filter before change, inspect after.	Original filter with 'X' is gone (replaced)	Yes

By using these two simple visual checks, you can get a good indication of whether your oil and filter have been changed as requested.