Can I fill my car with any oil or is it car specific?

[hsffdd]

Worried… I know nothing about cars and no idea which oil to use. It’s a Skoda octavia

You should have the suitable oil details in your car manual or you can type your reg into Halfords webpage

Does it need refilling? Most people only get it changed during a service or mot, once a year?

Edited because I originally thought you meant which type of fuel (come from a country where they call it oil)

Unless it's had synthetic oil in the past then normal oil from anywhere should be OK, just don't buy seriously cheap oil! Depending on the age of the car and its service history it may be worth the first time having it flushed and refilled, the garage should be able to tell you if it's synthetic or not. Good luck, it's pretty easy to do, just don't try and refill it through the dipstick hole!!!

You can get it done at Halfords quite cheaply. You can watch which oil they use and buy some for a top up.

When did you last have the oil changed on it ?

If it is running out of oil then it may well suggest there is a leak/problem, unless you are doing very high mileage.

Nearly all the cars I have had that have had high oil usage have had some sort of issue with them.

It had a service a year ago, would it need new oil yet?

It’s done 38000 miles

The cars' manual should tell you what oil you can use.

Did the service include a full oil check and change? Does it need new oil now?

It will need servicing again if it was a year ago. You may need a top up in between, you should check oil level (with dipstick). You should have covered that when learning to drive or you can find videos online.
Generally, I do full service at the same time as my MOT so I can keep track of dates.

It had an MOT in March would it have been checked then?

Google your car, make, model, year for the correct Engine oil.
I found mine through a car accessory retailer.

Wow? An MOT is completely different to a service. No, they won't check the oil in an MOT. The MOT is all about the safety of the car, not the engine.

When was the last time you had it serviced? Oil changes are part of a service, usually every second service. The garage who do it (assuming a proper garage), will check what kind of oil is needed as per manufacturer instructions/service schedule.

Some cars need a specific type of oil, particularly ones with a "wet belt" in the engine, as the wrong kind of oil can cause the rubber to perish, and a broken wet belt could cause a lot of damage to the engine!

Personally, I'd not trust Halfords as they are unlikely to check for any specific oil needed and will probably just put in a bog-standard oil - that may be fine, or it may not!

I'd strongly suggest you take it to a reputable garage and have it properly serviced.

Yes and if they topped it up, it would be on your invoice.
You should still have full service annually. MOT is not a replacement for the service.

@Catza the service is due next month I have just checked. Is it possible the oil could be too low even though it’s only done 10,000 miles in the last year?

@Badbadbunny it had a service in September 2024. It’s done 10,000 miles since then…

No, servicing and MOT are completely separate.

Engines require specific oils, the only way to be sure you are getting the correct type is to check either at your local dealer, a motor factors or somewhere like Halfords/Eurocarparts. Many of these places allow you to type in your reg and it will tell you the correct oil for your specific car (you can also do this online).

If you don't know if it is due a service check with your dealer.

Point of interest, how do you know it needs oil, have you checked the level (either using the dipstick or dashboard level) or has the oil warning light come on?
If it is the oil warning light that is not good news, that only comes on when the oil pressure has dropped to a critical level.

Has the oil warning light come on?

If your oil level is low, @hsffdd, you will get a warning light on the dashboard - usually a little picture of an oil can - and you might also get a verbal message to top the oil up.

If you haven't seen this, your oil levels should be OK.

Anything is possible. You have to go and manually check your oil levels. Some car models (like mine) have some issues around oil levels which means I have to top mine up every so often. There may be a fault developing since the MOT. The only reliable way to find it out is to physically go to your car and check with the dipstick.
I would recommend getting some basic car maintenance education. Oil check is pretty straightforward and should not cause this much anxiety.

No, unless you specifically asked them to check while is was in, there is no reason (or requirement) for them to check the oil on an MOT.
Completely separate things.

I apologise, since posting I realised that my garage did a quick fluid checks every time I dropped the car off for any issues so it is likely just the thing they do and not widespread.

Why do you think it needs oil?

Has the warning light come on / have you checked the dipstick (on level ground)

If you do actually need oil then pop your reg in here https://www.halfords.com/motoring/engine-oils-and-fluids/engine-oil/ and it will advise which oil is best for your car - it comes in different grades but best to check your invoice from last service to see if you've had fully synthetic etc...

Make sure your car is on level ground, pop the bonnet, take your dipstick out, wipe it with a tissue, put it back in and see where the oil level sits.

If it's between minimum and maximum, you should be fine.

If in doubt, look at YouTube video tutorials.

You mean September 2023 - it'll need another service booking in for around that time this year then. Its easy to check the oil level yourself using the dip stick.

Modern cars don't use much oil between services. Services may be based on mileage or time, but unless you have gone hugely over the time or distance since the last service then there's no panic about changing the oil. If the oil is low, as in, a warning light has come on, or you've checked the level on the dipstick, then yes, you need to top it up as soon as possible. As others have said, go to the halfords web site (or go there) and put in your reg, it will tell you what oil to buy.

No, you can't just put any oil in.

HTH!