Check the Engine Oil Level

Owners moving to a Volvo XC60 (246, 2018–present) from an older car are often thrown by the same thing: there is no dipstick to pull. On this generation the engine oil is checked electronically through the driver display, with a sensor in the sump feeding a reading to the instrument screen. Nothing is missing and nothing is broken — it is simply the modern way the car reports its oil. What matters is getting the conditions and the order right, because the electronic reading is only trustworthy when the oil is warm, settled and the car is level.

Why There’s No Dipstick

The XC60 replaces the dipstick with an electronic oil-level sensor mounted in the sump, and you read its output from the driver display instead of wiping a stick. The upside is a clean, repeatable reading; the limitation is that the sensor cannot report oil you have just added or drained until it has settled in the sump and the engine has run to circulate and warm it. That single fact drives the whole routine below — take the reading cold, on a slope, or moments after a top-up and the number will be wrong, not because the sensor has failed but because the oil hasn’t settled where the sensor sits.

Getting Ready

• Find level ground — even a gentle slope shifts the oil and throws off the reading.
• Get the oil up to temperature with a drive before you check.
• Turn the ignition off and allow the settle time so the oil drains back to the sump.
• Stay off the pedals at power-up so you switch on the ignition and don’t start the engine.
• Keep the correct Volvo-approved oil to hand if a top-up looks likely.

Getting an Accurate Reading

1. Drive about 30 km so the oil is warm and circulated.
2. Park on a level surface, switch the ignition off and wait 5 minutes.
3. Without pressing any pedal, press the start/stop button for ~2 seconds to switch the ignition on.
4. Scroll the driver-display menu to ‘Vehicle status’ → ‘Status’ → ‘Oil level’.
5. Read the level and top up if needed.

If the Reading Looks Off

• Message says it’s unavailable or to wait: the oil isn’t warm or settled yet — drive, then repeat the wait and read again.
• Still low right after a top-up: that is expected; the sensor needs a drive cycle to register the new oil.
• Engine cranked instead of ignition-on: a pedal was pressed — switch off, keep clear of the pedals and press the button again.
• Two checks disagree: re-confirm the car is truly level and that you left the full settle time before each reading.
• Can’t find the menu: wake the display and make sure you are on the driver-information menu before scrolling to Vehicle status.

Topping Up

If the level is low, add the correct Volvo-approved oil in small amounts and re-check between each, taking care never to go past the maximum — overfilling can do as much harm as running low. After an oil change in particular, the system will not show the new level correctly until the engine has completed a drive cycle, so give it that time rather than trusting an immediate reading. Once the display settles within range, the check is complete.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I check the oil on a Volvo XC60 with no dipstick?

Drive around 30 km to warm the oil, park on level ground, switch the ignition off and wait 5 minutes. Then, without pressing a pedal, hold the start/stop button for about 2 seconds to switch the ignition on and read Vehicle status → Status → Oil level in the driver display.

Why does the reading seem wrong after topping up?

Freshly poured oil takes time to drain into the sump, and the sensor needs the engine warm and circulated before it reports accurately. After a top-up or oil change, drive a cycle and then repeat the settle-and-read routine; the level should then read correctly.

What oil does it take?

A Volvo-approved grade matched to your specific engine. Capacities and grades differ between engines, so check the marking on the filler cap or the figure in your handbook rather than assuming. Using the correct approved oil protects the engine and keeps the electronic reading meaningful.

Engine running or off?

Engine off, ignition on, taken after the stated wait. Keep your feet off the pedals when you press the start/stop button so you power up the electronics instead of starting the engine, then follow the prompt on the driver display to bring up the oil-level reading.

How often should I check it?

Check it regularly between services and before longer journeys, the same discipline you would apply to a dipstick. Since the method needs a warm engine and a settle period, the simplest habit is to check after a normal drive, on level ground, once the car has been running.

Do I need any tools?

None. The entire check is done from the driver’s seat with the start/stop button and the display menu — there is nothing to unscrew and no dipstick to wipe. The only thing worth having ready is the correct approved oil, in case the reading shows the level is low.

Just done an oil change? Clear the reminder with our XC60 service reset, and for an oil-pressure or level warning code you can look it up on autodtcs.com.