PriceProtect™
DriveShield™
GarageGuard™
Services
Insurance
Car Insurance
Compare Car Insurance with Jerry
Jerry’s Expert Advice
Car Insurance Estimates
Home & Renters Insurance
Renters Insurance
Loans
Car Loan
Compare Car Loans with Jerry
Jerry's Expert Advice
Car Loan Guides
Repairs
Car Repair Estimates
Repair Estimates for Popular Services
Advice
Read Car Content
Browse Jerry Car Advice
Check Out Expert Car QnA
Learn About How We Create Content
Jerry Data & Research
Is engine oil flammable?
While changing my car’s oil in the garage today, I knocked over the container and engine oil spilled all under my workbench. I tried mopping it up, but I know I didn’t get it all. It gets seriously hot under there and I’m worried it could ignite. Can engine oil catch fire?
Patrick Price · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Yikes! That sounds like an awful mess! I do have some good news, though: engine oil is not considered flammable.
Whether a liquid is considered flammable depends on its flashpoint and boiling point. The flashpoint is the ambient temperature at which it will burn, and the boiling point is the temperature at which it boils.
Engine oil’s flashpoint is 302 degrees Fahrenheit, which is far too high to qualify it as flammable. For reference, gasoline has a flashpoint of -40 degrees Fahrenheit. The classifications for flammability breaks down like this:
Anything with a flashpoint higher than 200 degrees Fahrenheit is not considered flammable. Since engine oil’s flashpoint is 302 degrees Fahrenheit, it would need an extremely high ambient room temperature as well as a direct ignition source in order to burn.
While you’re doing work on your car, why not take a moment to review its
car insurance
? The super-app Jerry
can help you save a bundle on your car insurance in a hurry! Download the app and Jerry will compare quotes from top insurance companies in as little as 45 seconds! Switching with Jerry is fast, easy, and free!
The best part? Our users save an average of $887 each year on car insurance.
View full answer
- Gregory R.
WHY YOU CAN TRUST JERRY
Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.
Join 4M+ members in lowering their car insurance
You Might Also Be Interested
Read Advice From Car Experts At Jerry
What Others Are Asking
Browse More Content
Insurance for Your Car
Insurance in Your State
Easiest way to compare and buy car insurance
No long forms
No spam or unwanted phone calls
Quotes from top insurance companies
