Changing Your Car Engine Oil

There is no doubt about it; auto repair can be very costly. Because of this, there are some things that every car owner can learn to do on their own to save them money on maintenance as well as repairs that are often caused by a lack of good car maintenance. One of the best things that we can all to do help insure the health of our vehicles and prevent other costly repairs is to change the oil every 3,000 to 3,500 miles. It’s easy to go well beyond this mileage if you have the service done for you because you never seem to have the time to drop the car off to have the oil changed. When you learn to do it on your own it will take very little time and it will cost a lot less than you are charged at your local oil change provider!

What You Will Need

• Oil Filter Wrench
• A Socket Wrench
• Empty container/Oil Pan
• Funnel
• New oil as specified by your owner manual
• New oil filter
• Two empty plastic cartons, such as from milk
• Safety glasses
• Wheel blocks
• Car ramps or a jack and jack stands

Changing the Oil

You may want to start by changing into some old clothes as changing the oil generally is not the cleanest auto repair/maintenance issue you will deal with. Next, you will want to check to be sure that your car is not parked on an inclined surface such as a hill. Now, start your car and just let it idle for about ten minutes, since warm oil generally drains better than cold oil. After the car is warm you are ready to jack up the car or drive it up on your ramps. This will support the vehicle so that you can get under it. You should use your wheel blocks behind the rear wheels to keep the car from rolling backward. Now, set your parking break and get ready!

Now you will place your drain pan and wrench under the car and slide under and locate the oil drain plug. You’ll place the drain pan right under the plug and then unscrew the plug with the wrench. When the plug is unscrewed it may fall into the pan and the oil will come out, but there is no need to worry you can get it later. Be careful, the oil will be quite warm.

When the oil stops draining you will find the plug and put it back in place. Be sure that it is well tightened so that the oil doesn’t leak out, but be careful not to over tighten and strip the threads on the plug. Now it is time to replace the filter. You’ll place the oil filter wrench around the body of the filter and unscrew it. It may be tough to get started, so get as close to the threading as possible. When it comes loose be careful, it will be full of warm oil. You’ll now want to take a bit of the new oil and put some on the gasket of the new filter to help it fit nicely in place. Now, install the new filter by spinning it until it is tight, but do this by hand not with the filter wrench.

Now, you will need to slide out from under the car and find the oil cap. Unscrew the cap and pour in the amount of oil indicated by your owner’s manual. After you have put all of the oil in be sure to replace the cap and wipe up any drips or spills of oil off the engine and surrounding areas to avoid smoking as it burns off when the car is running later on. That’s it! You have now completed your first car maintenance item that will keep your car running smoothly and will prevent costly engine damage and repair in the future.

As you can see, changing the oil is not hard at all. You may have to spend a few dollars to get all of the items you need for the oil change, but generally it is much cheaper than having it done professionally and you will probably get it done in a more timely fashion. Knowing how to change your oil is one of the most vital repair/maintenance activities that every car owner should learn how to do. Let AAAuto Service Center assist you with all your car maintenance needs.