A Step By Step Guide To Changing Your Car Or Trucks Oil
62Make Your Job Easier!
Save Time And Money By Changing Your Own Oil!
Regular maintenance of your vehicle is important to keep it running smoothly. With today’s hectic lifestyles, if you have a car the last thing you want is for it to break down on you. That’s why it’s important to always change your oil on time. This will ensure your vehicle parts are working properly, and in turn that your vehicle itself is running efficiently. But after a while, it can become costly to always be taking your car in for an oil change. It can become expensive, and not to mention, a hassle. Therefore, learning to change your own oil is a great idea. It’s a very good skill to have. Whether you’re using a no-spill oil drain valve or a regular drain plug, the entire process can be pretty straightforward.
Manufacturers of cars usually state that oil changes should take place every year or after every 7500 miles of driving. However, this is only under ideal conditions. What they don’t tell you is that if you are a regular driver (which most people are) that drives in regular/severe conditions (which most people do) you need to do this more often. Severe driving conditions (when it comes to maintenance) include things like stop-and-go traffic, cold or hot weather, and frequent short trips. All of that sounds pretty regular and not so “severe” when you think about it.
What You'll Need
If you decide you’d like to try and change your own oil from now on you’re a part of society that will save upwards of one hundred dollars every year, gain a new skill and ensure the job is done correctly. Before you dive in, however, ensure you have a way of disposing of your old oil after it’s been changed. It’s illegal to simply dump it somewhere, but most service shops accept old oil for disposal.
You’ll need a set of tools to complete the job. Grab a socket wrench set, a combination wrench set, a pan to catch the old oil, and an oil filter wrench if possible. You may also want some gloves, a funnel, empty containers to store the old oil and lots of newspaper. Finally, you’ll need a new oil filter and a few quarts of fresh engine oil. So let’s get down to it.
HOW TO: Step By Step
STEP #
| INSTRUCTIONS
|
|---|---|
Step 1:
| Drive your car or truck around the block to heat up the oil.
|
Step 2:
| Park your car or truck on a flat surface.
|
Step 3:
| Turn the car off and block the tired for extra safety.
|
Step 4:
| Hoist your car on a lift or use a jack plus some jack stands to lift it up a bit. Remember safety first! If you don’t know how to do this, read up on it or ask a professional first! You don’t want the car to fall on top of you by accident!
|
Step 5:
| Locate the engine oil drain plug. This will probably be the plug closest to the floor (usually the largest one). If you see more than one and can’t tell, the oil drain plug is usually much hotter than the others.
|
Step 6:
| Use the socket or closed wrench to pry the plug loose. Continue to loosen it with your fingers but DO NOT remove it yet.
|
Step 7:
| Spread newspaper under your car and place the pan (for the oil to drain out) under the engine oil drain plug.
|
Step 8:
| Remove the drain plug and let the oil drain out for a couple of minutes.
|
Step 9:
| Take your oil filter wrench (if you have one) and remove the old filter. You can also do this by hand if the filter is not attached too tightly. The oil filter may be hot so be careful. Drain the filter in the pan as well.
|
Step 10:
| Pop the car or truck hood and remove the oil cap from the top as this can help in the draining process.
|
Step 11:
| Take a break. If you are not in a hurry let the oil drain out for about an hour or so.
|
Step 12:
| Take the NEW oil filter and coat the rubber gasket with some of the old engine oil in the pan. You can use your finger to do this.
|
Step 13:
| Wipe down the metal of the new filter with a cloth and screw it into place. Tighten this with your hands or the wrench.
|
Step 14:
| Screw the oil drain plug (underneath the car) back into place. Try to use a new sealing washer with it if at all possible. There’s no need to screw it in too tightly but it should be firmly snug.
|
Step 15:
| Put the new oil in your car. Pour all your new oil into the engine oil spot under the hood of your car. You can use the funnel here if necessary. Use as much oil as the car/truck manufacturer recommends.
|
Step 16:
| Screw the oil cap back on and double check the dip stick to see if there’s enough oil in the car.
|
Step 17:
| Start your car and let it idle for a few minutes.
|
Step 18:
| Pat yourself on the back for a job well done!
|
CommentsLoading...
No comments yet.
