Tools that may be required to do the job:
- An oil filter wrench
- An adjustable wrench or a socket wrench
- Two empty plastic milk cartons, or other empty container
- A funnel
- Some rags
- New oil
- New oil filter
- A shallow plastic or metal pan that will hold at least 2
gallons (Cat litter pan works well.)
- Wheel blocks
- Safety glasses
- A jack and a pair of jack stands or a pair of car ramps.
- Rubber gloves (Optional)
How often do I need to change my oil?
Most
manufacturers' recommendations are once every 7,500 miles, depending
on the car and driving conditions. Most folks change it once every
6,000 miles. Conventional wisdom says that changing more often is
better.
Many Mechanics recommend every 3,000 to 3,500 miles to my
customers. This is because driving conditions are very rarely
"Ideal" and keeping clean oil in the crankcase is the best way to
keep your engine running for a good, long time.
Since this can be a dirty job - you might want to put on some old clothes
before going to work. Make sure
that your car is parked on a level grade, rather than on any sort of
hill or inclined driveway. Warm oil drains much easier than cold oil
so let your car run for about 10 minutes before you drain the oil.
After the engine is nice and warm, jack up the car and place your
jack stands under the frame to support the vehicle. Or, if you have
car ramps, drive the car onto the ramps. In either case, block the
rear wheels to prevent rolling. Set the parking brake and if you
have an automatic transmission, put in Park.
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NEVER GO UNDER A CAR
SUPPORTED BY THE JACK ALONE!! SERIOUS INJURY OR DEATH CAN
RESULT!!! WARNING! Watch out for hot oil, it's a good idea to wear safety
glasses when changing your oil. It's a good idea to wear a pair of latex
examination gloves, exactly like your Doctor uses, to help
keep my hands clean and pick up the drain plug that will
probably fall into the drain pan. You can buy them at the
auto parts store.
- Grab your drain pan and wrench and slide under the
car. Locate the oil drain plug on the oil pan.
- Place your drain pan under the plug and unscrew the
plug (counter-clockwise) with the wrench. Make sure you
have a good fit and do not round off the drain plug. If
it proves stubborn, get the proper size socket and
ratchet or a 6-point box wrench.
- As soon as you completely unscrew the drain plug,
the oil will come out in a rush, so be careful. Chances are the plug will fall into the
pan along with the oil. Don't worry when it happens.
When all the oil has drained into the pan, fish out
the plug and screw it back in. Tighten it firmly, but not so
hard that you strip the threads. It can be real easy to
strip the threads and this is a real nightmare to repair, so
please do not use excessive force when tightening.
Always change the filter whenever you change the oil.
I could never see the sense in changing the oil and leaving
a quart of dirty oil in the engine.
- You'll be able to get to the old filter from either
above or below the car. Place the oil filter wrench
around the filter's body. There are two types of oil
filter wrench, a cup type and a strap type. The cup type
fits over the end of the filter like a socket and has a
3/8" or 1/2" square hole for fitting on a ratchet. The
strap type fits around the body of the filter and will
work on any filter. If you plan on doing all of your
filter changes, invest in the cup type for your filter.
With the strap type, grab the filter as close to the
threaded end as you can. Place a pan under the filter to
catch any leakage as the filter is removed.
- The old filter may be a little tough to crack loose,
but once it does, it will spin right off. Unscrew it
completely and put it aside, it will be full of oil.
Wipe the surface of the oil filter housing to make sure
the old oil filter gasket did not stick to it and that
it is clean and dirt free.
- Take some of the new oil and coat the gasket of the
new filter with it. This insures the new gasket will
slip into place properly.
- Install the new filter. In filters that sit straight
up and down, it is a good idea to fill it with new oil. Tighten the
filter firmly, spin it hand tight and then another 1/4
turn by hand. Do not tighten it with the oil filter
wrench. All you'll do is distort the gasket and cause a
leak.
- On top of the engine locate the oil fill cap. It
will usually say "Oil" or "Oil Fill" on it. Most of the
time it's on top of a valve cover. Unscrew it and pour
in the proper amount and type of oil recommended for
your vehicle. Look in your owners' manual for the proper
type of oil and the location of the oil fill if it's not
obvious.
- After you have the oil in, replace the oil fill cap
and wipe up some of the oil you might have spilled.
Of course - you can always take your car in to have the
oil changed. Some find these directions to difficult or
dangerous and better left to the professionals. At least now
you know how to do it, and you can decide which is best for
you. |
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