The money spent on getting your car’s oil changed can pile up, and before you know it you’ve spent a couple hundred dollars just to have this relatively easy procedure done four or five times. But learning to perform an oil change is one of the most easy-to-learn auto repairs, and the whole thing takes less than half an hour. Instead of unnecessarily paying someone else to do it and having to wait several hours before you can pick up your car, check out this easy to use auto repair guide.
Getting Ready
First off, never try this while your car’s engine is still hot. Let it cool a few hours. Perform the oil change on a flat surface. Safely jack up the car and put a piece of cardboard underneath in case oil spills. The materials you’ll need are: ratchet, oil filter wrench, oil catch container, funnel, new oil filter, new oil, and an old rag.
Getting rid of the old oil
You’ll need to drain the old oil from the pan at the bottom of your engine. You’ll see that the oil is held by a drain plug at the bottom of the pan. Before pulling the plug, place the oil catch container under it. The screen on the oil catch should catch the plug so it doesn’t fall into the oil. Once the oil is fully drained, replace the drain plug, making sure it’s secure but not too tight. Cap the oil container and save it for recycling.
Remove the filter
Now, remove your old oil filter using the oil filter wrench. Turn counterclockwise, and be careful with slippage, which might be caused by old oil. Most oil filters have to be accessed from the bottom of the car.
Install new filter
With the old filter out and the old oil drained, it’s time to put in the new filter. Prep this new filter first by lubricating the rubber gasket at the end of it with some oil. Fill the new oil filter up 2/3 of the way up with oil, and then screw it carefully into place, clockwise. Only screw it in as tight as it will go using one hand. Over-tightening will cause damage to the filter.
Refill the engine with new oil
Unscrew the oil fill cap, which you can access from the top of the engine and put the funnel into place before pouring the oil. Pour in ¾ of what your owner’s manual says your engine holds. So if the manual says your car hold 4 quarts, pour in 3 ½.
Finally
Check your oil to make sure it’s at the right level and then put the oil cap back on. You’re done!