6 Easy Steps to Change Oil Yourself
One important thing that you can do for the wellbeing of the engine is to change the oil in your car regularly. It keeps the motor parts well lubricated, so they don’t overheat and get damaged permanently. The good news is you can change oil yourself unless the oil filter or the drain plug is located in an impossible position.
Change Oil Yourself: The Oil Change Steps
The process takes nothing more than an hour in the afternoon, your ability to identify some specific automobile parts, and some tools. Let’s take a look:
Warm up the engine
You have to do it for 2 to 3 minutes so that oil flows out easily. Don’t do it longer than the recommended time because you can burn yourself by touching the hot engine.
Find and unscrew the drain plug
It looks like a large nut that you will find underneath the oil pan located at the bottom of the engine. If it’s not easy to reach, you have to either crawl under the car or jack it up. Place a bowl or container under the plug and unscrew it with a wrench. Let the oil drain out into the bowl underneath.
Unscrew the oil filter and empty it
Look at the top of the engine and find the oil filter. Remove its cap and unscrew it with a wrench. You can spill the hot oil on your hands during this process if you are not careful. Catch the oil into a pan and set the filter aside.
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Attach the new filter
Moisten the new filter’s gasket with fresh oil. Put it in the place of the old one and turn it gently until securely attached.
Screw the oil drain plug
Use a wrench if you can’t do it by hands. If the tool has a gasket, make sure to replace it with a new one before attaching it.
Pour the oil and check the level
Slowly pour all but one quart of oil into the hole of the filler. Start the engine and run it for half or a full minute, and check if the oil leaks around the filter or the from the drain plug. Remove the dipstick, wipe it down, and then dip it again to monitor the oil level. Keep adding oil little at a time until the dipstick shows that the tank is full.
You don’t need to be an expert or have any technical knowledge to change oil yourself. Just follow the procedure and save yourself a visit to the gas station or a service center. At first, it may leave stains on your shirt and oil on your driveway, but you will do it like a pro after a couple of times.