Changing out the oil in your own car's oil tank is not extremely hard and, given the right equipment, doing so can save you significant money over the long run. Not only do you avoid the cost of labor with oil changes at a car mechanic shop, you also learn how to maintain your car's engine lubrication regularly, prolonging the life of the engine from the damages of friction and wear.
Instructions
- 1
Take the car out for a short drive to warm up the engine and existing engine oil. Return and park the vehicle in a work area with plenty of space. Drive the front of the car up on two wheel ramps carefully if you do not have sufficient clearance to work underneath the car. Place two wheel chocks behind the rear wheels so the car won't roll back on its own if the brake fails.
2Put on goggles and gloves and pull an oil pan with you underneath the car. Locate the engine oil drain pan underneath the engine. Use a crescent wrench or socket wrench to loosen the drain plug. Look for the sealing washer so you don't lose it when the plug comes loose. Be careful to avoid touching the warm or hot oil as it comes out. Let the fluid drain into the oil pan. Remove yourself from under the car in the meantime.
3Reinstall the drain plug with a new plug gasket if necessary when the old oil has finished draining. Tighten the plug with the crescent wrench or socket wrench. Remove the oil pan carefully so you don't spill the waste oil. Pour it into an oil storage container to hold until you take it to an oil disposal center.
4Go back underneath the car with an oil filter wrench. Locate the oil filter and loosen it with the wrench. Use rags to catch old oil residue that may spill out. Pull out the oil filter and replace it with a new one matching the same specifications on the old one. Apply a little bit of new oil to the sealing part of the new filter using your fingertip. Screw the new filter into the filter engine cavity and tighten with the oil filter wrench. Dispose of the old filter in a trashcan.
5Open the car hood and unscrew the engine oil cap. Pour new engine oil into the engine consistent with the specifications in your vehicle's repair manual. Use a funnel to make sure it doesn't spill while pouring. Check the Internet for the same oil specifications if you don't have a repair manual. Wait for the oil to drain into the system properly. Close the oil cap and car hood.
6Look underneath and check that the oil drain plug is in place, the new filter is installed, and nothing is draining out of the bottom. Get back out from underneath and remove the rear wheel chocks. Turn the car ignition on and carefully back the car off the wheel ramps if they were used. Take the car for a test drive to confirm everything is working right.
