Owning a car doesn’t only require you to only fill it up with gas before it runs out or washing it before it gets too ugly but your car needs to be maintained periodically to keep it in good condition. The bad news is some maintenance work can be costly. The good news? The Oil Change, most basic maintenance of all, is simple enough for you to do it yourself in just about the same time and a much less expense than getting it done at the lube shops.
The Tools: You need and oil filter, a container to collect the runoff and recycle it, a few type of different wrenches, a funnel, wheel ramps so you can get beneath your car and the proper oil for your car. Check the manual for the right types of oil.
The Work: Warm your car up for about 10 minutes then shut the engine down so the sludge will move out of the engine easier. Set the parking brake then raise the car up for easy access. Drain the old oil by placing a container underneath the drain plug, loosen the bolt with a standard wrench and remove the plug. Make sure your hands and other vitals are out of the way from the hot oil stream. After the drain is completed, put the oil pan back on. Do not forget, you don’t want to be refilling the oil only to find it all over the floor. Put the plug bolt back in the pan (you might as well replace its washer while it’s off), and then screw the assembly back together. Next, open the hood and find the oil filter – a soda can-sized object – that is normally under the hood but sometimes beneath the car. Loosen with a proper oil filter wrench and remove it. Be careful not to drip the oil. Replace it with a new one and rub the new filter’s seal with a little oil before tighten it (the wrench can exert too much force for this step). Finally, find the oil cap under the hood and refill it with the recommended amount of oil for your car model. Leave it for a few minutes before checking if your oil level falls between the Low and Full marks on the dipstick.
