Process Analysis: How to Change Your Oil

Change Your Own Oil In order to keep your car running well, you must regularly change your oil and oil filter. This involves draining the old oil, changing the oil filter, replacing the oil with clean oil, and disposing of the old oil. The equipment required includes four to six liters of oil, a socket wrench, a funnel, an oil filter, a car jack, an oil catch-pan, and oil rags or paper towels. The first step in changing your oil is to place the car jack under the frame of the car and lift it up high enough for you to lie underneath. This allows you to have easy access to the oil pan. After the car is lifted to a comfortable height, turn the car on and idle it for two to three minutes in order to warm up the oil. Heating up the oil allows it to drain more quickly and ensures you stir up all of the loose sediment in the oil. Once your car is warmed up and turned off, remove the oil cap. The cap is located under the hood of your car on top of the engine. This is where you will add oil after you are done draining the old oil. Doing this will help the oil drain more easily because air can flow in as the lines empty. Once this step is completed, you will need to lie under your car and look for a flat metal pan close to the engine. It should have a bolt or plug toward the bottom. This is the oil plug you will need to remove in order for the used oil to drain. Directly beneath the plug, place your pan with a couple of paper towels beneath that for catching the oil. Removing this plug can be tricky; the oil will come out of the pan as soon as you do this. You will begin by loosening the plug counter-clockwise with the proper sized socket wrench. Once you have loosened the plug with your wrench, remove it the rest of the way with your hand. Make sure you have your oil catch-pan placed directly beneath the oil pan before you remove the plug. You must also be careful not to drop the plug into the used oil; it is a messy job trying to find the plug in the black stuff. Now