Understanding How To Change Engine Oil

Engine oil is the lifeblood of your vehicle, it ensures minimum wear on engine components and maximum engine performance. Understanding how to change your engine oil is an essential skill of DIY car maintenance. Your vehicle’s owner manual will help you determine when to change your vehicle’s engine oil. If you drive short distances regularly, tow heavy loads, or competing track days you’ll need to change your engine more frequently. To change your vehicle’s engine oil, you’ll need a jack and axle stance or a ramp to elevate your vehicle, as well as a set of wheel chocks spanner or socket ratchet torque wrench, a suitably sized drain pan protective gloves, funnel, oil filter wrench, rags, and of course your new engine oil and a new filter.
Before you start make sure you’re wearing gloves, prolong contact with engine oil has been known to cause skin cancer. Park your vehicle on a level surface and make sure the handbrake is on the car in gear or in park and the wheels are chopped. The last thing we want is the car moving when we’re under it. Using the jack and axle stance or a ramp, elevate the car to a comfortable height. Start the vehicle and allow the engine to reach normal operating temperature. Warm oil will drain more easily and will help to drain any built-up sludge and grime. Switch off the vehicle and allow the engine to rest slightly before draining the air wheel. Engine oil becomes extremely hot and could cause serious burns. Loosen filter cap to allow for easy drainage. Located under the car near the bottom rear end of the engine oil pan is the oil drain plug. Place the drain pan underneath to catch the oil. Use a spanner or socket to loosen the oil drain plug. When the plug is loose remove it carefully by hand and make sure you’re not underneath the plug when the oil is released. Most oil drain odds also use a washer so make sure don’t lose it. If the drain plug or washer is damaged it’s best to replace it. Once the old engine oil has been drained replace the oil drain plug and tighten it firmly. Take care to seat the washer correctly. Next up is the oil filter. Using a suitable filter wrench, loosen the oil filter then remove by hand. The filter may be filled with oil so remove carefully from the engine to prevent spillage and tip the contents into the drain pan. Some oil filters are attached horizontally and will drip oil when removed. This is normal, so make sure you have your rags at the ready to mop up in and around the oil filter mounting surface to remove any old oil. The new filter can now be fitted, wash some fresh oil over the seal to prevent it from sticking.