Change Your Oil

Dennis James
February 20, 2008

One of the most important elements you must be aware of if you want to keep your car and engine in a perfect working condition is to regularly change the oil.

Oil plays a very important part in the well functioning of your engine, as it is used to lubricate all the moving elements. Your engine will run cleaner if you take care of it and change the oil when it gets older. With time, due to the conditions the motor runs, the oil will get dirty and will lose its initial properties, and will not protect your engine parts efficiently. Do not forget to always change the oil filter when you change the oil itself, because if not, the fresh oil will get contaminated from start with dirt and particles from the old fluid. Fresh oil makes no difference if the filter is clogged.

It is recommended to change the engine oil after each 3000 miles. For some cars, this number can be doubled. Consult the car’s owner’s manual and check the producer’s recommendations. Most producers will have mentioned two different intervals for changing the oil. One is for people who use the car in light conditions, while the other, shorter, is for those who operate their vehicles in difficult conditions (extreme temperatures, in dusty or in very crowded areas).

Check that the car is in park and the emergency brake is pulled before getting to change the oil. Remember; take every safety measures before starting working. You might also ask someone to assist in with the process.

Here the steps you must follow to change your oil.

First, loosen the drain plug. Just loosen it and do not remove it.

Next, grab the drain pan and fix it under the drain plug and let the old oil drain itself in the pan.

The next step is to change the oil filter. You might find it a challenge to loosen the old one, but in the end it will loosen and come off. Be advised that it will still have oil in its pipes and be careful not to stain yourself.

When all the oil has drained from the car, rearrange the drain plug in inverse order.

Now it is time to install the new filter. To install it easily, lubricate its threads and the sealing rubber with new oil and screw it into position.

After removing the engine oil cap, grab the new oil canister and pour it through the funnel into the motor.

Do not overfill. Read in the manual the amount of oil you will have to pour.

Before starting the engine, take one last look to be sure that no oil is leaking.

Do not drive your car just now. Let it with the engine running for a couple of minutes so the new oil will start lubricating the motor. Also, check that no oil leaks appear.

Verify the amount of oil you added by looking at the oil dip stick while engine is cold

In the end, do not dump the used oil in the drains. It can be reused part of the recycling programs. and remember, before you start working on your car; always consult the owner’s manual. Dennis runs Car Dealer Check which has independent Car Dealer Reviews written by the car dealerships customers and a Car Forum.