One Stop Motors

If a car was a human being, the gas we give it would be the food and the engine would be the heart.  In this hypothetical, the oil that circulates within the engine would be the blood of the car.  It might not be a perfect comparison, but just as blood keeps our extremities working so does oil in a car.  For most automotive owners, changing oil is as foreign as Cantonese, but it is a necessary function in the process of maintaining your vehicle.  With the economy where it is, changing your oil is a simple and easy task that can be done in your drive way and can save you almost half the cost of getting it changed professionally.  Here’s how to do it. 

What you need first is the tools to change the oil.  If you already consider yourself a fixer or handyman, odds are you have most of these already.  Here’s what you need:

• A funnel
• A ratchet or crescent wrench
• An oil drain pan
• An oil filter wrench
• New oil filter
• Fresh quarts of oil
• A spare rag or two

Everything but the oil filter and the actual oil is a one-time buy and should cost you roughly $25 tops at any auto parts store.  The one thing most cars already have is an emergency car jack with their spare tire, which can be used, but they are usually scissor jacks that crank up to one and a half ton.  We suggest investing in a decent jack and a few stands to prop under your wheel wells to ensure your safety while working under the car.

Another thing to consider is when you are shopping for your filter and oil; you should know what type of oil and filter your car takes.  Anywhere that sells filters will have a manufacturer’s guide listing all the makes and models and their air filter, oil filter and windshield wiper types.  5w30 or 10w40, the oil used in your vehicle will be found in your car maintenance manual.  If you are still unsure, a simple Google search of your car or asking a store employee are easy solutions.  You should also consider if you want to use regular oil or synthetic.  Synthetic is better for an engine and lasts roughly four times longer than regular, but costs a bit more.  Since you’ll be buying five or six quarts, the cost difference will be noticeable, but you won’t have to change your oil again for another 10,000 to 15,000 miles as opposed to the regular 3,000 to 5,000.

Once you have what you need, it’s time to physically change the oil.  Before you do anything, however, make sure your engine is not hot.  A hot engine means hot oil, which could be up to 200 degrees.  You don’t want to come into contact with scolding hot oil.  If you’ve insured your engine is cool enough, you can start by jacking up the front end of the car on both sides.  Make sure you are on flat, leveled ground and the position of your jack is on the frame of the car.  Think about sitting on a pin, the weight of your body pushes down on the pin and the pin pushes into your skin.  The weight of the car on the jack could puncture thin-walled tanks, so be sure you’re on a frame of the car.  Look for a long running strip of steal along the outside edge.  Once you jack up the car and put the axel stands underneath, you should be able to slide under the car relatively easy.

You are under the car; now locate two things; the oil filter and the oil drain plug.  The plug is screwed into the bottom of the oil pan and somewhere higher, maybe tucked behind the frame is the oil filter.  You should be able to get at either with relative ease.  Before you add the new oil and filter you need to drain the old oil out.  Get your drain pan and carefully position it below the oil plug.  Be aware, when you start unscrewing the plug, oil is bound to gush out.  It will stream for a minute or two then slow to a dribble, but as long as you have the drain pan positioned right, you won’t have an oil spill to mop up.  Once you drain the old oil, you can screw the plug back in and move to the oil filter.

The oil filter wrench works by looping and pulling around the filter until it is snug.  Turn it until the filter gives and then you can unscrew the filter by hand.  Once it is removed, grab your new filter.  Before you screw it on, be sure to lubricate the outside rubber ring of the filter with a bit of used oil.  This will help strengthen the bond of the filter with the face of the pan and ultimately reaffirm the seal.  Screw the filter in as much by hand as possible then get the filter wrench and give it a good half to one full turn to make sure it is snug and sealed.  Don’t overdo it, because you could crack the filter but mostly because you are making it harder to unscrew it next time.  Now that you have the oil drained, the plug screwed tight and the filter replaced, slide yourself out from under the car and fill that baby with oil.

Under the hood, look for the universal oil symbol on a cap on your engine.  This is where the new oil goes.  Grab your funnel, pop the top and load in that new oil.  A standard V-8 engine takes about six quarts of oil and something smaller will be roughly five.  Once you get four to five in, pull out the funnel and re-apply the cap.  From there, turn the engine on and let it run for a minute.  During this time, check beneath the oil pan for any leaks coming from the filter or the plug.  If you don’t notice any, shut the engine off and check the oil.  By running it, you circulate the oil and get a better gauge of how much more oil you may need.

When all this is done, get back on the jack and crank up the frame to get your stands out of there.  Then you can check your oil level. Dip the stick and read where your oil level is at (now that your car is level).  If you only put in four, odds are you’ll need another quart, but be sure not to overfill it.  It’s not going to kill your car, but it’s also not going to benefit it either.  If you have enough oil, pat yourself on the back because you did it.  The next time you need an oil change you’ll have the tools and the talent to do it yourself.