Owning a car is awesome, it grants you the liberty to go wherever you want, whenever you want, while also providing a fun and sometimes even a therapeutical experience as you drive it to your liking. But car ownership isn’t just about the driving part, and there are other responsibilities one must accept when they decide to make the purchase.
Overseeing the correct maintenance of your vehicle is extremely important both for its lifespan and your own safety. Sometimes, however, when it comes to simple maintenance tasks, you can opt to learn how to do them yourself, saving time and money in exchange for what could be a gratifying chore. Changing the oil in your car is one of the most basic forms of car maintenance, and it's one of the most frequent too, so it wouldn’t hurt to know exactly how to do it.
Once you’ve read your vehicle’s owner manual to determine just how much oil you’ll need after draining the old stuff, all you’re going to need is fresh oil and a new oil filter. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s go over these 3 simple steps you can follow to easily change your car’s oil.
1. Raise Your Car And Drain The Old Oil
Using a jack or ramps, the first thing you’ll need to do is raise your car until you can work safely and comfortably beneath it. Next, locate your vehicle’s oil pan and oil filter, which are usually covered by a plastic or metal undertray underneath the engine; you can remove the tray as soon as you find it. Afterward, place any kind of liquid container directly beneath the oil pan outlet to catch all the old oil once you start to drain it, and make sure it’s large enough to hold several gallons just in case. Then, simply remove the drain plug and watch as it drains out of the oil pan - wait a few minutes until the oil flow stops completely.
2. Replace The Oil Filter
Located right next to the oil pan itself, you should be able to find a cylindrical oil filter about the size of a coffee mug. Place your liquid container directly beneath it and unscrew it until oil starts seeping out of the top. After waiting for the oil flow to stop, you can finish unscrewing the oil filter, making sure to also remove its correspondent oil gasket. Now, using a bit of the new oil to lubricate your new filter’s gasket, screw in the new component tightly. Also make sure to reinstall the drain plug and undertray, after which you can lower the vehicle.
3. Pour In the New Oil
After grounding your vehicle, just pop up the hood and find the engine’s oil cap. Then, simply unscrew it and proceed to pour in the new oil using a funnel. Wait some minutes for the oil to completely level out within the pan, and then use your car’s oil dipstick to make sure you’ve added the correct amount. Next, all that’s left is to start your vehicle and let it idle for a while; if you don’t find any leaks, that’s it! You managed to change your car’s oil, saving a few bucks in the process.