Regular car maintenance is something that needs to be done in order to make an automobile last. Some people are careless and avoid taking care of their cars, which results in costly repairs. Changing the oil in your car is a simple process, whether you take your car to a service center, or you change it yourself, this will save you a lot of money in the long run.
The first step for the do-it-yourselfer is to go to your local auto parts store and purchase an oil filter, an oil filter wrench, and the required amount of oil needed to fill your car. While shopping, it may be a good idea to pick up a funnel to decrease your chances of spilling oil all over the engine. Next, find a place with level ground to park your car. A garage would be an ideal place, but sometimes this option is not available to everyone. Although not necessary, the car should be placed on ramps to make crawling under the vehicle easier. Always make sure the parking break is on while doing this.
After you have your car situated for working conditions, grab your owners manual and figure out which bolt is the drain plug for the oil pan. Once you have located this bolt, locate the correct size socket wrench and break it loose but do not back it out all of the way. Next you need to put a pan or a bucket directly underneath the drain bolt to give the dirty oil a place fall into. Once the pan is underneath, back the rest of the bolt out with your hand, hanging on tightly to the bolt. Be careful during this procedure because the bolt will be hot if the car was running earlier. Let the oil drain into the pan completely, and then re-tighten the bolt until it is snug.
For the next step, refer to your owner's manual again to find your cars oil filter. Once this is located, use an oil filter wrench to loosen this up. Make sure the oil bucket is moved directly under the oil filter to allow excess oil to drip into. Once this is removed, take a clean rag and wipe the motor clean where the new oil filter will make contact.
