Cars are inherently complicated feats of engineering, but they haven’t a chance of functioning without some basic fluids such as water, gas, oil and hydraulic fluid. Let’s look at oil, and why you should change it yourself while spending as little money as possible.
One of the most important things to remember is that it’s easy and cheap for a national chain to do it, and some often incentivize with a tire rotation or an unwanted upsell like wiper blades etc. However, you could be putting your vehicle at some risk if you don’t consider taking on the job yourself – after all, it really isn’t that difficult.
DIY Oil Change
Before you get started, you’ll need a few basics like;
- wrench to open the oil drain plug on the sump reservoir
- a new filter
- a filter wrench
- and of course, the new oil.
Not only can you save your dollars on the oil and filter, but you might be preventing unknown problems from becoming nightmares.
How do you know a shop won’t cross the threads on your sump drain plug? How do you know that excessive torque hasn’t been applied? Is that filter tight? Of course, not all shops are negligent, but the risk is there and you won’t know about it until expensive problems arise.
So you have a wrench or socket for the drain plug, a clean rag, a funnel and a few quarts of good quality oil. Can’t be that difficult, can it? Never use an adjustable wrench or socket on the drain plug. Use the properly-sized box-end wrench, usually metric.
You should make sure that you look online for a basic guide for your particular vehicle.
Once you’re satisfied that you have the correct oil and all is straightforward, the basic, no-nonsense procedure is as follows:
Firstly, make sure the vehicle is on level ground – most important. You may have your own jack stands but regardless, the vehicle must be level so that you can make accurate readings of the oil level in the sump. It will also ensure you drain ALL the oil. Use plastic sheeting to prevent unwanted spills. NEVER trust a jack on its own! ALWAYS use jack stands or certified ramps.
Undo the sump plug, and drain the oil. Then remove and replace the filter and its gasket, using a filter wrench. Once the oil is drained, replace the drain plug, changing the gasket if necessary. Be responsible for the disposal of your unwanted old oil.
Finally, the rest of the work is topside. Use the funnel and refill the car’s oil. Check the level with the dipstick by removing it once and cleaning off the end, then insert it again to get a true, clean reading. Turn over the engine to disperse the new oil (don’t let the engine get hot) and take the dipstick reading again, adding a little more oil as necessary.
Then you’re done. Congratulations!