Motor oil lubricates a vehicle’s engine and other inside parts of your car. The oil needs to be replaced about every three months or 3,500 miles to keep your car running smoothly. You can go to a car repair shop to get the oil changed or you can easily do it yourself. Following are the steps you should take if you want to change your motor oil on your own.
Go Under the Hood
Open your car’s hood. The car’s engine should be warm, not cold to the touch to ensure the oil and debris have not caked or settled. If the engine is cold, run the car for a couple of minutes, making sure it does not get too hot to the touch.
Drain Plug
Find your car’s drain plug. It is located under the oil pan and often looks like a bolt. It may not be accessible from the hood and you may need to jack the car up and get to it from the bottom of the car. If finding the drain plug proves to be too difficult, take your car to an auto repair shop to complete the oil change. The shop will have the latest oil change software and technology to finish the job quickly.
Place a bucket under the plug to catch the oil and take off the plug. The oil will drain out of the plug and into the bucket.
Oil Filter
At the top of the engine is the oil filler. Remove the cap and unscrew the oil filter that is located there. Drain the oil from the filter into another bucket or container. The filter is not reusable, so make sure you have a new and clean filter ready.
New Oil
Open a bottle of new oil for your car and use some to oil the new filter’s gasket. Install the new filter. Replace the drain plug and make sure it is tight in its location. Take a funnel and slowly pour the oil into the filler hole at the top of the engine. Put the cap back on the filler and run your car for one minute. Check for leaks and the level of oil. Add any additional oil and repeat the leak check.
