How to Change Your Oil

So the first thing you will need to do is find out how many quarts of oil your car needs and what kind of oil your car or truck needs. If you’re buying oil at an autoparts store they will be able to look that up for you. Just ask the person behind the counter how much oil your vehicle holds given the model and year. The next thing you will need to do is purchase enough oil and an oil filter (which they can also look up for you). Once you have the oil and filter you will need to place the car in park and set the parking brake. You can then find an appropriate place on your vehicle to set a jack. Most vehicles will have clear jack points on the frame but if you can’t see one consult your manual or look online. Once you have found the jack point, place the jack underneath the jack point and begin to lift up the vehicle. Once the vehicle has been lifted up you will need to place a jack stand underneath the car in a sturdy area (preferably another jack point). Once the jack stand is in place you can then lower the jack and lower the car slowly onto the jackstand. Now you are ready to change the oil. To begin with you will need to see how big of a wrench you will need to undo your oil drain bolt. The oil drain bolt will be on the bottom of the oil which is the bottom-most part of the engine. The oil drain bolt is usually pretty large and can be taken off with simply an adjustable wrench. Once you have loosened the bolt slightly slide an oil drain pan underneath the bolt and begin draining the oil. Once the oil has stopped or come to a slow drip you can place the drain bolt back in and tighten it. You are now ready to remove the oil filter. Finding the oil filter can sometimes be tricky but it is typically toward the lower-middle of the engine sticking out either toward the back of the vehicle or, if it’s on the front of the engine, toward the front of the car. The oil filter can be removed with a large pair of channel lock pliers, an oil filter wrench, an oil filter socket and socket wrench, or if it isn’t too tight simply with your hands (I much prefer this method). The oil filter will still be full of oil so be careful not to tip it onto yourself as youre removing it and remember to wear safety glasses while underneath the vehicle. Once the old filter is off, dip your fingertip in one of the NEW oil quarts and lightly lubricate the rubber O-ring on the threaded side of the new oil filter. Once the oil filter is lightly lubricated it can be placed on the engine. The engine is now ready for new oil. Pour in only the amount of oil that is recommended for the vehicle and try not to spill as this will cause the vehicle to smoke at start-up. Once the recommended amount of oil is in the vehicle, check the oil level with the dipstick and verify that the correct amount of oil is in the vehicle using the dipstick lines (it should read on the top line in almost all vehicles). Now remove the jackstand by jacking the car back up (if you have not already done this) and place the vehicle back on the ground. Allow the automobile to run for a minute or so and look underneath the vehicle to verify that there are no leaks by checking to see if oil is leaking onto the ground. If there are any leaks, ensure that the oil drain bolt and the oil filter are properly tightened. The vehicle’s oil is now changed. If this is your first time changing oil then congradulations on maintaining your vehicle!