Change Your Oil!

You want your car to actually get you places, right?

Or your car will die a slow and painful death…

Changing your own oil is an easy task as long as you aren’t afraid to get

your hands dirty.

Here’s what you need:

Drip pan to catch the oil - Funnel Ramps or a jack - Fresh oil filter

The right oil, and the right amount

Before You Start… You need to lift your car up

*You can use a jack but only if you already know how to use it, as a poorly placed jack can do a lot of damage

Empty Your Old Oil

First, remove the oil cap on top of the engine,

which should look something like the picture

to the left.

Then get under your car and find the oil drain plug as pictured here. You will need a wrench to loosen this.

Make sure your drip pan is set up and finish removing the drain plug by hand. Stay out of the way as oil will start pouring out immediately!

Let the oil drain out

completely, which takes

about two minutes for

most cars.

Now It’s Time to Remove the Old Filter

The hardest part of this step is finding it. There’s no standard position for where filters go, so the easiest way is just to look at your new oil filter and look under your car for

something that looks similar.

Filters can usually be removed by hand. If not, use a filter wrench.

You want to remove the filter just as slowly as you did the oil plug, since oil will stream out of here as well.

Make sure your drip pan is still in place too!

If not, just tighten it with your fingers until it stops turning, then give it one

more strong half turn.

Now you’re ready to put the new filter in. Some filters come with instructions on how

many turns it needs…

*Make sure to replace the oil plug as well, using a wrench.

It’s time to refill the engine with fresh oil

Place your funnel in the oil filler hole that you removed the cap from earlier and slowly pour

the proper amount of oil in. Then screw on the oil cap, and close the hood.

Now start your car and let it run for a few minutes to allow your engine to regain proper oil pressure and check if you have any leaks near your oil plug or filter.

Congratulations, you just changed your own oil!