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How to Do an Oil Change Yourself
Before getting to the real deal of an oil change, make sure that your engine has cooled down. Wait at least few hours because oil can burn your skin when hot. In changing the oil, you’ll need a couple of tools to work with. Get yourself handy with a ratchet or wrench, an oil filter wrench, funnel, a new oil filter, and an oil catch. Don’t forget the new oil, of course. You can also use gloves to protect your hands and a mask if you’re sensitive to the smell.
To start off with this greasy task, first make sure you are in a safe and level area. If you don’t want the place to get messy with spills and grease, arm yourself with a clean rag and put some cardboard or a plank of wood on the floor below the engine. You can also use newspapers to cover the floor. Jack up your car and then it’s time for the oil change.
The first step is to drain the old oil, of course. Position the oil catch (or recycling container) below the oil drain at the bottom of the engine. When you’re ready with the oil catch, then proceed to remove the drain plug. The drain plug is the one that looks like a bolt at the bottom of the oil pan on the bottom of your engine. Drain the oil into the oil catch. After getting all the old stuff out, replace the drain plug. Seal the recycling container and you can drop it off later at gas stations that accepts used oil.
We then remove the old oil filter. Use an oil filter wrench and turn the filter loose. Try to steer clear of the old oil that might spill out. After this we finally get to put in the new oil. We first lubricate the rubber gasket at the end of the new oil filter with oil. Then pour in the oil into the new oil filter. Fill up about two-thirds of it. A little more is okay but it might cause a spill when you screw it into place.
We put in the new oil filter holding it upright so as not to spill the oil inside. Screw it on clockwise as tightly as you possibly can, but not too much. Careful not to overdo it because the oil filter can break its threads and this will cause a leak.
Now it’s time to refill the engine oil. Take off the oil fill cap and then insert the funnel. Find out how much oil your engine holds and pour around three-fourths of that. Don’t completely fill up the engine yet. We don’t put in all the oil because there may still be some oil there that we didn’t take out before. The last step is to check the oil level of your engine and add more oil until you reach the right level. Then we put the oil cap back securely.
This is all it takes, and you can finally drive off after you’ve cleaned up! It’s easy. It’s just dirty and takes a lot of patience. Don’t worry if you don’t want to do it yourself or if you don’t have the time. There are a lot of auto repair shops for sure that offers an oil change for its customers.