DIY auto maintenance often begins with an oil change performed conveniently in one’s own garage. It’s easy to change your car oil, doesn’t take much time, and will save you money while saving you from waiting in a boring room reading old magazines.
Oil changes are the best way to get to know your car and take charge of its upkeep. When you take the time to inspect the engine and undercarriage, you can easily notice whether any problems require fixing.
It Will Take Some Time: 1 hour the first time out and 30 minutes on typical.
Equipment Necessary:
- Device for releasing drain stopper with a wrench (box end or socket)
- Tool for removing the oil filter
- A container for catching oil runoff
- Funnel
- Protect your hands with some latex gloves.
A jack and jack stands/ramps may be necessary for vehicles with low ground clearance.
Materials Required:
- Oil
- Filter for oil
- New gasket for the overflow plug (depending on application)
This article will explain how to change the oil in a normal car. In our article, it is an Acura TSX, but the procedure is the same regardless of whether you drive a Hyundai or a Hummer. Alright, let’s get started by following six simple steps.
Push It, Let It Rip to Change Your Car Oil
You’ll need to raise the vehicle to go beneath it to do your repairs comfortably. Ensure you take all necessary safety precautions when utilizing hoists, ramps, or jack stands. Never do any work beneath a vehicle supported by simply a floor jack.
A plastic undertray is standard equipment on most new vehicles, and it serves two purposes: increasing fuel economy and shielding the engine’s most sensitive components from debris.
The TSX requires the removal of the cover in to gain access to the oil pan and oil filter. Most undertrays are secured by bolts, screws, or rubber clips that you can undo with common household tools. Check for oil leaks in the surrounding before moving on to the next step. Have a technician take a look at your car if you see any.
Pull The Plug, And Let It All Out
Place your oil receptacle, whether a 5-bucket, oil drain pan (found at auto-parts stores), oil tank, or similarly sized, in a spot where the oil can flow without spilling. It would be best if you kept in mind that there would be a surplus of oil. There is typically at least a gallon in the crankcase of an automobile, and often much more.
With the right wrench, release the drain cover by turning it counterclockwise. Keep your grip on the drain plug as you take it out of the oil pan; the oil will begin to spill out as soon as you do. After 5 minutes, or when the oil drains to a trickle, turn off the engine and let it drain.
Get Rid of That Outdated Filter!
To locate the oil filter is, the spherical part the size of a baseball attached to the engine through a screw. Turn the oil tank counterclockwise with your fingers or an oil-filter spanner (the latter is more practical) until oil drops out of the pinnacle and into your container.
Until the water stops flowing, you can’t fully remove the filter. Make that the old oil-filter gasket, a little rubber O-ring, wasn’t left around before putting in the new filter. Removing the old gasket is crucial. If the new filter doesn’t seal correctly, all your new oil will flow into the floor within minutes of starting the engine.
This might cause catastrophic failure. Before reinstalling the drain cap and oil filter, it’s a good idea to clean any oil from the area.
Turn Filter On and Drain Plug In
Reinstall the drain plug and squeeze it securely but not excessively. Excessive tightening will easily ruin the oil pan and drain plug. Try to pull it tighter, but don’t waste all your energy on it. Certain manufacturers provide torque specifications, and you may use it with a torque wrench.
Never attempt to remove the drain plug’s top. When reinstalling the drain plug, use a new washer (if your car has one, you may find out by consulting the owner’s handbook). The next step is to take your brand-new oil filter and massage some oil (just a little bit, like the tip of your finger) around the rubber gasket at the top of the filter.
When you adjust the filter, it will ensure a good seal. When screwing in the filter, use just enough force to make a snug connection (about “hand tight”), and no more.
Put Oil Back in It
After you’ve swapped out the oil filter and the drain plug, you can put the undertray back together and let the vehicle settle down to the ground. To go behind the hood, you have to take off the oil cap symbolized by the oil can. The recommended amount of oil should be poured into the engine using a funnel.
Make Sure the Oil Is Full And Look For Any Leaks
After the oil has settled in the pan for a few seconds, check it with the dipstick to ensure it’s at the right level. It doesn’t take much time or effort to check your oil. You need to take the dipstick from its pipe, wipe off any oil with a clean towel, replace it, pull it out again, and ensure the oil level is at the full mark.
Finally, when the engine has warmed up, let it run to check for leaks beneath the car or near the oil filter.
Kudos! You have avoided spending significant money by just maintaining your vehicle with regular oil changes. Do you feel fantastic now?
FAQs
If you need to change your car oil, what should you do first?
Start the vehicle and let it go for 5 minutes if the oil has to be warmed up from the cold. Do not expose yourself to the heat for at least 30 minutes. The drain plug must never be tightened using an adjustable wrench or socket. The plug requires a box-end wrench of appropriate (typically metric) size.
Is it necessary to drive the automobile after changing the oil?
Changing your oil is essential all through the year, so don’t even try to trick us. If it is very cold where you are, however, you may wish to run the vehicle for 5 minutes before the oil change to ensure that the oil drains smoothly from the drain plug.
Is it better to change your oil too hot or cold?
Many professionals in the oil industry agree that draining the oil when it’s hot is preferable to doing it while it’s cold for the following reasons: When the engine is hot, the oil’s viscosity decreases, allowing it to drain more rapidly and completely.
What happens if you change the oil but not the filter?
The engine might die from rust if the dirt isn’t cleaned off. Dust decomposes and turns into “sludge” if the oil isn’t changed often enough. Regular oil and filter changes may flush these contaminants from the engine.
Do you fill the oil filter with oil before installing it?
Changing the oil on a smaller automobile doesn’t need pre-filling the filter, but doing so may save time if you have a big, heavy-duty truck. Pre-filling the filter may become dirty and is likely not profitable long-term.
Conclusion
You can change the oil and filter regularly to maintain your car‘s good operating condition. Your oil will degrade, and your filter will clog up with debris over time.
It might take as little as three months or 3,000 miles (4,800 km). Or it can take as much as twenty-four months, or 20,000 miles (32 000 km), depending on your driving patterns and the car you use. When your automobile requires new oil, it’s best to have it done as soon as possible because of how simple and cheap the process is.
