How to change the oil with 4 easy steps

Oil changing is a common maintenance practice. It could ensure the engine's longevity and keep the performance of the engine stable over time. The importance of regular oil change is widely recognized and most mechanics would recommend the oil to be recharged in a well-planned schedule. But it is hard to remain this habit sometimes. There could be a lot of things to get on your way to the repairing garage, which would leave you no choice but to delay your oil change date. The good news is you can do it at home and it would be more convenient and cost-saving. Here the complete guide from IndianAuto on how to change the oil on your own.

Step 1: Prepare the tools and materials

Prepare all the tools and materials beforehand

• Prepare the right oil type: The first thing to do is to know what is the right oil to charge for your vehicle. Car manufacturers would recommend a certain type of oil for your car. This information is written in the owner's manual. It also includes the information about the specific figure of the oil capacity required. Overall, synthetic oil is highly recommended over the traditional oil.

• Prepare all the tools: To change the oil properly, you might need the aids of many tools. Besides the essential material like oil and oil filter, you will need a wrench, an oil filter wrench, a drain pan, a funnel, jack stands and gloves.

• Even though the hot oil will flow more easily, it comes with a price: heated oil could cause burns for the plastic surface underneath and your own skin as well. For better safety, before getting into the real progress, you should wait until the engine cools off. How could we avoid unnecessary burns while still keep the oil hot enough to flow easily? The best way to solve this dilemma is to start the cool engine for about two to three minutes. It allows a good level of heat, which could not cause injury but still hot enough to flow easily.

• In order to prevent your hand from being burnt by hot oil, you should wear rubber gloves the whole time.

Remember to wear gloves when changing your oil

• The oil change could spread the oil all over the floor. To keep the floor clean, you should park the car on a plastic mat, or anything could keep the oil from spill over the floor. Oil is hard to erase, therefore you should be extra careful, or else, it will require an arduous cleaning

Step 2: Drain the oil

Drain the oil

To access the oil drain plug, you have to lift the car up. This is when the ramps or jack stand coming into play. After you get underneath the car, you can locate the drain pan and use the wrench to jack the drain plug. Before that, you have to put the drain pan right under the plug to collect the oil.

When the draining is done, it’s time to seal the plug with a ratchet.

Step 3: Replace the oil filter

Replace the old oil filter with a new one

Use a wrench to take the oil filter off. Also, notice that the oil could leak when the oil filter loosens, so you have to prepare a drain pan underneath. When the oil filler is removed, it’s time to replace a new one. A new oil filter is necessary as

When sealing the oil filter, you can spread some oil over the oil filter’s gasket. It could make the new filter grabs more firmly, prevents leaks and easier to remove on the next time.

Step 4: Pour the oil

The last step, pour the oil

You can watch the following clip to see the oil changing process step by step:

After replacing the oil filter, you will move to the hood to refill the oil. Remove the cap of the oil and put a funnel on it. Then you can finish by pouring the oil into the funnel. Be aware of the amount of oil you put into the engine. You have to follow the direction of the manufacturers. If you add to much oil than required, you have to remove some of it. A quart of extra oil is acceptable but above that point, oil removal is necessary. 

Visit our site - IndianAuto for more quick and easy car maintenance tips:

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