How To Change Your Oil

3 Pages 729 Words

How to change the oil in your car
Every 3,000 miles we are faced with the vital task of changing our oil. When this
occurs, most of us just set up an appointment at the repair garage and spend money for
someone to do something so easy, you can do it yourself in a short amount of time. It is a
basic necessity in maintaining your vehicle that can leave you with pride in yourself for a
job well done.
The first step in the process is buying the oil and oil filter. You can find these in
any store that sells automotive items. There will be a manual near the filters to find the
right oil filter for your car. As for your oil, brand is not important as long as it is API
(American Petroleum Institute) certified. All certified oils will state this on the label.
Your owner’s manual should be consulted for the amount and type of oil such as 5 w30
or 10 w30, needed for your car.
Now that you have your oil and filters you can begin the job. With your old jeans
and shirt on you need to crawl under the front of your car. You will notice a relatively
large tank with a bolt protruding from the bottom or side of it. That is your oil tank. You
must now place a shallow pan under the discharge bolt of the tank. Your pan needs to be
able to hold 4-5 quarts.
Next you must have the appropriate socket on your wrench to fit over the bolt
tightly to remove it. If you do not have a wrench and socket set you can use a normal
crescent wrench fitted tightly to the bolt. Your crescent wrench is the one with a size
adjustment piece near the head of it. You must make sure not to round the edges of the
bolt when removing it ; this will make it difficult to tighten or loosen the bolt again. If
you do have this problem occur you will need to use a vise grip in the future. Your vise
grip is a set of pliers that adjust and grip tightly for maximum hold and control of bolts
without edges.
Once the bolt is removed the oil will drain freely fr...