How to Change Your Car's Motor Oil

Nowadays a simple oil change can cost you at least $25. Most owners' manuals recommend a new oil change every 3,000 miles. In today's economy, most of us have to tighten their belts, but it is not recommended to skimp on oil changes. Regular oil changes are recommended in order to ensure a smooth running engine. This will not only reduce gasoline expenses, but also without an oil change, the motor oil in your car will get dirtier and dirtier eventually resulting in a ruined engine. If you are remotely handy, you can save some money by doing your own oil change. Changing your car's motor oil is an easy do-it-yourself job as long as you don't mind getting a little dirty. Even women will find this is a maintenance job for their car they can easily handle themselves. Just follow this easy eight-step instruction guide:

As a first step to changing your own motor oil you will have to gather up all the materials and tools. Just like when baking a pie, you don't want to have to search for an 'ingredient' in the middle of the oil changing process. If you don't already own the required materials, you will be able to purchase them at a local automotive, hardware, or mass-merchandising store. Here is a list of materials needed:

- Oil (Consult your car's owner's manual or a sales associate to find out what type of oil your car should use and how much of it is needed.)

- Ratcheting Wrench

- Socket Set

- Oil Filter Wrench

- New oil filter (Check with your owner's manual or a sales associate to find out the kind needed for your vehicle.)

- A bucket to drain your old motor oil into (It needs to be big enough for that purpose. The average engine holds about five to six quarts of oil)

- Ramps (For safety purposes you should not use car jacks to elevate the car)

- Something to lay on, while working under the car (If you want more comfort, you might want to choose something to lay with your back on that also has wheels to easily roll yourself under the car)

- Sturdy gloves

- Old rag/shop rag for cleaning up small spills

- Funnel

Your second step will involve elevating your car. An oil change requires that you get under your car in a convenient manner as the oil is drained from the underside of the car. Therefore, unless you drive a car, where the underside is already high enough of the ground for you to conveniently move underneath it and drain the oil, you will have to raise the car somehow off the ground. It is not recommended to use jacks for this purpose as they could easily collapse and trap you under the car most likely resulting in severe injuries.

Ramps will be the most convenient way to elevate the car high enough off the ground. The car should slowly be driven on the ramps. Some people only raise the front of the car. Again, for safety purposes this is not recommended. The car needs to be safely secured so that it cannot move off the ramps while it is being worked on.

Most people recommend turning on the car for a little bit to get the car to operating temperature and to warm up the oil. This will make it more liquid and allow for easier drainage.

Once this is done, carefully maneuver the vehicle on the ramps. Once the vehicle is positioned correctly turn off the car and pull the emergency breaks. This will immobilize the back tires. You might also want to apply additional safety measures, if so desired and applicable.

The third step is the draining of the old motor oil. After the vehicle has been raised and secured, you can lay out an old cloth, cardboard or the like, if so desired, under the vehicle. As mentioned before, some people prefer to lay with their back on some sort of rolling device in order to be able to quickly scoot in and out from under the vehicle.

If you are unfamiliar with the underside of a car, consult your owner's manual in order to know where to locate the oil drain plug/bolt. It is located directly under the engine and manufacturers usually label this part, but sometimes the label is missing. Take the ratcheting wrench, the socket set, and the bucket, which should be big enough to hold the old motor oil, but also fit under the car, and scoot under the car near the oil drain plug.

Find the proper socket that fits the bolt, use the wrench to remove the bolt/plug and drain the oil into the bucket. Be careful as the oil usually starts to come out as soon as the bolt is loosened. Therefore, the bucket should be positioned under the drain hole with enough room to maneuver the wrench and open the bolt. Additionally, the oil is warm to usually hot. Therefore, you might want to wear a glove on the hand that holds the oil drain bolt, while you loosen it with the other hand. You do not want the bolt to drop into the bucket with the oil. If this happens, you can use a magnetic stick to 'fish' it out of the bucket. Still, this could be a rather messy undertaking. Let the oil drain for several minutes to ensure that most of the old oil is drained out.

During the fourth step, while the oil is draining, you can tackle the replacement of the oil filter. You can also do step five first, if you so desire.

Depending on the type of the car your oil filter is either accessible from under the car or you have to open the front hood in order to reach it. Consult the owner's manual to locate the oil filter, which is usually cylindrical shaped measuring a few inches in diameter. If you cannot remove the filter with your hands, you may want to use an oil filter wrench to do so. The filter and surrounding area will contain some oil, which might spill out, when the filter is removed. Use an old rag or shop rag to clean up the spills and any oil residue. Take the new oil filter and rub a little bit of the new oil around the new filter's rubber seal. This will ensure a tight fit and proper sealing, when you put the new filter in place. Tighten the oil filter securely in place. The oil filter wrench will be a good aid for this purpose. If the filter does not sit tight, the lack of a seal will result in oil leakage in that area.

You definitely should not forget the fifth step, which is to put the sealing bolt back into place, which is done after the old motor oil has been drained from your vehicle. You don't want o accidentally drain out the new oil right away. Thus, scoot under the car and remove the bucket with the old oil. Clean up any oil residue with an old rag or shop rag. Tighten the bolt securely back on the oil drain, but don't over-tighten it or strip the threads! Otherwise, you will have problems, when you tackle the next oil change on your vehicle.

As a sixth step the new oil will be filled in the engine. Scoot out from under the car and check under the front hood of your vehicle. Consult your owner's manual to locate the oil reservoir, which is usually located on top of the engine. Fill in the new oil. If necessary, use a funnel to do so. Make sure not to overfill the engine. Only fill in as much oil as your owner's manual recommends your engine should hold. Use the dipstick to check, if the proper level has been reached. Once the proper level of oil has been filled into the engine (as measured by the dip stick), turn on the car and run it for a couple of minutes. Then turn off the car and recheck the oil level. Top off with more oil, if necessary. Next check the oil filter and oil drain plug/bolt for leaks. If necessary, tighten the filter or bolt further until the leak stops.

Now you can tackle the seventh step: lowering the car back to the ground. Remove anything you have put under the vehicle before you remove the vehicle off the ramps. You should let the engine run for a couple of minutes to allow for the new oil to be distributed through the system.

Lastly, the eighth step should not be forgotten. Properly dispose of the old motor oil. You have no use for the old motor oil. However, it is not only environmentally responsible to properly dispose of the old motor oil, it is also the law in many areas that special care has to be taken in the disposal of old motor oil. Therefore, do not simply toss it in the garbage or down a drain. You will have to take your old motor oil to a licensed drop-off location, which can be your local recycling center or an automotive center.

In conclusion, it is noteworthy that the savings incurred by doing your oil change might not be worth the time and effort for some people. In some areas, the licensed drop-off locations for old motor oil might also charge a fee. You might want to inquire about it in advance, before you tackle your oil change. Every oil change will require the purchase of new oil and a new oil filter. If these regular costs are only slightly below what a professional might charge you, a do-it-yourself oil change might not be worth your time and effort.