Tips On How to Change the Oil in Your Classic Volkswagen

If you own an old style Volkswagen beetle or bus, you have probably noticed that there are a lot of differences between that car and most others on the road. In fact it can even be a little confusing when doing simple maintenance. Changing the oil is a little different then in almost any other car because the old Volkswagen beetles and busses do not have the conventional oil filter. You will not even be able to see an oil filter anywhere if you look at the engine. That is because the thing that filters the oil is a screen that is inside the engine itself. Removing and cleaning the screen can be difficult, but here is some tips to help you remove it.

The first thing you will probably need to do is jack up the back end and put it on jack stands, this will give you more space to work underneath. Next take a large pan and put it underneath the motor of your vehicle. Do not use a good pan for this because you are going to be put waste oil in it. There is a large central nut on the bottom of your engine. Put a ratchet on that and carefully loosen it. Be careful because once you take it out the oil will pour out of your engine. Once you have drained the oil, you will notice that there are a bunch of smaller nuts that circle around the big oil releasing bolt. Take these off and carefully put them aside.

Now gently pull off the odd little thing that is above the plate, if it does not come off at first. You will notice a bubble of screen material that usually has sludgy waist oil in it. Clean it as best you car, if you have time you can soak it in kerosene to get it extremely clean. Now let it dry and carefully reassemble it. When you are putting the nuts back into place, be extremely careful that you do not accidently cross thread one. Once everything is secure, take your new motor oil and put it into your engine. Make sure it is the correct weight for your time of year.

Now that you are done changing your oil, and have cleaned the screen, it is time to dispose of the waist oil properly. Some Volkswagen users also take a paint brush and brush a little of the old motor oil underneath their car to prevent rust, but that is your choice.