Instructions on how to change car engine oil yourself

Changing engine oil as well as some simple car maintenance tasks have long been done by drivers and car owners themselves to save costs as well as take better care of their cars. So what are the steps to change engine oil for a car and what should be noted, the following article will guide you through the steps to change engine oil for a car.

Tools needed to change oil

In addition to getting the right oil and oil filter for your car (some cars require their own filters, so check with your local garage for more information), you’ll also need some inexpensive specialist tools like an oil filter wrench and a large oil pan. You’ll also need a funnel, some clean rags, and a set of 19mm to 25mm spanners or sockets.

Drain engine oil

You need to park the car on a flat, hard surface, raise the front of the car and use the jacks on both sides to get enough height for you to get under the car to drain the oil. You need to pay attention not to drain the oil when the engine is still hot because the working area under the car is narrow, making it more difficult and you can get oil splashed on you and cause burns. In addition, when draining the oil, you also need to put a large piece of cardboard under the floor to avoid oil splashing on the floor.

Drain oil

You need to take a little risk to get under the car where the oil drain screw is, turn it counterclockwise to remove the drain screw. Place the oil drain pan in a straight line to catch the oil flow, note that in some cases the oil drains very quickly so you have to catch the oil drain pan in time. The oil flowing from the engine is still very hot, so you should be careful when operating. Usually it only takes about 2 minutes for all the old oil in the machine to drain out.

Remove the old oil filter and replace with a new one.

Using the correct size oil filter extractor tool for your vehicle, remove the filter. Once removed, empty the oil into the oil drain pan and then dispose of the filter in the correct waste bin. With the new filter in hand, use your finger to gently lubricate the opening of the filter with a little fresh oil.

After cleaning the metal ring around the filter, use your hand to screw the new filter in about a half or 3/4 turn according to the filter's instructions. Next, pour new oil into the engine. Open the filter cap with a clean rag and pour the oil through the funnel into the filter. Car engines usually need about 4 to 8 liters of oil (depending on the car) to reach the appropriate oil level for the engine to operate normally. Make sure to reinstall the filter cap correctly and tightly.

Engine oil filling

Refer to your owner's manual to find out how much oil your vehicle's engine needs and then add oil. Open the engine oil cap and add oil. Note that you should not add the exact amount of oil specified in the manual, but add a little less.

For example, if your car has 4 liters, add 3.5 liters because there is still some oil in the engine parts and it does not flow out when draining. After adding oil, remove the dipstick and check, if the oil level is not enough, add more until you feel it is okay.

Start the car and reset the oil change timer

Restart the engine, now you should pay attention to the light signals on the control cluster to see if there are any problems with the system. With new models equipped with an oil change inspection system, you need to reset the system. This process is quite different between models so you should refer to the vehicle's owner's manual.