Most automotive service professionals would agree that changing your oil is the best preventative maintenance you can perform on your car. But I’m here to tell you that just simply knowing you should change your oil may not be enough. I intellectually know I should change my oil every 3,000 miles, but it wasn’t until the day my dad lifted the hood of my car and yelled at me because he could barely see any oil on my dipstick that I started to realize just how important changing my oil is to the life of my car! I didn’t understand that without oil, my engine’s a goner! By neglecting this simple maintenance, you may encounter costly repair bills that could have been prevented. This following information was written to cover the most important maintenance job for your car.
Why is oil so important?
Just as your body needs blood to deliver oxygen to all of your essential organs, , your car needs oil to properly maintain all of the moving parts in the engine. Oil serves a few different purposes. Oil lubricates, cleans & cools your engine. The moving parts of your car have to fit tightly together in order to properly function. Without lubrication, these tightly fit pieces would quickly wear and bond together (seize) because metal against metal causes friction, which causes heat, which in turn causes wear. By performing it’s job as a lubricant, oil is serving another purpose at the very same time. It’s separating the parts of your engine; therefore it’s keeping your engine cool.
Because oil is a relatively good conductor of heat, it attracts some of the excess heat as it flows around the hot combustion chambers and carries that heat to your oil pan below. This special design functions like clockwork if the following things are in check:
1. Your oil is at the proper level
2. Your oil is clean and of the proper weight (viscosity)
3. Your filter and pump are functioning properly
4. Your oil passageways are not restricted in any way
So, how does oil work?
Your engine has an oil pump that pushes dirty oil through an oil filter. The oil filter collects small particles of dirt and contaminants, and stores them until you change your filter. The oil is pushed through small tiny passageways that are cut into the engine block. From there, the oil moves to the bearings, connecting rods, and inside your cylinder walls, pistons, and valves, where it then acts as a lubricant. The oil coats the metal parts with a thin film of lubrication that acts as a slippery cushion.
Choosing the right oil
1. Various types of oil are on the market, each created for a particular purpose. To choose the oil that you need, it’s essential to understand the importance of oil additives, viscosity ratings, and codes that you will come across when buying oil. Additives help in the following ways:
2. To pour better in cold weather
3. To prevent corrosion of the metal parts in your engine
4. To reduce friction between the moving parts
5. To prevent foaming at high temps
Oil viscosity (ability to flow) is one of the most important ratings to understand. In order to properly lubricate the internal parts of your engine correctly, oil should flow like regular cooking oil. In order to be sure that your oil is flowing correctly, you must know that the consistency of oil changes as the outside temperature changes. This means that in very cold climates, oil becomes very thick, almost like honey. If the oil is too thick the oil may not reach the moving internal parts in time to separate them and protect them. In very warm temperatures, oil becomes thin, like vinegar. When the oil is too thin, it does not coat; thereby not separating the parts because it doesn’t stay on them long enough.
In order to solve this viscosity problem, multi-grade oils were created. Special additives allow the oil to broaden its working capacity. For instance, these special additives gave oil with a weight of 10W-30 the ability to flow freely at more than one temperature. The 10W means that the oil is suitable for winter (that’s what the “W” stands for) and the 30 means that it would flow well in the summer. The range of numbers refers to the oil’s ability to flow at different temperatures. A range indicates this ability, 5 through 50. The smaller the number, the thinner the oil. No matter what, it’s always best to check the owner’s manual for your car to see what type of oil is recommended.
How to check your oil
Most cars consume (burn) a small amount of oil during normal operation. As a car ages (in miles, not years), oil consumption increases. New cars may also burn more oil than normal until all of the moving parts settle in. Because your car consumes oil, it is very important to check the oil level on a regular basis. Some experts recommend checking your car’s oil level each time you fill your tank with gas. This may be excessive. At a minimum, you should check the oil level in your car every 1,000 miles. Here’s how:
1. Park on level ground and wait about 5 minutes after turning your engine off.
2. Pull out your oil dipstick
3. Wipe it down with a clean cloth.
4. Put your dipstick all the way at the same angle in which you pulled it out.
5. Pull it out again and look to see where the level of oil is.
6. If the level of oil is below the add line, add a quart of the oil that is recommended for your car.
7. If the level of oil is between the add and full lines, be sure to check it regularly and add more oil when needed. TIPS
Be sure that your oil level is always high enough – but not too high. If you have too much oil, your engine seals and there is no escape through the joints and they may burst.
In order to get the maximum mileage out of your car, you should have your oil changed as recommended by the manufacturer. On pre-1990 cars, every 3,500 miles is about right. Cars built after 1990 may go as long as 7,500 miles without needing an oil change. .
If you drive a turbocharged or supercharged car, use only turbo-rated oil. This oil is specially designed to handle the extreme heat of a turbocharger.
So, how do you change your oil?
Changing your oil is fairly easy unless your oil filter is impossible to reach. First you’ll need to make sure that you have all the supplies that you need. If you have everything you need, you should be able to change your oil in about an hour.
Supplies
1. Oil. Make sure to get the right amount. Most cars take about 5 quarts. Get one extra so you have enough to top-up between oil changes. Check your owner’s manual for the correct amount and viscosity.
2. Oil filter (make sure you have the right filter for your make & model of car) Under your hood, sticking out of the engine is what looks like a can screwed into your engine. This is your oil filter.
3. Box wrench or allen wrench – This tool helps you loosen and tighten the oil drain plug
4. Oil drain plug gasket – Some cars do not have a drain plug gasket, instead they rely on a tapered metal-to-metal contact to prevent oil leakage
5. A large pan to catch the oil (drain pan) – Something low enough to fit under your car and large enough to hold the oil
6. A funnel – Just to help prevent messy spills!
7. Rags – This is for wiping your oil dipstick
8. A work light – A well lit area helps you see better under your car.
The Process
1. Warm up your engine for a couple minutes so that the oil gets churned up and flows freely out of your engine (the engine should be slightly warm, not hot!).
2. Place drain pan underneath the oil drain plug so that it will catch all of the oil.
3. Use your box or allen wrench to unscrew the oil drain plug until it’s almost ready to come out. Grab one of your rags and place it over the plug, give it that last turn by hand and release it. Pull your hand away quickly so that you don’t get warm oil all over you.
4. Next, remove the cap from your oil filler hole at the top of your engine.
5. Unscrew the oil filter by using an oil filter wrench if you are unable to do this by hand. Like most things the oil filter unscrews if you twist it counterclockwise. Your old oil filter will still have oil in it, be careful not to dump it on anything when you remove it.
6. Empty the oil from the filter into the drain pan. Once the filter is drained, wrap it in something like newspaper or special containers to transport to a recycling facility.
7. While the oil drains out of your engine, get your new bottles of oil ready.
8. Prep your new oil filter by wiping a dab of fresh oil on the rubber seal. This helps the filter seat against the engine without binding. Screw in your new filter into the engine where the old one was. Turn it gently until it seats. Then turn it another three-quarter turn.
9. Replace the oil drain plug and use your wrench to tighten until it’s good and snug. Do not over-tighten.
10. After you install the oil filter and replace your drain plug, using your funnel, pour in all but 1 quart of the fresh oil into the filler hole.
11. Replace the oil filler cap and run your engine for about a minute while you check for leaks under your car. Be sure not to rev up your engine at this time. Your oil pressure is low while the filter and oil passages are filling with fresh oil. Running your engine circulates oil into the new filter.
12. Now, shut off your engine and wait about 10 minutes for the oil to settle back into the pan. Remove the dipstick; wipe it clean with your rag and shove it back in. Pull it out again to check the level. If the oil level is low, add one-half quart and check again.
13. Remove your drain pan from under your car and take a short drive. Let the oil settle down again and check your oil one more time… for good measure! :-)
14. Although this job has many steps it really shouldn’t take you more than an hour to complete…maybe a little longer if it’s your first time.
After you’ve changed your oil, RECYCLE! Never throw away your oil in the garbage or flush it down a drain. It is a toxic pollutant that needs to be treated accordingly. Use your funnel to put the old oil in plastic disposable containers with tight-fitting caps. Many auto part stores or even some service stations accept old oil for recycling. If you’re not sure where you can dispose of your old oil, look in your phone book for the nearest oil recycling facility.
