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PDE: eBay Parts and Accessories — 8/18

PDE: eBay Parts and Accessories — 8/18

Changing your oil regularly is essential for keeping your car in shape, and it’s a great way to dive into DIY car maintenance.

Aug 18, 2022

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4 min read

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Motor oil is the lifeblood of your vehicle’s engine, and if you don’t change it regularly, things can get ugly in a hurry. Luckily, oil changes are well within the capabilities of a DIY mechanic.

How Often to Change Your Oil To find your vehicle’s oil change interval, consult the owner’s manual. For most vehicles, the manufacturer's recommended interval is every 5,000 or 7,500 miles. In addition, modern cars often have maintenance minders on the instrument panel that will alert you when it’s time for an oil change.

Lift Your Car The first step is to lift your vehicle so you can work under it. Carefully drive it up onto ramps or lift it with an automotive jack and secure it with jack stands. Drain the Oil Once your car is lifted, pop the hood, locate the oil fill cap on the engine, and open it. Place a piece of cardboard on the ground below the engine to catch any drips and spills. Then, underneath your vehicle locate the oil pan drain plug, and place the drain pan beneath and slightly behind the drain. Open the plug carefully, because oil will flow immediately, and let it all drain.

Replace the Oil Filter and Drain Plug Replace the drain plug and tighten firmly, but not very hard. Next, locate and remove the engine oil filter, using an oil filter wrench if it's too tight to do by hand. Keep a towel or small bucket close by—the filter will leak oil as it's removed. When it's off, make sure the filter and its rubber gasket are off the engine. Now, add your new filter; before attaching it, wipe some fresh oil on the new gasket and pour a small amount of oil into the filter itself. Tighten firmly but not hard.

Add Oil, Run the Engine, Check for Drips Put a funnel in the engine’s oil filling spout and, referring to the owner's manual, add the recommended amount of fresh oil, subtracting the small amount you added directly to the filter. Pour slowly to avoid spills. Once you’ve hit that number, screw the oil fill cap back on securely. Once everything is sealed up again, run the engine and check for drips, If there are drips, tighten all the components again; if not, you're all done.

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