How to do an Oil Change at Home
Wondering how to do an oil change at home? We've got you covered. It's of the most common do-it-yourself auto maintenance jobs. Although the thought of performing vehicle maintenance, simple or complex, is dreadful; an oil change can be an easy one.
Today we will show you how to do an oil change at home correctly, affordably, and most importantly, safely. It only requires a couple of tools and some spare time. If you're not sure if your oil needs maintenance you can check out this guide to help you determine when to get an oil change.
Before doing any work on your vehicle, you should review your owner’s manual for to determine what type of oil your vehicle uses, exactly how much oil your vehicle requires and the type of oil filter used.
Tools Required for Oil Change
Making sure you have all the necessary tools for an at-home oil change will make the process much smoother:
Parts Needed for an Oil Change
Before you get started, make sure you have the following oil change auto parts and materials:
How to Do an Oil Change at Home
A Step by Step Guide
Now that you have all the tools and materials required, you can finally get to the good part. This step by step guide to performing an oil change at home will see you through the rest.
Step One:
Get under your car!
You're going to want to give yourself enough space underneath the vehicle to fit comfortably whether that means just sliding under, or using a car jack. Always ensure you are using any car jack by the manufactures instructions. An improperly placed car jack can lean to serious injury.
Step Two:
Locate the drain plug & drain your oil
Next, you’re going to locate the drain plug - either under or on the side of your vehicle's oil pan.
Before you undo the plug, make sure to have a sizable pan underneath to catch the old oil. Remove your drain plug by turning it counter clockwise, with a wrench. As you get to the end of unscrewing it, hold tightly onto the plug - as you pull the plug away from the pan, oil will begin to spill out. Allow the engine to drain until the stream has been reduced to a trickle.
Step Three:
Goodbye old filter!
After you drain out all of the oil, the next thing you need to locate is the oil filter. It is a cylindrical unit screwed onto the engine. Either using your hand, or an oil filter wrench, begin to unscrew it enough to the point where some oil spills out from the top.
Wait for the flow to end, and completely unscrew the filter, making sure the rubber O-ring was not left behind.
Step Four:
Hello new filter!
Replace the drain plug and re torque it to the required specifications stated in your owner's manual. Next, take your new oil filter and rub a little oil over the gasket on the top of the filter. Hand tighten the new filter, making sure to get it snug.
Step Five:
Re-fill your engine oil
Removing the oil cap, take your funnel and begin filling the engine with your manufacturer's required volume of oil. Be careful to pour slowly, avoiding any spills.
Step Six:
Check your work
Using the dipstick, double check that your oil level is where it should be. Turn on your vehicle, allowing it to idle, and check for any leaks in and around both by the filter and under the vehicle.
Congratulations - you’ve successfully learned how to change your oil at home! This process, although scary in the beginning, is a piece of cake. Once finally complete, you should dispose of your used oil by taking it to an auto parts shop, or any other oil-recycling centers.
Don't want to worry about the mess and tools? No problem. You can book an at-home, closed-loop oil change with one of our skilled and friendly LubeVan Technicians. We will come to your home or office and complete the job quickly, professionally and with all the convenience and comfort of home!
