Having a car inevitably involves maintenance. Even if you stick to the bare minimum, sooner or later you'll have to change your car's oil, change brake pads, and often, replace suspension components.
If some mandatory maintenance requires specialized tools, the oil change can be done at your home, with almost nothing (Please note, some municipalities do not allow their citizens to proceed with their oil change on their own. Find out about the laws of your municipality from your town hall).
Going to a garage for an oil change usually costs over $ 60, while if you do it yourself you won't really be spending more than $ 20 on your oil, and $ 5 on your oil filter. .
If your car is leased and / or covered by a warranty, make sure your contract allows for “self-maintenance”.
Here is our practical guide for a successful oil change at home!
If necessary, refer to our photo gallery, on the right, for a visual guide!
What you need
To have a successful oil change, you don't need a lot of stuff. You need sufficient motor oil, a rag, a new oil filter, large tongs (as in the photo), a funnel, and a container large enough to temporarily accommodate your used oil. It is also recommended to have the necessary tools to unscrew nuts.
1 st step: heating the engine
This detail may seem trivial, but it is important to drive the vehicle before changing the oil. If your motor oil needs to be changed, it is because over time it fills up with metal particles that interfere with the lubrication of moving components. If the oil is changed cold, the particles, then deposited at the bottom of the oil tank, will not be removed. Over time, they can even form harmful deposits.
This is why we recommend that you drive your vehicle until the oil temperature reaches its operating point. This “point” is usually reached when the needle of the oil temperature gauge is near the middle of the graduated scale. If your vehicle does not have an oil temperature indicator, wait for the “cold engine” warning light to go out. Then, let the vehicle rest for ten minutes, and go to the next step.
2 th step: empty the waste oil
In order to drain your used oil, you need to know the location of your oil pan. This is a metal tank that is usually located under the engine. For easy access, jack up the car, and hold the elevation with suitable supports. However, your vehicle's ground clearance may be high enough that you don't have to lift it.
Under the crankcase there is a nut. It serves as a cap for the tank. Once removed, this plug will let out almost all of the oil in your engine. So be sure to place the container under this cap before unscrewing it. Once the cap begins to loosen up, you can finish unscrewing it by hand, but be careful not to burn yourself with the hot oil, and beware of splashing! The best advice here is to unscrew the cap while maintaining pressure on it. Be careful not to lose the sealing washer found on most cars!
If you want to speed up the process, you can remove the plug located on top of the engine compartment, usually stamped with a jug of oil. This is the engine oil filler cap (see 4th step).
Allow the engine to drain completely. When the oil is no longer flowing from the crankcase, you can replace the plug, and go to the next step. Be careful, there is no need to overtighten this cap. It is important to validate the manufacturer's instructions, as precise torque may need to be applied to this plug, and in some cases the sealing washer must be replaced with a new one each time you change the oil (some washers are designed for '' crush between the crankcase and the plug to ensure leaktightness).
3 th step: changing the oil filter
In order to optimize the performance of motor oil, it is filtered so as to remove most of the metal particles from its contents. The filter usually takes the form of a metal cylinder in which there is a paper filter element. Often sold for around $ 5, it is imperative to replace the latter at each oil change, but validate the instructions contained in your owner's manual;some special filters, which are more efficient but more expensive, may need to be replaced at different intervals than the oil changes.
Usually, the oil filter is located near the crankcase. To replace it, nothing could be simpler. Loosen it with pliers, preferably round pliers designed for this purpose, and finish unscrewing it by hand. This filter can be recycled.
You can now install a new filter. However, be sure to cover the rubber band which serves to seal the filter with a thin layer of oil; to do this, moisten your finger with oil and slide it along the strip. This will improve the seal. Ideally, use new oil for this operation.
Screw the new filter back on by hand, and tighten it all with the pliers; the special pliers designed for this purpose take on its importance here, because it is easy to pierce a filter by exerting too much pressure with a standard pliers. Once again, it is important to validate the manufacturer's instructions here. No need to force too much: in general, a quarter turn is sufficient.
4 th step: reset oil
This is arguably the most important step. Don't forget to put oil back in the engine, otherwise you won't be doing 5 kilometers before it is crumbled ...
Fortunately, this is also the easiest step. All you have to do is insert a funnel into the duct from which you previously removed the cap. Slowly pour the correct amount of oil for your car into the funnel (the owner's manual will tell you the required viscosity as well as the amount). If you go too fast, there may be overflows.
To make sure that the oil level and quality is good, you can start the car for a few minutes, then turn off the engine and check the oil using the dipstick for this purpose. If your vehicle no longer has a gauge, as on some BMWs, you can check this information on the car's on-board computer.
5 th step: recycling oil
Now what to do with your used oil? Using the funnel, transfer your used oil to the container that held your new oil. You can then use your rag to wipe your hands, along with the old oil filter and your container.
Here, your oil is changed, and all you have to do is bring your used oil to a recycling center near you! Remember, used oil is extremely toxic and polluting. Do not dispose of it in the sewers!