How to change your car's oil yourself

Changing the oil and its filters are among the most necessary and common maintenance tasks for our car.

Changing the oil and filters is usually done annually. This part of maintenance is crucial to ensure the service life of your car. If you have the time, you don’t need to carry out this operation at the workshop; this way, you will save, among other things, the labour charge.

To carry out this task, some tools will be required:

• • Lift or hydraulic jack: needed to lift the car and gain access to the underside.
  • Funnel: useful for refilling the oil.
  • Gloves: recommended for hygiene and other reasons.
  • Set of spanners and filter removal tools: this way we make sure we have easy access to all areas.

Now we would have everything necessary to carry out this operation. Below we explain in a few steps how to change the car’s filters and oil.

Changing the oil in simple steps

• Start the engine: to carry out the oil change, the engine must be warm. Leave the car running for about 5 minutes before moving on to the next step.

• Lift the car and locate the drain plug: using tools such as the hydraulic jack, raise the car. Now try to locate the oil drain plug. On almost all cars it will be visible beneath the engine, although on some models you will need to remove covers to reach it.

• Use a container: this will prevent you and your surroundings from getting dirty. It also helps avoid any kind of pollution.

• Remove the plug: It is important to be careful, as the oil will be hot. Wearing a good pair of rubber gloves can help avoid accidents. Let all the oil drain out, down to the last drop.

• Remove the oil filter: while the oil is draining, you can get ahead and look for a black cylindrical, or even metallic, container screwed onto the engine. Remove it with the appropriate tool.

• Fit the new filter: before fitting it, make sure to grease the rubber seal well, so that it does not stick in future replacements. Now screw in the new filter, but be careful: do it by hand, not with tools. If you tighten it too much you will increase the oil temperature during your journeys.

• Refit the drain plug: once the oil has been completely removed, refit the plug. Remember not to overtighten it.

• Locate the oil filler cap: once you find it, open it and pour in the new oil. The cap is usually a bright colour, so it won’t be hard to find.
• Don’t skimp on oil: this item is extremely important. Make sure to buy good-quality oil. Keep checking with your dipstick until it reaches the required level.

Once this is done you will have successfully replaced your car’s oil. As you can see, it was not as complicated as it seemed.

If you are interested in knowing which are the best oils for your car or learning a little more about this product, we have more information on the website that may interest you.