AKAOLU.COM: How and When to Service Your Car Engine

With economic situations worsening by the day, households are doing everything to cut down on expenditure. One of the most effective ways of cutting down on expenditure is by doing for yourself those simple things that you previously hire the handymen to do for you. One of such simple things is servicing your car. 

Yes! you can do it yourself.

Today, akaolu.com will teach you in very simple and practical terms with picture illustrations what you need to service your car yourself, how you will do it, and when.

Materials You Need

Car Ramps
Oil filter wrench set/socket spanners
Container to collect drained oil
Funnel
New Oil Filter
Quantity and type of new oil specified in your owner’s service manual
Clean rags
Safety glasses
Work gloves
Hand cleaner

PROCEDURE

Step 1: Run your engine.

Warm oil drains faster than cold, run your engine for only a couple of minutes. You never want to get your engine up to full operating temperature, because the oil will be way too hot to safely drain.

Step 2
Drive your car onto two ramps.

Apply the parking brake. Remove the key. Place wedges behind the wheels for safety. Put on your safety glasses and gloves

Step 3
Locate the oil drain plug and place the oil container below it.

Consult your owner’s service manual for help in locating the oil drain plug, and remember that the oil will flow at an angle into the container. Loosen the plug with a socket wrench.

Step 4
Unscrew the plug by hand.

While unscrewing it, push the plug back toward the pan to keep oil from rushing out until you are ready to remove the plug from the hole. Note—the oil may be hot!

Step 5
Drain old oil.

Check your owner’s service manual to find the location of the filler cap on top of your engine. Removing it makes the draining process faster because air can enter from the top.

Step 6
Replace oil plug.

Once all the old oil is drained, replace and tighten the oil plug by hand, making sure it’s not cross-threaded. After the plug is hand-tight, secure it with a spanner. If indicated in your owner’s service manual, use a new drain plug gasket. Never over-tighten the drain plug.

Step 7
Remove existing oil filter.

Even after you’ve drained the oil, the old oil filter can still contain hot oil. Position the oil pan under the old filter, then be very careful as you use your oil filter wrench to remove the filter. Use a rag to clean the mounting surface on the engine, and make sure the gasket from the old filter is not stuck to it.

Step 8
Lubricate the new filter and screw into place by hand.

Before installing your new oil filter, lightly coat its rubber seal with fresh oil. Check to make sure the seal is properly seated in the filter, then screw on the filter by hand. It’s usually not necessary to tighten the oil filter with the wrench, but check the filter’s instructions to be sure.

Step 9
Pour in new oil.

Make sure to use a clean funnel, and pour in the amount and type of oil specified for your vehicle. Some oil may not have drained out, and you don’t want to overfill it. When you have completed pouring in the specified amount of oil, don’t forget to replace the cap.

Step 10
Run the engine and look for leaks.

After you run the engine for a few minutes, check the area around the oil drain plug and the filter for leaks. If you see a leak, cut off the engine and correct it. If you see no leaks, shut off the engine and let it rest a minute or two to give the oil time to drain down.

Step 11
Check the oil level.

Remove the dipstick. Wipe it off. Replace it. Then remove it again to see if it’s up to the “full mark.” If it’s not full, add the balance of the oil shown in the owner’s service manual. Finish up by removing the wedges and backing off the ramps.

Step 12
Dispose of old oil and oil filter properly.

Take both to either an authorized used engine oil drop-off center or recycling center to recycle the old oil for you, if any.

WHEN TO CHANGE YOUR CAR ENGINE OIL

After you change your oil, record the date and mileage, so you’ll know when your vehicle is due for another oil change. Your car engine will be due for servicing again after doing 3,000-5,000 miles—this may be in the next three months.

AKAOLU.COM MEMBER: NobleMik