How do I change the oil in my car myself?

I know how many quarts of oil I need, I know how to get the proper filter...





Am I able to just drive it over the curb in the parking lot to get under it? Is that high enough?





After I drain the oil, what do I do with it?





If you could give me a step by step I would appreciate it.How do I change the oil in my car myself?
The young lady above (Mystical) is extremely sharp and very bright. I couldn't have answered your question any better.





I've been doing my own oil changes for 45 yrs. If you have a friend who's done it in the past help you the first time you'll be able to ';soak in'; the experience. I wish you'd have listed your year make and model of car so that We could have given you the exact part # of a NAPA oil filter made by WIX, one of the best in the business. AC Delco, Purolator, Motorcraft (made by Purolator) are all very good choices.





As for motor oil: Havoline Deposit Shield, Valvoline, Mobil, Quakerstate and the last Pennsylvania formulation: Brad Penn are very good in my experience.





If you'd like to eliminate driving on a curb Walmart has a very sweet pair of hard plastic light weight ramps to drive your car up on and oil changes are a snap. It's important that the car be level so that all the oil drains out. Leave the drain plug out at least 1/2 hr. It's much better to drain oil when the motor is hot. Let it cool for a while before removing the oil filter with a end cap oil filter removal tool that fits a 3/8 drive ratchet.





Here's a little trick you may consider: If your oil filter is positioned vertically on your car presently. Fill your new filter full with fresh motor oil BEFORE you screw it back on the pipe fiting on your motor. The reason for this is when you start a dry engine the oil pump does not have to fill the filter before pressurizing your oiling system. The motor gets full oil pressure faster.





I wish I could help you myself as I enjoy helping people learn the in's and out's. Use disposable blue Scott paper work towels to wipe your hands. **** Try to find *Viton disposeable gloves (any auto parts store) for your hands as used motor oil is nasty and nowadays thay claim may be cancer causing.





Good luck to ya,How do I change the oil in my car myself?
Jeez. Take it to a local mechanic and have it done correctly!


Support your local merchants...they pay most of the taxes to fund all the free stuff you enjoy!





And don't take it to one of those ';Jiffy'; oil change companies. They're staffed by moron who don't know what the word ';metric'; or ';cross-thread'; means.
Please dispose of the old oil properly, pour used oil into a container and take it to a local garage or wherever you bought your oil from. No need for me to repeat what's been said about the procedure of an oil change.
why get your hands all oily, get one of the guys you work with or the maintenance team to do it for you
You need a special tool to undo the filter or you need something tight to hold it and turn it open. After you undo the filter let it drain and let the nut holding the oil also drain at the same time if you want to make it faster. Then put the nut and new filter on thats it i dont think a kurb is high enough btw. oh yeah and you have to undo the nut thats the main way of taking out the oil.
Driving over the curb in a parking lot and getting under is very dangerous. If you are going to attempt it get the proper tools and dispose of your used oil properly. It is only about $35.00 at Walmar or your local garage. It will cost you alot more than that just for the right equiptment. My Hubby was a mechanic. If you don't know what your doing don't do it.
its very easy to do yourself;


1.run engine for 10mins or so to warm oil,makes it easier to drain.


2.ideally the car needs to be level,ive drove the front wheels up onto ramps before...this is ok to do


3.unscrew oil filler cap on top of engine.


4.now,underneath the car-remove drain plug bolt on bottom of the sump,making sure oil drains into a container at least 6litres


5.after all the oil has drained,replace drain plug bolt.


6.move container under the oil filter+remove, unscrew oil filter, oil filters only need to be hand tight.


7.after oil haws drained,replace filter with new one.


8.refill now with new oil,cars usually4.5litres. 4x4s usually 5.5litres.


9.replace oil filler cap and check level on dip stick, checking level,car needs to be off ramps and level


10. job done!
Get an oil pan...


Make sure the car is on a flat surface, when you drain it...


Unscrew the drain plug (righty tighty/lefty loosey)...


Let it drain... It take a couple minutes, let it drain...


Remove the oil filter...


Replace it... (there is a little rubber seal at the screw in part, put a little oil on your finger and wipe around the ring, then screw it in)


Screw drain plug back in...


(make sure they are tight, don't overtighten though)


Fill with oil... whatever it requires





The Auto Store can give you more details and will have books to show you exactly where everything is located...
Steps





1.An oil pan and socket wrench.


Gather all the necessary supplies and equipment. Under your car with all the oil out is not the time to discover what is missing. It will help to have everything close at hand. Proof of regular oil changes is required to keep your valuable warranty coverage, so save your receipts.





2.Raise the car, if necessary.


Find a flat surface suitable for changing your oil. Level driveways or alleys are ideal. Start by getting the car up on the ramps or jack stands (the ground must be solid, like concrete or asphalt). If you're working on a car with a high ground clearance you can just shimmy under. This saves time and is safer: if the car isn't up, it can't fall down! If you do jack up your car, raise it high enough to work comfortably and set your jackstands (in pairs). Be sure to block the back tires with chocks. Chock at least one wheel, both in front and behind it, to prevent the car from rolling either way. The best time to drain the oil is right after driving as the warm oil will be thinner, allowing you to remove as much of the old oil as possible (Caution: take great care when working with a hot engine.)





3.The oil drain plug.


Before draining out the old oil, you may want to pop the hood of the car and open the oil filler cap on the top of the engine. This will help the oil drain easier because air can flow in as the crankcase drains. Locate the drain plug on the bottom of the oil pan. It is normally towards the back of the engine at the underside of the car, and is angled down. Be sure you don't remove the plug to the transmission (healthy automatic transmission fluid is usually red) or other component. The bolt size will vary from car to car, and is in the 13-30mm range. All Toyotas and Lexus are 14mm (older models may be 13mm), all Mercedes Benz are 13mm, Jaguars are 30mm, older Volvos are 25mm, BMWs are 17mm, VW and Audi are 19mm, Honda and Acura are 17mm. All others are between 13 and 19mm. On some vehicles you may have to remove a shield on the bottom of the vehicle to have access to the oil pan. All Mercedes have a plastic shield held on with six (6) 8mm screws and some pickups and SUVs will have steel skid plates.





4.Oil has a tendency to come out at an angle.


Position whatever you are catching the oil with under the plug, then loosen the bolt. Oil has a tendency to come out of the pan at an angle, so make sure the opening on your container is pretty large. Lay something under the car to catch oil runoff. As the oil comes out of the pan at an angle, it can be tricky to catch, and may land on the ground. If this includes your driveway, you will want some newspaper or a drop cloth to catch it, or you risk an oil stain on your driveway or garage.





5.Removing the drain plug gasket.


Loosen the plug counter-clockwise using the proper sized socket (or wrench). The fit is especially important if the bolt is tight, which it shouldn't be. If you need more leverage, an extension such as a pipe segment on your ratchet handle can help. If this type of ';breaker-bar'; arrangement is required it was way too tight. You should also remove and replace the circular paper (or felt) drain plug gasket, but a metal washer can be re-used if in good condition. Be careful not to drop the plug in the oil, it's a messy job trying to find the plug in the black stuff.





* If you do drop it in the pan, you can easily find it with a magnet. Ideally, use the type that is at the end of an expandable rod.


* Another easy way to ';save'; the drain plug is to use a funnel with a bit of screening in it. Catch the plug as it falls out. You can then pull the funnel out of the way of the stream and set it to one side.





6.The oil filler cap.


Some vehicles (such as BMW, Mercedes, newer Volvos, etc) may have a filter element or cartridge as opposed to the simpler spin-on type. They require you to open the cap of a built-in resevoir and lift out the filter element itself.





7.Remove the filter, using a filter socket or filter wrench if necessary.


This can be a tough part. Filters are not put in a standard position, and they can be on the front, back and side of engines. Look at the filter you purchased to replace the old one and look for something similar. Once you have located it, remove it from the engine. This can be tough, and often seems too hard. They are not supposed to be tight. If it is, once you get a good grip slow and steady twisting can sometimes get it to begin to spin. If you can't get it off by hand, use an oil filter wrench. Keep trying. It will eventually come off. There may be some residual oil in the filter, so be careful not to spill it and have a pan underneath to catch the drips.





# When removing the oil filter, make sure that the rubber gasket ring comes off with the filter. If you don't and it sticks to the car, the new filter won't seal properly and will leak.





#Lubricate the gasket on the new filter with a bit of oil.


Lubricate the gasket on the new filter with a bit of oil.


When installing the new filter, remove all packaging, then dip the tip of your finger in the new oil and smear it on the gasket ring of the new filter. If you use the old oil, it may contain buildup that will wear away between the gasket and the car and eventually become a leak.