The Importance Of an Engine Oil Change For your Car

Your car requires preventive maintenance to keep it running optimally. This means that certain things need to be checked, adjusted, and/or replaced at specific intervals. One of the most important things involved in car maintenance is a timely engine oil change.

Here’s all you need to know about engine oil changes and a step-by-step process of how you can change the engine oil of your car yourself.

The Significance of Timely Car Engine Oil Services

The primary role of engine oil is to provide lubrication. There are well over 2,000 metal parts in an engine that move against each other at terrific speed. A lack of lubrication may lead to insufficiency and inadequacy in your car's functions, and may even pose safety risks.

Besides the simple task of lubrication, engine oil performs other functions as well. It keeps the engine cool and leads to lower emissions.

Delays in engine oil changes at specified intervals will lead to faulty car functions. As the car’s biggest and most critical component, a faulty engine could leave you stranded with a large repair bill.

Also Read : 5 Signs Your Car Needs Servicing!

The Advantages of an Engine Oil Change

Here are some of the advantages of changing your car's engine oil:

How to Change Engine Oil Yourself

Here is a step-by-step guide to changing engine oil.

1. To start with, you'll need a ramp. If you don't have a ramp, then you'll need a flat area, at least one jack and four jack stands, your owner's manual, a torque wrench or spanner for the drain bolt, the drain bolt gasket, replacement engine oil, a new oil filter, a pan to collect the new engine oil in, empty cans for the used engine oil, a funnel, cotton waste or disposable cloths to wipe your oily hands on, and finally a bunch of newspaper to lay on the ground so that you don't lay in the dirt.
   
   
2. Go through your owner's manual to find out the type and quantity of engine oil your car requires. If it requires synthetic oil, don't use mineral oil - but the converse is acceptable. Also, check if your oil filter requires replacement. If it does, purchase one. Get a new drain bolt gasket as well while you're at the parts store. You'll need an oil collection pan that will hold significantly more than the amount of oil your engine holds.
   
   
3. Put the car on the ramp. If you don't have access to a ramp, put the car on the jack stands. Make sure that each jack stand is stable; you don't want the car falling off and crushing you. It will help if you have a bottle jack to jack up the car, else you will spend a LOT of time and effort inserting and removing the standard jack at each jacking point - you'll have to do this a total of eight times, remember.
   
   
4. Place the collection pan under the drain bolt. Loosen the bolt, and let the oil drain into the pan.
   
   
5. Once it has drained fully, replace the oil filter if necessary. Your owner's manual will tell you where it is. If it doesn't, you'll require a service manual or a Haynes manual if your car is an international model.
   
   
6. Replace the drain bolt with the new gasket. Use the torque wrench and make sure it isn't cross-threaded. If using a standard spanner, do not over-tighten it.
   
   
7. Fill the new oil in the engine. Use the amount specified in the manual.
   
   
8. Get the car off the stands.
   
   
9. Use the funnel to fill the old engine oil in the empty cans.
   
   
10. By this time, the oil in the engine has settled; use the dipstick to check the level. If required, top it up.
    
    
11. Move the car a short distance to a clean patch of road and wait for a while. If you see oil dropped under the car, you've probably got a leak and will have to inspect the car for the source.
    
    
12. Don't forget to carry the used newspaper along and throw it in the trash; for the oil, you'll have to dispose it of by giving it to a mechanic. Do not throw it into the trash or down the drain, it is an environmental hazard.
    

Be careful not to choose the wrong engine oil to avoid any mishap. The same goes for buying a substandard oil filter and not screwing in the drain bolt properly. Most of us may not have the space, tools, or expertise to do an engine oil change at home. Also, used engine oil cannot just be thrown down the drain or garbage bin and must be disposed of correctly. This may be difficult for many of us.

In addition, doing maintenance work on your car at home rather than at the service centre can void the car’s drive-train warranty. So, it is best to get any maintenance done at an authorised service centre. That way, the car will get all the care it requires to keep running in optimal condition.

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