Tips to change your car’s motor oil

Changing your cars motor oil is a very simple three-step process: 1. Drain the old oil. 2. Replace the oil filter. 3. Add the new oil.
When should I change my oil?

Look in your cars owner’s manual. Most auto manufacturers recommend changing the motor oil every 6,000 miles for normal service, or every 3,000 miles for severe service. I change my oil every 6,000 miles, and my engines run like new when I trade my vehicles in with well over 100,000 miles on them. One thing that I do is change new cars oil after the first 300 mile break-in period. Then, after that, I change the oil every 6,000 miles.
What kind of oil should I use?
You are not going to save money by using off-brand oil because your engine will wear out sooner. Use oil that meets the American Petroleum Institute (API) classification SL. If you are changing your oil just before winter, use SAE 10W30 weight oil. This number means the oil will have a thin ten weight viscosity when the engine is cold, helping the engine to start easier, and then the oil will thickens to 30 weight viscosity when the engine warms up, protecting the engine better. If you are changing oil just before summer, use SAE 10W40 weight oil. The extra 40 weight viscosity will protect your engine better when it’s hot.
What is the First Step?
First let your engine cools off. Modern engines run at close to 300 degrees (F) and hot oil will definitely give you a severe burn. You should not have to jack your car up unless you have some kind of ground hugging sports car or low rider. Almost all cars have enough space underneath to reach under and change the engine oil.
Step 1: Drain the old oil.
Locate the oil drain plug and place a pan under it to catch the oil. With a box wrench, remove the oil plug.  When the oil stops draining, reinstall the drain plug.
Step 2. Replace the oil filter.
Move your oil catch pan under the oil filter. Using an oil filter wrench to get it started, remove the oil filter.  A strap type oil filter wrench is the best kind to use. A socket type oil filter tool is used with a ratchet just like a regular socket. The problem with the socket type is that it tends to get stuck on the filter. Use the socket type tool if you do not have enough clearance around the oil filter to use the strap type. With your finger put a thin coat of oil on the new filter’s gasket to make it seal better.
With your hand, install the new oil filter. If it seems even slightly hard to turn, back it out! You are crossing the threads. Most filters have an instruction printed on them to give the filter one more turn after the gasket has made contact. When the vehicle is running, the oil pump puts the oil under pressure. If you do not install the oil filter tight enough, the oil will come gushing out. If that happens shut down the engine immediately! Without oil, an engine will lock up within seconds.
The first time I changed my oil, I used the filter wrench to tighten the filter as tight as I could get it. Wrong! The next time I went to change my oil; I could not get the filter off. Luckily I had the plenty of room around the filer, so I hammered a screw driver through the body of the filter and used the handle of the screw driver to turn the filter off.
Warning! Do not over-tighten the filter. Follow the instructions above carefully!
- The GM dual-overhead-cam EcoTec engine has an unusual oil filter located on top of the engine. Remove the engine air intake hose. That is the oil filter canister just to the right of, and below, the end of the open air intake tube. Use a proper size wrench to remove the canister lid. This engine uses a special filter cartridge.
Step 3. Add the new oil.
Locate the oil filler cap on the valve cover. I’ve seen newbie’s pour motor oil in everything from the master brake cylinder to the radiator cap. Make sure you have located the oil filler cap. Remove the oil filler cap. When pouring the oil, you would be wise to use a funnel between the oil can and the valve cover oil filler hole. How much oil should you add? Look in your car’s owner manual. Most engines have a capacity of four or five quarts. Do not overfill the crank case. When you run the engine the extra oil will be blown out through the PCV value, possibly stalling your engine.
Tip: If you do not know the oil capacity of the engine, add four quarts, then check the oil level, if it’s a quart lows add another quart.
Replace the oil filler cap.

Start the engine and make sure the oil warning light goes off. Look under the vehicle to make sure oil is not leaking out. Turn off the engine and let it set for a minute to let the oil drain down to the crank case. Then use the dip stick to check the oil level.
How to check the oil level: Remove the dip stick, wipe it clean with a rag, and reinstall the dip stick. Make sure the dip stick is in all the way or you will get a false reading. After a few seconds remove the dip stick and examine how far up the stick is covered with oil. Most dip sticks have a “full” mark printed on them.

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