Pictorial Guide – How To Change Your Car’s Engine Oil


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Thought it might help a few of you guys that want to fiddle around with your own car.

List of materials:
Oil - Read your owners manual for what oil to use and how much your sump can take.
Oil filter - Again, it's usually listed in the owners manual.
Sump plug washer - Preferably a genuine one, ask your local mechanic, he'll sort you out.
Oil drain pan - To collect old oil into.
Funnel - or even a bottle cut open will do the job.
17mm socket - to undo the sump plug

Warning: You're dealing with hot oil here, so I suggest you take the necessary precautionary measures.
Also when working under a car, never use a standard scissor jack.

The actual process is pretty simple really.

Step 1: Warm up your car, just do a quick drive around your neighbourhood to warm it up, or just let it idle. But not for too long, the temp gauge should be midway between cold and hot.

oil temp.jpg

Step 2: Jack up the front of the car. Use a normal jack and rest the car on something solid like axle stands.
NEVER WORK UNDER A CAR THAT IS SUPPORTED JUST BY A SCISSOR JACK! I've seen it fail personally, and it's definitely not fun.
So I strongly recommend using axle stands or even stones under it as long as it's stable.

axle stand.jpg

Step 3: Drain the old oil out. Use a 17mm socket/spanner and crack the sump plug bolt loose, and undo it by hand slowly. Take it off and let the oil drip into the drain pan, you can use any sort of container, just don't spill it on the floor.
Also unscrew the old oil filter, carefully as it's still full of old hot oil.
OIL COMING OUT OF THE SUMP IS VERY HOT. So take care as to not get any of that stuff on your hands/body.

dripping.jpg

found plug.jpg

old filter.jpg

Step 4: Replace the sump plug washer with a genuine new one. Tighten the bolt back up, don't be too easy on it, else you might have leaks from there.
Before screwing on the new oil filter, spread some oil on the rubber seal so that it sits tight when you tighten it, also fill up half of it with new oil before putting it on.
Hand tighten the oil filter, don't over tighten this. Screw it on till the rubber seal makes contact and from there make another 2/3 turn.

washer comparision.jpg

ne wahser in.jpg

plug boted.jpg

new oilfilter.jpg

all fitted.jpg

Step 5: Fill up with new oil as per manufacturers specifications. Constantly keep checking the dip stick, bring it close to the full level but DO NOT over fill it.

new oil.jpg

Step 6: Put the car back on ground and do a quick drive to make sure everything is fine, the engine oil light should go off within 2 secs of startup.
Clean the surroundings of the oil filter / sump plug before the drive and check later, if there are leaks, just tighten them up and you're good :)

And that's it, you've just done an oil change on your car :)

I aslo quickly changed the spark plugs too, made a lot of difference to the car.

sparks.jpg

And one photo of my car before it's wash..

IMG_7626.jpg

Hope it helps, and as always, if you have any questions, feel free to ask.
 

350Z

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Re: DIY Oil Change

Great DIY. This is really going to be helpful for newbies and enthusiasts alike who wish to work on their car. Here is another +1 reputation points from me. [thumbsup]

Drive Safe,
350Z
 
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Re: Pictorial Guide – How To Change Your Car’s Engine Oil

Wow!A great DIY.Explained well.
This will surely help many of us.And another reputation point from me too.[:D]

Cheers
 
Thread Starter #5
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Re: Pictorial Guide – How To Change Your Car’s Engine Oil

Great DIY. This is really going to be helpful for newbies and enthusiasts alike who wish to work on their car. Here is another +1 reputation points from me. [thumbsup]

Drive Safe,
350Z
Incredible thread ,I was looking for it since long time .another +1 reputation points from me too.
Wow!A great DIY.Explained well.
This will surely help many of us.And another reputation point from me too.[:D]

Cheers
Thanks guys :) Let me know if you're after anything in particular, I'll try and do it for you people.
 
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amazing article buddy and pics are very realistic. kudos! well it will be great if you can also post other day to day DIY work on cars and bike for newbies like me! :tongue:
 
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DIY. This is a good piece of information. Just a question, why do we need to warm up the engine before taking out Oil? why not in ideal cool condition?
One more question. Any inputs over changing collent? I always depend on my mechanic for this change and I am not 100% sure he is doing it right with right/new collent.
 
Thread Starter #8
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Re: Pictorial Guide – How To Change Your Car’s Engine Oil

amazing article buddy and pics are very realistic. kudos! well it will be great if you can also post other day to day DIY work on cars and bike for newbies like me! :tongue:
Thanks buddy, I'll be posting as I keep doing stuff to my car.

DIY. This is a good piece of information. Just a question, why do we need to warm up the engine before taking out Oil? why not in ideal cool condition?
One more question. Any inputs over changing collent? I always depend on my mechanic for this change and I am not 100% sure he is doing it right with right/new collent.
Warm oil drains out much easier compared to cold oil. So to let out as much old oil as possible, just bring the car to its normal driving temperature.

Regarding coolant change, I would do a DIY but I don't have pictures of the process. Just a quick rundown: Take off the bottom hose of your radiator to let the coolant drain out, and to completely flush your cooling system. Get a pipe with running water and keep filling the radiator from the top with it while your car is running and with the fan blowing and heater setting set to maximum. That way all the old coolant will run through with fresh water.
Remove the pipe, attach the hose and fill it up with new coolant.

Cheers
 
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Re: Pictorial Guide – How To Change Your Car’s Engine Oil

Warm oil drains out much easier compared to cold oil. So to let out as much old oil as possible, just bring the car to its normal driving temperature.

Regarding coolant change, I would do a DIY but I don't have pictures of the process. Just a quick rundown: Take off the bottom hose of your radiator to let the coolant drain out, and to completely flush your cooling system. Get a pipe with running water and keep filling the radiator from the top with it while your car is running and with the fan blowing and heater setting set to maximum. That way all the old coolant will run through with fresh water.
Remove the pipe, attach the hose and fill it up with new coolant.

Cheers
So while change of Coolant, we need to be also have the Engine warmed up?
 
Thread Starter #10
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Not necessarily, as it is almost just water and more so, you're actually flushing the coolant instead of just letting it drip.
 
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May I be permitted to ask a stupid question? What is the function of this oil, what happens if there is no oil and when do we need to change it?
 
Thread Starter #13
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Re: Pictorial Guide – How To Change Your Car’s Engine Oil

May I be permitted to ask a stupid question? What is the function of this oil, what happens if there is no oil and when do we need to change it?
Engine oil is probably the most essential lubricant in your car, if you don't have any oil in your car, wave goodbye to your engine. Running a car with low/ or no engine is very dangerous to the internals.

What engine oil does is that it keep your pistons, conrods etc and all the parts inside the engine block well lubricated.

It's recommended that you change the oil every 7500kms to be on the safe side.
 

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