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Monday, March 16, 2020

"How to Change the Oil in Your Car at Home " by Tyler D


     Most people spend a lot of money to get the oil changed in their car multiple times a year.  It is
actually very easy to do at home, and it will save you time and money throughout your life.  It is
also important to understand why you even need to change the oil in the first place.  Over time,
the oil in your car engine gets diluted with dirt which can corrode your engine, shortening it’s
lifespan.  Also, since oil serves as a lubricant in the engine, if it completely runs out of oil, the
parts in the engine will get so hot that they could warp or melt, possibly damaging it beyond
repair.  This is why it is important to change your oil about every 3,000 - 5,000 miles, or every
few months if you don’t drive that much. 

Tools needed:
● The correct oil for your car
● A funnel
● An oil pan
● Rags or paper towels
● A wrench
● Car ramps or a jack to lift the car

     The first step towards changing your oil is to know the right type of oil needed for your car.  You
can check this by opening the hood and reading at the oil cap, or you can read the owner’s
manual.  You can buy oil at any auto repair shop, and you will probably need anywhere from
five to eight quarts to fill the engine, but be sure to check your owner’s manual.  Be sure to buy
the new oil before you drain out the old oil because you won’t be able to drive your car until you
put the new oil in. Now that you have the right oil for your car, you need to remove the drain
plug to empty out all of the old oil.  It will usually be underneath the car, so you will need to lift
it.  You can lift it by using either a jack or ramps.  It is extremely important to make sure your
car is stable when lifted so that it doesn’t fall on your head.  Ramps are a lot easier to use for
people who are inexperienced, but you still need to be extra careful. I recommend using chalks
and having somebody help you if possible.  Before you can drain the oil out of your car, it first
needs to be cool or else you may get burned.  If you have been driving a lot, you should wait at
the very least thirty minutes or longer before draining, but if you had only driven the car for a
few minutes or just onto the ramps, then you should be good to go. 

     Next, you will need to get your wrench, oil pan, and rags ready as you will need them to drain
your oil.  Place the oil pan on the ground beneath the drain plug, and keep a rag nearby in case it
spills or splashes.  If any oil gets on your clothes, it will ruin them.  When you are ready, use the
wrench to open the drain plug, and be sure to move the wrench out of the way quickly, or else it
will get caught in the stream of oil.  It will take a few minutes for all of the oil to drain out, and
after it does, replace the drain plug and tighten it with the wrench. 



   











      Now that you have successfully removed the oil, clean up any spills and remove all materials
from underneath the car.  You will now need a funnel, and the new oil that you bought at the
store.  You may need a step-stool if you used ramps, but if you used a jack, you can just lower
your car.  You will need to find the oil cap, when you do, remove it and place the funnel in the
hole.  Pour the new oil into the funnel, and check to make sure it is full after you finish filling it,
don’t forget to replace the cap when you’re done.  Now you can lower your car if you haven’t
already. 

     Lastly, to dispose of the dirty oil, you can take it to most auto shops and they will properly
recycle it.  And that’s it!  You have now successfully changed your oil on your own.  It is
recommended that you note the date and mileage of the car after changing the oil so that you’ll
know when you need to change it again.

41 comments:

  1. This guide is very useful and easily planned so that anyone can do this at home. With the high prices that are charged for a simple oil change, this is super helpful in order to save money and to learn something new. Thank you for sharing! -Aaron P

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  2. I never really though of changing my car oil soon but I'll definitely rely on this when that time comes! The instructions are very well explained that anyone who have never done it might be able to in their first try. I like how you're so detailed about everything you say.

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  3. As we embark on our journey of adulthood, the first thing we want is a car lol. Sadly, most of us don't know how to care for our car and make sure it'll last as long as possible. Luckily, my dad has taught me some of these things and it's important that we all do. Thank you for teaching us how to change our oil!

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  4. This was very well-written and very easy to follow! This could help, not only myself, but many people that struggle with this or that need to know how to do this.

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  5. To change the oil in your car can be a bit pricey. With your entry, it can help us save money to make our car perform better. Good job!

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  6. I love the inclusion of a visual aid of where to change your oil. Great job on providing clear directions and transitions!

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  7. Firstly, I appreciate that you explained why changing a car's oil is important in the first place before actually starting your tutorial. I've never changed my car's oil before, and your step-by-step breakdown definitely makes this process seem less complicated. I agree that more people should learn how to change their oil themselves, considering it is cheaper and more time efficient compared to going to the auto repair shop. Nice work!

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  8. I have never changed my oil on my car, but this blog that you have provided, made it easy for me to do so.Thanks!

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  9. Thanks for sharing how to chamge your cars oil, its definitely something I didn't know how to do. Your step by step process is super easy to understand as well as the list of materials needed to be able to change the oil. Thank you again for sharing information on something that could save me some money later on in the future!

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  10. This is great advice for anyone who needs to get their oil checked, I liked how easy it was to follow your steps

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  11. I honestly needed to read this! It’s super helpful and I’ll definitely need it for my car. The instructions we were easy to follow and this is definitely a cheaper option. -Katera Perry

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  12. Thank you for telling us how to change oil, this was really helpful. I'll keep this in mind for the future.

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  13. This is such useful information and it's great for everyone to know. Your information was clear and gave great detail to the topic.

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  14. This is a very useful thing to know and most people do not know how to do so. The fact that you educated everyone on this subject might just save their lives in the future. Great instructions and overall great knowledge for the future.

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  15. Thanks for this easy to follow guide! I definitely need to follow this guide because I don't think my car has been shown the love it needs recently. - Cameron Hunter

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  16. I actually changed my oil a few days ago. so many people spend a lot of money changing oil and I do not get it. This helpful / simple description of how to change your oil will be very beneficial to everyone here! Good job and thanks

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  17. This was a really interesting and useful tutorial, especially considering how many of us are starting to drive at this age. During these times where we aren't supposed to go outside, it is reassuring to know we can do simple things like this to keep our cars maintained.

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  18. This was a very well done guide! as someone who also changes their oil at home, it was cool to see each step explained exactly right, and can help remind myself about certain safety precautions i may have ignored. Great job!

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  19. I never really thought of this as a task I should be able to do myself, but after reading your how to, I see that it's actually really doable, especially now that I have your easy to follow instructions!

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  20. Great job explaining how to change the oil in your car on your own. I have always known that it is a easy process but I haven’t actually learned how to do it. But I definitely think that this is an important skill to have and not enough people know just how easy it is because they could definitely save a lot of money by just changing their own oil rather than taking it into a shop. So this is something that can really help many people if they just knew about it so overall great job and thank you for teaching us.

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  21. It’s funny to think that a few days ago I was pondering the significance of an oil change, and why it is so important in the first place. Life has an interesting way of doing things because after reading this article all of my questions have been answered. Thank you for sharing this precise, step-by-step instruction on how to do an oil change. I will now be saving lots of money! Not only is it easy to follow, but extremely informative, especially the significance of an oil change, and why certain precautions are taken. I will definitely be using this article in the near future.

    - Julia L

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  22. This is very well written and explains the importance of an oil change and how you can do it at home which can be very useful for a potential future situation. I also like how the steps are so easy to follow and how it can save me money which is GREAT! Good job!

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  23. I don't really know much about cars, but this tutorial was extremely well-written and easy to follow. This was actually very simple, but very helpful. Thank you for sharing an essential life skill!

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  24. This was so thorough as if I was watching a step by step video, I also like how you included why its important and how often you should change your oil. I found it helpful, nice job!

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  25. This was a marvelous guide Tyler! I felt that every step was included in this and that you explained each step of the process very thoroughly. I definitely can say that if I ever need to change my oil in the future, I will be able to look back on this guide and succeed because of it.

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  26. I love this! A lot of people don't know how to change the oil in their cars (including me) and this was very informative on how to do just that! I also like that you didn't leave anything out and made in clear enough that anyone can follow these instructions!

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  27. This guide was super easy to follow and the instructions were very clear. I will definitely have to do this for my car soon! - Cameron Hunter

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  28. Nathaniel AlvaradoApril 1, 2020 at 11:19 AM

    What I really appreciate about this guide is that is very useful and handy. I use my car for pretty much all of my commute and with all my mileage, my family spends tons of money on oil changes. I love how your guide is descriptive and I love how your guide suits for all types of cars. It was very easy to follow and I know next time I need an oil change, I will do it myself. -Nathaniel Alvarado

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  29. I honestly do not know how to change the oil in my car and was content with not being aware, but I did not realize how easy it was! The instructions on this were super easy to follow and extremely thorough. Thank you.

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  30. I think that this is very useful and good information to know. I like how you were detailed in your explanations as it allowed for me to easily follow along. Thank you for sharing! Nice job! -Linda Hung

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  31. This is really helpful, especially to many of us who will be going away to college and knowing how to change your own oil is very convenient. Overall a very resourceful and informative piece.

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  32. Actually didn't know how to do this and its quite useful actually. Need to learn how to drive first before this becomes useful however it is good information to know :) -Justin Lim

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  33. This tutorial is very helpful. It is very descriptive and easy to follow. Now I know how to change oil on cars. Thanks for helping me save money :)

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  34. Your guide is very easy to understand and extremely helpful. This is certainly something I will follow when I’m in need of an oil change. You did a great job in being very detailed throughout the instructions. Well done. - Hannah Ekelem

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  35. The whole thing is to the point and provides enough detail that anybody reading should be able to this with as little problems as possible. You did a great job with stringing everything together into this

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  36. Tyler,
    I really appreciate this extremely informative guide on how to change the oil in your car. As a car owner myself, I know that anything related to maintenance of my car can become very confusing but your guide made things very clear and easy to understand. You were very descriptive and that was probably the best part of it all!
    - Joshua Lechuga

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  37. This was a very easy to follow guide that had enough description that provided clear steps to follow. This is very useful information and is something that I'll use in the future, thank you!

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  38. This is extremely useful considering we are all about to be adults in the real world and will have to take part in activities without our parents.

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  39. I have changed oil on a car before, and am well versed at doing so. Reading the guide, I can say you did a good job describing how to get it done. The details in the writing make it clear for someone who might not have the money to get it done for them. Great job. ~Nathan Sandoval

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  40. This was really helpful information that was in this piece. Your explanations throughout this piece on why it is important to change your oil and how to change your oil can help anyone who has a car. The materials needed and the steps were well written out in a way that allows the reader to easily understand what is going on and follow along with no problem. Overall, a Great job! - Yuan Maneje

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  41. Ibrahim ElhajjmoussaApril 3, 2020 at 12:18 AM

    I loved the in depth instruction on doing something so important to typical car maintenance. I think it helped a lot of us to become more independent when it comes to our vehicle maintenance. Please keep on giving us tips on how to fix our cars and maintain them well!

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