How to Change Your Oil

 
Having routine oil changes is one of the easiest ways to ensure your car runs smoothly. Experts say you should change your oil about every 8000 kilometres or every three months. Fortunately you don’t always have to go to the mechanic to change your oil; you can actually do it yourself.
 
The first step in changing oil is to drain the old oil. To do this you’ll need gloves, a recycling container to store the old oil, a socket wrench and an oil filter wrench. To make sure the oil drains quickly, it’s a good idea to drive around first to raise the temperature of the engine. Next find the oil drain plug underneath your vehicle and use the socket wrench to loosen the nut enough for the hot oil to drain into the oil pan.
 
When you replace your oil you should also replace your oil filter. To do this just locate the old oil filter and use the appropriate wrench to replace the old one and install the new one.
 
Before you fill your engine with new oil, you should check your owner’s manual the type of oil and quantity you should use. It is very important that you don’t use more oil than what is recommended as you could run into serious problems with your engine. Once the oil has settled, the final step is to turn on your car for five minutes to allow the oil to circulate.
 
Patrick Britton – Guest Blogger