How to Change the engine oil and oil filter in Your Car

Regularly changing your car's engine oil and filter is one of the most important things you can do to keep your car running well. Over time, your oil will break down and your filter will become clogged with contaminants.

Depending upon your driving habits and type of vehicle, this may take as few as 3 months or 4,800 km and be as long as 32,000 km or 24 months (consult your owner's manual for service intervals).

Fortunately, changing your oil is both easy and inexpensive, so I will be highlighting how you can change your engine oil and oil filter.

Due to the length,  I will be dividing the topic into three parts so that I can exclusively detail the process. 

Part One: Draining the Oil

1.  Lift your car:
Use either jacks or ramps. On a flat even surface, place the parking brake on and jack your car up, bracing it with jack stands.

Improper jack-placement can damage your car badly, so always refer to the owner's manual for the instructions for your specific car.

It's also extremely dangerous to work under a car that's still on a jack, so make sure you brace it first. If you want to use ramps to lift your car, make sure you brace the back tires with blocks.
Have someone to spot as you drive up the ramps, to make sure you don't drive off the other end.

2. Let car heat up a bit to get the oil warm:
2 or 3 minutes of idling should be sufficient to get the oil warmed up a bit so it will drain more quickly. Solid particles of dirt and grime are caught in the oil and tend to settle to the bottom when the oil is cold. Letting it run ensures you're getting the crankcase cleaned out thoroughly.

While the car idles, assemble the necessary tools. You'll need your new oil, a new filter, a pan and newspaper to catch the draining oil, and probably a socket wrench and a flashlight. Consult your owner's manual to determine the type of oil and filter you'll need.

3. Remove the oil cap:  
Open the hood(bonnet) and locate the oil cap on top of the engine. This is where you'll add oil after you're done draining the old oil. Doing this will help the oil drain more easily because air can flow in as the crankcase empties.

4. Find the oil pan:
Under your car, look for a flat metal pan closer to the engine than the transmission. It should have a bolt or plug toward the bottom. This is the oil plug you'll need to remove to let the oil drain.
Directly under the plug, place your pan and a couple of newspapers for catching the oil.

N. B If you can't distinguish the oil pan from the transmission pan, let the car run for five or ten minutes. The oil plug should get warm to the touch by that time, while the transmission won't.

5. Remove the oil plug:
Loosen the plug counter-clockwise using the proper sized socket or crescent wrench if you've got room to maneuver.

You should also remove and replace the circular paper (or felt) drain plug gasket, but a metal washer can be re-used if in good condition.

The oil will come out of the pan as soon as you do this, and it will come at a slight angle, so it can be tricky to catch. Once you've loosened the plug with your wrench, remove it the rest of the way with your hand.

Make sure you've got your big catch-pan and newspapers placed before you remove the plug. Also be careful not to drop the plug in the oil, it's a messy job trying to find the plug in the black stuff. If you do drop it in the pan, you can easily get a magnet to find it.

Another easy way to "save" the drain plug is to use a funnel with a bit of screening in it. Catch the plug as it falls out. You can then pull the funnel out of the way of the stream and set it to one side.

You'll probably get oil on your hands and clothes at some point during this process. Putting down newspaper is a smart precaution, or else you'll have big oil stain on the floor.

6. Wait:
It will take several minutes for all the oil to drain out of the car. When the oil has ceasing running out of the crankcase, replace the plug.

Hand tighten to make sure you're not cross-threading the oil plug when you screw it back in, and tighten the rest of the way with your wrench. Don't forget to install a replacement gasket or washer.

While you're poking around under the car, though, take a minute to locate the blue or white-colored cylinder that is the oil filter. You'll need to replace this next.

To be continued..