Written by Info Expert on May 14, 2010 | Posted in Automotive

Changing your own oil is one of the easiest car maintenance tasks you can do. But it is important to have all the equipment you will need ready in advance so that you don’t have to interrupt the oil change job to go and get some essential tool that you may have overlooked (if you want to understand more about why oil is so critical to your engine and why a regular oil change is essential visit the oil pressure gauge guide blog for lots more automotive information). Before commencing the job make sure you have the following items:

Rags: As you refill the oil pan make sure you don’t put too by checking the oil level with the dipstick. The dipstick should be wiped clean before using it so you can get an accurate measure.

Funnel: Unless you are a very good aim a funnel is essential to avoid pouring oil all over the engine when it should go inside it.
Container: Get an old container to catch the oil in when you drain it from the pan. Used motor oil should be disposed of correctly at oil recycling points.

Drain plug gasket: the plug that you’ll unscrew to let the oil out may have a gasket, or it may just be metal on metal. If it’s a long time since it was last replaced it’s worth having an extra gasket available in case you need it.

Oil filter: there’s not much point changing your oil if you’re not going to change your oil filter. The best place to get a new filter is from your car manufacturer’s dealership. Really cheap filters can sometimes fail before your next oil change.

Other tools: you will also need some other tools such as an adjustable wrench and possibly a special wrench designed to remove old oil filters. They should just unscrew but over time they can become very tightly sealed.

Now you’re ready to perform the oil change. Make sure you choose a good quality oil for your car. Pick one by a known manufacturer such as BP, Castrol or Valvoline. There’s no point going to all this trouble and then opting for a cheap oil change, which is only a false economy in the long run.

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