Reasons why I change my own oil
- First reason: This is a significant time saving, you have to go there and back to the service center, there may be a queue, you have to drop off the car, pick it up, sometimes it’s inconvenient to go to the service center with a dirty car, so you have to go to the car wash first, which means additional costs and wasted time. Despite the fact that professionals will probably do the work faster than I can, according to my estimates, changing the oil at the service center will take from one and a half to two hours. It took me forty minutes to do everything.
- The second reason: oil change cost – saving money. The cost of an oil change at a service center is currently 800 – 1000 rubles.You don’t have to pay yourself, the total net benefit is 800 rubles, at least.
Step-by-step algorithm
And so let's start changing the engine oil. Our car has traveled ten thousand kilometers since the previous oil change. At this point, you need to buy consumables: motor oil - a regular plastic canister with a capacity of four liters and the oil filter itself.
Stage one - preparatory
We drive the car out of the garage, warm up the engine, to do this we let the car idle for ten minutes. This is necessary so that the oil heats up and flows out of the engine easily. Cold oil will be more viscous, will flow slowly, and a lot of old oil will remain on the walls of the engine crankcase. While the car is warming up, we build an overpass from two pieces of wooden beams 150x150x400 and two boards 50x150x1200, as shown in the photo.
We drive slowly and carefully along the boards to the top of our overpass.
Stage two - draining old used oil
While we were building the overpass and driving onto it, the engine warmed up. We turn off the engine. To get started, you need to take a bucket for used oil, a set of keys, a new oil filter, a special oil filter remover. I bought myself such a nozzle for Aliexpress for 150 rubles.
If it’s not there, it doesn’t matter. I used to twist and tighten oil filters without it using adjustable pliers.
We climb under the car, twist the four bolts that secure the crankcase protection. Then carefully unscrew the oil drain bolt.
As soon as we unscrew this bolt, oil will flow out of the engine; we keep a bucket nearby for working off and place it under the stream of oil.
After this, we unscrew the old filter, for this we collect a special key.
When unscrewing the filter, a little oil will also spill out - be careful.
Stage three - adding new oil
Now that we've taken everything apart and drained the oil, we need to restore the car's performance. To do this, take a new oil filter, remove protective films, seals, etc. Lubricate the gasket at the filter mounting location with used oil.
I doubt the advisability of this procedure of lubricating the gasket with old oil, but all auto mechanics did this when I changed the oil at a service center in my youth. I do this too, just in case, it’s necessary. Next, tighten the oil drain bolt into place.
We screw the new oil filter into its proper place.
Now we install the crankcase protection in place. After this, we finally get out from under the car. We remove from under the engine everything that could remain there: a bucket of waste, keys, old filter, carpet, etc.
Finally, you can work to your full potential: open the hood of the car, find the oil filler cap, and unscrew it.
We cut out a special funnel from an old oil canister, which will help us to carefully pour oil into the engine without spilling oil past the oil filler hole.
Now we take new oil, unscrew the cap, break the seals, and pour the required amount of oil into the engine. If you have an engine smaller than 1.8 - 2.0 liters, then most likely you do not need to pour the entire canister there. When pouring oil, you need to check the oil level in the engine with a special dipstick. The oil should be poured just below the maximum level.
There is no need to pour more, it is not good for the engine.
Conclusion
Well, that's all. We screw on the oil filler cap, close the hood, drive off the overpass and dismantle all the temporary structures: the car is ready for use.Is flushing oil necessary? If you do not change the brand of oil you fill, then it is not necessary. If you change it, it is better to wash it with flushing oil. To do this, after draining the oil, without removing the old filter, you need to fill in flushing oil, let the engine run on this oil at idle for about ten minutes, and drain it. Further everything is as I described above.
There is also a bonus for zealous owners in the form of used oil. I never throw it away or pour it out. Everything will be useful on the farm. I use used oil if something needs to be lubricated somewhere - hinges, keys, bicycle chain, etc. It’s also a good idea to light a fire with the help of mining when I burn garbage on the site in the spring.
