How to change engine oil yourself

Changing the oil in the engine is a simple and at the same time very important operation that any motorist should be able to perform. In principle, there is nothing complicated about this, but if you don’t want to get your hands dirty in oil or accidentally break the oil filter thread, it’s better to drive the car to a service station, where everything will be done quickly and without problems.

The oil in the engine plays an important role - it protects all moving parts from overheating and rapid wear: piston and cylinder walls, crankshaft journals, intake and exhaust valves.

The sequence of actions during the replacement of engine oil:

• we drive our car into a pit or overpass;
• we leave the front wheels strictly in a straight position, put them in first gear and apply the handbrake, so that, God forbid, the car does not take it into its head to move off the overpass;
• after a complete stop of the engine, we wait 10-15 minutes for the system to cool down and the oil to glass down;
• we dive under the car, find the drain plug of the engine crankcase pan, prepare a bucket in advance, it is also advisable to sprinkle the floor with sand or sawdust, because at first the oil can gush under pressure;
• unscrew the engine filler cap so that the oil drains faster;
• we unscrew the drain plug with a wrench of a suitable size, the oil begins to drain into the bucket.

The small car includes an average of 3-4 liters of oil, depending on the engine size. When all the liquid is glass, you need to get the oil filter, it is easily unscrewed with a key, and in modern models it is enough to loosen it with a special key for the filter, and then unscrew it manually. Do not forget to check the condition of all sealing gums and gaskets, if we see that they are corroded, then they must be replaced.

When the drain plug is screwed on and the new oil filter is in place, we take a canister of oil suitable for the passport. Do not forget that in no case should you mix mineral water and synthetics, such a mixture can curl up and black smoke from the pipe will indicate the need to replace the piston rings. Pour oil through the neck to the desired volume, the oil level is checked with a dipstick.

When all operations are completed, you need to start the engine and check for leaks from below. Remember that if you use the car for short trips around a dusty city, then you need to change the oil often enough - this is in your own interest.

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