WHY I DO MY OWN OIL CHANGES
Would you like to save time and come to like your vehicle more? Consider changing your own motor oil.
Every fuel-burning vehicle needs to have motor oil changed because oil gets dirty and loses its lubricating qualities, but most people I know turn to professionals to make it happen. That never made sense to me. In less time than it takes to drive to an auto shop you can have the job done, but saving time is only one of the reasons I've been changing my own oil since I was 16.
When it comes to oil changes, the quality of oil is key. And while there are many good motor oils out there, doing the work yourself means you have full control and full knowledge of what's keeping your engine working for the long haul. My highest mileage vehicle has 387,000 km on it and the original engine still starts and runs like new.
There are two technical things about motor oil that matter. Viscosity is about how thick oil is, but oil performance is something else.
Motor oil viscosity is described with two numbers separated by the letter “W”. Most of my vehicles are made to take 5W30. A growing number require 5W20 or 0W20. As engines get more sophisticated, oil viscosity matters more than it used to. Something called variable valve timing is one modern engine feature that requires specific viscosity to work properly. Using an oil recommended in your owner's manual is more important than ever.
Motor oil performance is measured by a letter rating issued by the American Petroleum Institute (API). Somewhere on the jug you'll see a two-letter designation in a circular emblem. For gasoline engines the first letter is always “S”, but it's the second letter that matters. The best current performance rating is “SP”.
When I began changing motor oil in the late 1970s, the best oil you could get was SE. Over time this has crept upwards as oil chemistry improved. You can always use a better motor oil than your engine was designed for, but you should never use anything less.
To make it all happen you'll need a drain pan to catch old oil, a wrench to remove the drain plug, an oil filter wrench to remove the old filter, and a replacement filter. Safety glasses and rubber gloves are also a good idea. If your vehicle is low to the ground you'll need a set of ramps to raise the front end, and some wooden blocks to chock the wheels to make sure the vehicle doesn't roll off.
Oil changes happen best when your engine is warm. This lets oil drain out faster and more completely. Put the drain pan under the drain plug of your engine, remove the plug, then let the oil drain for at least five minutes. While this is happening, remove the old filter, then install a new one. Canister-style filters have a gasket that should have fresh oil rubbed on before spinning the new filter on and tightening it 3/4 to one turn past the gasket contact point. Some modern vehicles have a reusable oil filter housing with a replaceable filter element inside. Youtube almost certainly has many videos about changing oil on your particular make and model.
You'll need to dispose of your old oil responsibly. I put mine back in the jug the new oil came in. Every few years I drop these off at an auto garage that uses old oil to heat their shop with a special furnace.
Besides the chance to keep an eye on other things under my vehicle, DIY oil changes help me like my vehicle more. Maybe I'm crazy, but I feel good about driving down the road knowing for sure the engine has fresh, high-quality oil. You should try it sometime.