car oil

[hugoagogo66]

Can someone please tell me how to change the oil in my car? I know its basic stuff but i really have no idea,is it right that this is the best thing you can do for your car? thanks

[Davy_Ewing]

underneath your engine block will be your oil sump. There should be a plug on the very bottom. so what you need to do is get underneath your motor with a plastic tray/bucket ready to catch the old oil. then unscrew the plug and quickly move your arm out the way and let the old oil fall into the bucket. Screw the plug back in and fill up from the top.

[Jugglering]

You will then have to dispose of the old oil in an environmentally correct manner - NOT down the drain !! (take it to the local tip, they will have an area set aside for old car oil). May I suggest that instead of you doing this *essential* bit of maintenance (you are so right there!) that you get an oil and filter change done by your friendly tame garage when you take the car in for its service and MOT.

[chadad]

If you are changing the oil yourself then run the engine for a few minutes first.
this stirs up any crud in the engine and also warms the oil so that it flows easier.
Also ( as said by Juggerling ) it is false economy not to change the oil filter at the same time.
It can be a messy job, so consider getting your garage to do it for you.

[Toureman]

No it's not the best thing you can do for your car ! or your life !

Your car should be serviced according to what the service schedule for your car states based on time and mileage, there is a lot more to servicing than just renewing the oil.

[hugoagogo66]

thanks to you all, i know the car needs a proper service but that costs allot for what is done ill get one done in few months until then ill try change the oil myself

[TWR]

Hi, reading your thread, I can see you are not well up on the servicing of autos, You state the service costs a lot, I agree but take it from me, it is going to cost you a hell of a lot should you " **** Up" To do the job right depending on the year, make of your car, there are seals to change, there are sump "02 rings to replace, but the most important, DO YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE?? If you have not undertaken this job before, and before it MAY TAKE YOUR LIFE, Think about it, Talking B-----------T Iv seen it, Iv heard it.

[weggiewabbit]

Frequent oil and filter changes are the best thing you can do to prolong engine life ...... unless your cambelt is overdue for changing, that is!

It�s one of the easiest jobs to do if you have the tools needed � you only need a strap or chain wrench to unscrew the old filter [you can hammer a screwdriver through it instead so that you can unscrew it, which will do the trick just as well], and a socket to undo the sump plug, then some container to drain the dirty oil into ... an old plastic 5-litre oil container is ok; you can cut a hole out of one side. Drain the oil after doing a run, as said above. You might need to replace the washer on the sump plug, which will be either a metal or a plastic one ... that�s not always essential though.

Buy enough of the correct grade of oil for your car (5 litres is usually enough), and the new filter, before you start the job.

As mentioned above, you can get it done quite cheaply at your local servicing place such as Motosave etc.

It is cheaper to do your own servicing if you can. Buy a Haynes manual for your car on Ebay � it shouldn�t cost more than about 7 quid including postage. Read through that and it�ll tell you what else needs checking and how often.

[hugoagogo66]

thanks again for all your answers,of course you right cant mess about with cars if you dont know what you are doing.....