"Changing the oil in your car’s engine is one of the most important things"

Changing the oil in your car’s engine is one of the most important things you can do to prolong the life of your engine. While different automotive manufacturers have different guidelines for the recommended oil change schedule (check owner’s manual for this information), a good “rule of thumb” is that you should change your car’s oil every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. If you do not tend to put a lot of miles on your vehicle, then a secondary guide is to change your oil every 6 months. With the popularity of “high performance” engines, and aftermarket engine parts meant to increase power, expensive synthetic oils have risen in popularity. Synthetic oils have substantially increased performance in an engine, and there is a much longer period of use. Synthetic oils typically only need to be changed at 7,500 to 10.000 mile intervals (check manufacturers recommendation, of course). This increased performance does come at an increased price, however… often twice or three times as much more expensive than your regular oils. Changing your own oil is quite easy, and does not take a lot of time. The only “specialized” equipment needed would be an automotive jack, jack stands (for safety) and something to catch your used oil after you drain it from your engine. The jack and stands can often be purchased for around $40 to $50 dollars, and are a sensible investment if you like to work on your vehicle. After the initial equipment has been purchased, you should be able to change your own oil for well under $15 dollars, versus the $25-$50 per change that seems to be common at auto dealers and garages. To begin, jack your car up high enough so that you may place your jack stands underneath the car’s front axle. Underneath the (cooled-down, please) engine, you will need to locate your oil pan. For example, my Nissan’s oil pan is about the size and shape of a small shoebox. There will be a drain plug located on the bottom of the pan. Place whatever you are using to catch the oil underneath the drain and remove the plug. Let it drain completely before you replace the plug. After the oil pan has been emptied, locate your oil filter on the side of the engine. Oftentimes, this can easily be removed by hand, but if it’s stuck, you can either use a specialized wrench (easily found at your auto parts store, and quite inexpensive), or drive a long-bladed screwdriver through it, and turn it off with that. There will be oil inside of it, so be careful not to spill any on you. Replace the old filter with a new unit, rubbing the rubber gasket with a little clean oil to ensure a good seal on the engine. Hand-tightening the new filter is usually sufficient, but if you are using a filter wrench, remember that you do not need to “crank” it as tight as you can. After the new filter is on and after double-checking that the drain plug has been re-inserted, and tightened, you may now take the car off of the jack stands. At this point, you are ready to refill the engine with the correct amount and type of oil. Check your owner’s manual for this information. Gather your wasted oil and filter and take it to a recycling center, if available in your city, or take it to a garage or auto parts store for safe disposal. Do not dump waste oil on the ground or into the sewer system, as it is a toxic material. Congratulations! Through this easy, and inexpensive, process, you’ve just prolonged the life of your car’s engine!