Change your own oil before a shop charges you for it

Quick answer: Warm the engine, lift the car onto jack stands or ramps, drain the oil, replace the filter, refill to the right level, and check the dipstick twice. Budget two hours the first time. You'll save the shop's labor, and you'll know the job was done.

The mistake that kills engines

Most guys worry about the wrong thing. They fear stripping a bolt or making a mess. Messes wash off.

The real damage comes from three small errors. Forgetting to put the drain plug back in. Leaving the old filter gasket stuck to the engine so the new filter seals against it. Starting the car with too little oil in it. Each one is easy to avoid, and each one gets checked at the end of this piece. A shop gets all three wrong now and then. You'll be careful because it's your car, or your family's.

If the car belongs to a parent, ask first. Better yet, do the first one together. Your dad or mom may be glad to hand you the wrench.

Get the right stuff before you start

Open the owner's manual to the page on engine oil. You need two facts: the oil weight (something like 5W-30) and the capacity in quarts. Most cars take between four and six. Write both down.

Then buy:

• The correct oil, plus one extra quart for topping off later
• A new oil filter that matches your exact make, model and engine (the parts store counter can look it up)
• A new drain plug washer, which is a cheap crush ring that keeps the plug from leaking
• A drain pan big enough to hold more than the whole capacity
• A socket or wrench that fits your drain plug
• An oil filter wrench
• A funnel, rags or shop towels, and gloves
• Jack stands rated for your car, or a pair of solid ramps, and wheel chocks

The jack that came with your car isn't for this job. It's for changing a tire on the shoulder of a road.

Lift it safely

Here's the one rule with no flexibility. Never get under a car held up only by a jack. Jacks slip. Stands don't.

Park on flat, hard ground. A level driveway or garage floor works. Grass and gravel don't. Set the parking brake and chock the rear wheels if you're lifting the front.

If you're using ramps, drive up slowly and have somebody watch from the front. Stop when the tires are cradled in the top notch. If you're using a jack and stands, find the lift points in the manual, raise the car, set the stands under the frame points, and lower the car onto them. Then give the car a firm shove. It shouldn't wobble.

Only then do you slide underneath.

Warm it up, then drain it

Run the engine for about three minutes before you lift the car. Warm oil flows out faster and carries more of the gunk with it. Don't run it long. You want warm, not scalding. Hot oil burns, and so does the exhaust pipe near where you'll be working.

Slide the drain pan under the oil pan. The drain plug is a single bolt at the lowest point of the pan. Put your wrench on it and turn left. Break it loose with a firm pull, then finish by hand, and pull the plug away quickly as the last thread lets go. The oil comes out in a stream that arcs a bit before it drops, so set the pan a few inches back from straight below.

Let it drain for ten minutes or more. This is a good time to wipe the plug clean, swap on the new washer, and look at the old oil. It should be brown or black and smooth. If it looks milky or has glitter in it, stop and tell somebody who knows engines. That's not a DIY job.

Wipe the area around the hole, thread the plug back in by hand, and snug it with the wrench. Snug means firm. Don't lean your whole weight on it. A stripped oil pan costs real money. Your manual may list a torque spec if you own a torque wrench.

Swap the filter

Slide the pan under the filter, which is a metal canister, usually black, blue or orange. Fit the filter wrench around it and turn left. Expect a dribble of oil, then a bigger one when it comes free. Tip it into the pan to empty it.

Now the check that matters. Look at the engine where the old filter was and make sure the old rubber gasket didn't stay behind. If it did, peel it off. Two gaskets stacked together will leak badly once the engine's running.

Dip a finger in fresh oil and wipe a thin coat on the new filter's rubber gasket. Thread it on by hand, clockwise, until the gasket touches the engine. Then give it about three-quarters of a turn more. Check the box, because some filters list their own number. Hand-tight plus that last turn is plenty. Don't use the wrench to tighten it.

Fill, check, repeat

Lower the car (ramps) or lift it off the stands (jack), and pop the hood. Take the oil cap off the top of the engine and set the funnel in the hole.

Pour in about a quart less than the full capacity. Wait a minute for it to settle. Pull the dipstick, wipe it, push it all the way in, pull it again. You're looking for the level between the two marks. Add a little at a time until you hit the upper mark. Never go over it. Too much oil is bad for an engine, too.

Start the car and let it idle for about a minute. Watch the oil light on the dash. It should go out within a few seconds. Then look underneath for drips around the plug and the filter. Turn it off, wait five minutes, and check the dipstick one more time.

Is your car newer? It may have an oil life monitor that needs resetting. The manual covers it, usually with a button on the dash.

Clean up like it wasn't your garage

The old oil goes into a sealed container, like the empty jugs you just poured out. Most auto parts stores take used oil and old filters for free. Call ahead to check. Don't pour it down a drain or onto the ground.

Wipe down the tools, sweep the floor, and wash your hands with something that cuts grease. Leave the spot cleaner than you found it. That's just how it's done.

Then write the date and the odometer reading on a card and tape it in the glove box. Next time you'll know when you did it. Check your manual for the recommended interval. It varies by car and oil type, and it's usually printed right there.

Keep the receipts for the oil and filter, too. If the car's under warranty, that's your proof you took care of it.

Why bother

Because it's not really about the money, though it does save some. It's about being the guy who can look at his car and know what it needs. The same discipline shows up everywhere. Reliable men are built at fifteen, not at thirty, and the garage is a fine place to start. You can also start in the house you already live in.

The first time you do it will be slow. The third time, you'll do it in forty minutes with a cold drink waiting.

Do it once, and nobody at a counter can talk you into something you don't need.