How to Change Your Oil

Photo by Anastasiia Akh / iStock via Getty Images Plus

Why change your own oil?

One of the cornerstones of do-it-yourself car maintenance is the home oil change. It's a simple process that requires few tools, and knowing how to change the oil is a sure way to save some money while avoiding the hassle of sitting in a dull waiting room reading old magazines. Plus, it's easier to ignore mechanics' advice when they tell you to change your car's engine oil more often than necessary.

More than anything, the basic oil change is a great way to connect with your vehicle and take some control over its maintenance. The time you spend under the hood and under the car affords you an excellent opportunity to look around and see if anything else needs attention.

The process will probably take about an hour the first time you learn it, and then about 30 minutes once you have it down. When it's time to change the engine oil, follow along in our video and read our oil change how-to below.

Jump to: VIDEO: How to change your oil

Oil change steps:

1. Check the oil type and amount needed
2. Get a filter, wrenches and other supplies
3. Prepare your vehicle
4. Locate the oil filter and drain plug
5. Drain the oil
6. Tighten the drain plug
7. How to change the oil filter
8. Add the new oil
9. Check the oil level
10. How to reset your oil change light

Step 1: Check the oil type and amount needed

Before heading to the auto parts store to buy supplies, consult the owner's manual to confirm the type and amount of oil that's required.

Always buy a little more oil than is called for. For example, if the manual says an oil change with filter requires 5.7 quarts, buy 6. Five-quart jugs are tempting because they are cheaper than smaller sizes, but their bulk makes them hard to pour steadily. Smaller containers are easier to handle and take up less space if there's some left over.

Make sure to match the oil's viscosity (weight) to your specific model's engine. The manual may specify 5W-20 for one engine and 5W-30 for another, so read carefully. Note any other specific oil requirements. Sometimes, synthetic oil is expressly called for. Otherwise, it's not necessary. And sometimes its use is implied by additional requirements.

Step 2: Get a filter, wrenches and other supplies

In addition to oil, you'll need an oil filter, an oil-filter removal wrench, a box-end wrench or ratchet and socket to remove the drain plug, a funnel, a drain pan and some gloves. You may also need to raise the car to gain access, in which case you'll need a floor jack and safety stands, or a pair of purpose-made ramps. For this kind of work, never use the flimsy jack that's supplied with the car.

If you don't have a funnel or don't want to make the one you have oily, an empty, dry water bottle is a great substitute — just remove the cap and cut the bottom off. You'll also need a drain pan to catch the used oil. Consider one with a screw-on lid and pour spout, which makes it easier to transport and recycle the old oil. And no matter how careful you are, there will be some spills, so have paper towels handy.

You can buy filters from the dealership or at an auto parts store. Make sure to ask if you'll need a new drain plug washer. Some dealers automatically include a new washer if you need one; others charge extra for it.

Look for a filter wrench that engages the serrations on the end of the oil filter. They're available at most auto parts stores for a few dollars, and they snap onto the end of any common three-eighths-inch-drive ratchet. There are many sizes, but it's easy to make sure you buy the right one if you match the wrench to the filter right there in the store. Band-type filter wrenches are more common, but they can be frustrating to use if you don't have enough space — especially if the old filter was overtightened.

Step 3: Prepare your vehicle

Your engine and its oil should be warm when you get started, but not hot. After running the engine for a bit, let the car sit so the exhaust system cools off some, but don't allow things to go stone cold.

If you need to raise the car for better access, this is the time to do it. Make sure you install proper safety stands, of course.

Many newer cars have aerodynamic undercovers to improve fuel economy and keep things clean. Unfortunately, the covers can hide the engine's oil drain plug and oil filter. Some covers have built-in access hatches and they're usually labeled. Sometimes you have to remove the undercover entirely.

Step 4: Locate the oil filter and drain plug

Now it's time to get under the car and find the oil filter and drain plug. The vast majority of cars have a bottom-mount screw-on filter, such as the one shown above.

If the plug and filter are far apart, reposition the drain pan after completely draining the oil pan before moving on to the filter. If these elements are closer and your pan is large enough, you can save a little time by removing the filter while the last of the oil is still dribbling out of the pan.

If yours is one of the growing numbers of new cars with a top-mount cartridge filter, the following oil-drain and refill steps are the same, but the filter change process is not. The video at the bottom of the page covers swapping in a new cartridge, which doesn't require draining the filter.

Step 5: Drain the oil

With the preliminaries out of the way, it's time to drain the oil out of the engine. It's important to place the drain pan under the drain plug — but not directly under it. The position of the drain plug will cause the oil to stream out at an angle, so offset the pan to that side by several inches. If working outdoors, also account for wind — those last wispy ribbons of oil can blow around and make a mess.

Next, remove the oil filler cap. Doing so will eliminate any vacuum effect within the engine and allow the oil to flow out more smoothly and quickly. If nothing else, taking the cap off now serves as a reminder to put new oil in before you start the engine.

If you haven't already, it's time to put on your disposable gloves. When you remove the oil drain plug, things start getting messy.

You can usually remove the drain plug with a box-end wrench and a bit of muscle. The hex head on a typical drain plug is almost always a common size that comes in a basic tool set, and even the domestic carmakers tend to use metric in the 14-mm to 17-mm range. A socket on a three-eighths-inch-drive ratchet is perfectly fine, of course, as long as you remind yourself not to use its extra leverage to overtighten the drain plug when you put it back later.

Go slowly as you remove the drain plug and keep your hands away from the expected path of the oil. It's going to come out quickly and it'll be warm. If you miscalculate, it could dribble down your arm. This is another reason why it's best not to change oil when the engine and its oil are piping hot.

If the drain plug falls into the drain pan, don't worry; you can easily fish it out later. Clean up any spills or splashes as you go, especially when working on porous concrete, which soaks up oil quickly.

Step 6: Tighten the drain plug

Inspect and clean the oil drain plug while the rest of the oil is draining. This is where the new drain plug washer would go if one were needed. If your drain plug does need a replacement washer, make sure the old one isn't stuck to the engine's oil pan or the plug — you don't want to inadvertently stack a new washer atop the old one.

Hand-thread and then tighten the drain plug. Theoretically, there are torque specifications for drain plugs, but they're almost never published in the owner's manual. Even if you do find the spec, it's unlikely that the half-inch-drive torque wrench you bought to tighten lug nuts will go low enough for this job.

The drain plug is properly tightened if you use the box end of a combination wrench and turn it as much as you can without using a hammer or slipping a pipe over the wrench for extra leverage. A standard-length three-eighths-inch-drive ratchet will work if you choke up on it a bit, but anything longer or larger can lead you down the path of overtightening. You want the bolt to be tight, but you don't want to strip it out.

Step 7: How to change the oil filter

If you haven't yet, remove the oil filter and let any remaining oil trickle into your drain pan if necessary. New filters that are properly installed don't go on terribly tight. But they can be hard to get off later because their sealing gaskets swell over time.

It may be helpful to add an extension to your ratchet to get a little extra knuckle room. Only use the wrench to break the filter free. Filters loosen in a hurry, at which point oil starts to gush out all around the perimeter. Go slowly and switch to unscrewing the filter by hand as soon as you can, keeping your hand and arm out of the oil's path if possible.

Unlike with drain plug removal, there may be no way to avoid making a mess at this stage. Make sure you reposition the drain pan before you start. Have paper towels handy and prepare to get some oil down your arm. Don't let go of the filter once it starts to come off, or it will make a messy splash. Once it's free, hold the filter over the pan to drain, then set it aside for disposal — a plastic bag works great here.

Use towels to clean as much oil away as you can, paying special attention to the filter sealing surface. Make sure to remove the old filter's O-ring if it has stuck to the surface. This rarely happens nowadays, but it's one of those things you check anyway because a double stack of O-rings won't seal, allowing your new oil to pump out and ruin your engine.

The last messy step involves smearing a dab of fresh oil onto the filter's O-ring. Use a clean glove or clean finger for this; you don't want any contaminants from the used oil on your gloves getting back in the engine.

Now it's time to install the new oil filter. At this point, it's best to take your gloves off to get a good grip. Spin the filter on gently until the O-ring makes first contact with the sealing surface. Generally, oil filters are tightened no more than three-quarters of a turn to a full turn beyond that point. Consult your manual or the oil filter box to confirm the proper amount.

Don't resort to a filter wrench just because you want to tighten it more than the recommended amount. In most cases, you'll only need a filter wrench for tightening if access is too tight or if your hands are too oily for a solid grip.

Step 8: Add the new oil

After you reconfirm that the oil drain bolt and filter are both in place and properly tightened, it's time to add oil. Add approximately 1 quart less than the recommended amount. Using the example of a 5.7-quart oil change, add 5 quarts now and keep the last one for later. Holding the bottle on its side, as in the photo above, makes for a smooth pour.

Now it's time to replace the oil filler cap and start the engine. Run the engine for about 30 seconds to circulate the new oil, then shut it down and check your work area under the car for leaks.

Once you're satisfied that everything is OK, lower the car off the jack stands or ramps.

Step 9: Check the oil level

Now that you're on flat ground, check the oil level. Pull out the dipstick, wipe it down with a paper towel, then reinsert it and remove it to take a reading. Because you short-filled it slightly, don't be surprised to have to add a little more oil to the engine. (It's a lot easier than taking oil out if you overfill.) You'll know the level is correct when the oil reaches the upper hole or hash mark.

The only other step now is to properly dispose of the old oil and filter. Most auto parts stores that sell oil will take your waste oil at no charge. If yours won't, local municipalities often have household hazardous waste drop-off points.

That's it. You've successfully completed an engine oil change. If you stock up on oil and filters in your garage, you'll save both time and money compared to going to a mechanic. And once you get comfortable with the basic oil change, a whole slew of other maintenance tasks begin to seem within easy reach.

Step 10: How to reset your oil change light

With the work done, you'll want to disable any dashboard reminders to change the oil. The procedure for resetting the oil change light varies by model. It's often spelled out in the owner's manual, but if you don't find it there, a quick internet search should provide the correct steps to follow for your specific car model and year.

Some vehicles provide a reset option in a menu, either in the gauge display or through the infotainment screen. Others require a set of steps that can include cycling the ignition on and off a certain number of times and/or pressing the accelerator pedal to the floor with the engine off.

Some modern cars require an OBD-II scan tool to reset the light. This involves connecting a stand-alone scan tool or a wired or wireless OBD-II smartphone adapter to the vehicle's diagnostic port. Most adapters come with an app to interface with the system, while dedicated scan tools have their own display and buttons. From there, you'll just need to find the right menu that allows you to reset the oil change or maintenance reminder.

VIDEO: How to change your oil