NAPA Know How: Changing Your Oil: The Essentials

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Changing your oil regularly is the cornerstone of good car maintenance. It’s not the cleanest job, but just about anyone can do it. So read up on some tips and tricks to make the job easier, then gather the following tools and supplies and get to it.

Safety First

Accessing your car’s oil drain plug and oil filter almost always requires getting under the vehicle. Putting safety first only requires a few simple items. Wearing the appropriate eye gear and gloves will ensure that debris stays out of your eyes and you don’t cut your hands on a jagged edge. If you are lucky you can access the plug and oil filter all four tires on the ground, otherwise you will to safely jack up the vehicle. If you aren’t comfortable working underneath your car, you can always take it to your local NAPA AutoCare experts.

Keep It Clean

Have at the ready a drain pan to catch the old oil, spill pads to catch what splatters out of the drain pan, and rags for your hands, tools, the drain plug … basically, have plenty of rags.

Tools

Check whether you need additional tools to remove anything covering the drain plug (most don’t). Have a ratchet and socket or wrench that perfectly fits the drain plug or you run the risk of rounding out the head of the bolt. Also, don’t use an impact gun to remove or install the plug, or you might strip the bolt or engine pan or both, leaving you with a much bigger repair.

Filter Extras

Always change your filter when you change your oil. So have at the ready a new filter (make sure it’s compatible with your engine), and filter wrench for getting the old one off. You don’t need to use the wrench to put it back on, heavy hand-tight will do! You’ll thank yourself at the next oil change.

Things to Make Your Life Easier

A funnel is strongly recommended. It will help you transfer old oil out of the pan and new oil into the engine. Additionally, a light source and creeper (or a panel of cardboard) will go a long way in making the process more comfortable. Don’t forget the gloves or else have some very good soap available.

Oil

You have many different choices here, so it’s important to evaluate your needs and consult your owner’s guide or a professional before deciding. Fully synthetic oil definitely has its advantages, but it’ll cost you. Factors such as the temperatures in your area, what you’re asking of your engine performance-wise, the age of your vehicle, manufacturer specifications and more will impact what the right choice is for you. Double check the amount of oil you need, so you don’t end up over or under filled.

A Plan

Make sure you know what happens when the oil change is done. You’ll need a receptacle with a secure lid so the oil doesn’t slosh out when transported. One trick is to pour the used engine oil from the pan into the now empty new oil bottles. This way, you can put lids back on them and take the used oil to your nearest auto store for disposal.

Totally easy, right? With an eye toward safety, a solid plan and a little preparation, changing your oil is one of the simplest yet most impactful things you can do for your car. And with most vehicles requiring at least two changes a year, it’s a handy skill to tick off the list.

Check out all the maintenance parts available on NAPA Online or trust one of our 16,000 NAPA AutoCare locations for routine maintenance and repairs. For more information on what you need to change your engine’s oil and filter, chat with a knowledgeable expert at your local NAPA AUTO PARTS store.

Photos courtesy of Blair Lampe.

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NAPA Know How: Replacing an Oil Filter By Itself: Should I?

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Everyone knows frequent oil changes are a vital part of vehicle maintenance, but usually replacing an oil filter occurs at the same time as an oil change, assumed to be basically equal parts of the one procedure. And while this is generally the case, there may, on rare occasions, come a time when replacing an oil filter alone is desirable. But before deciding whether this is something you want to do, make sure you have a basic understanding of the roles both oil and filters play.

Smooth and Cool Runnings

Engine oil does more than lubricate and keep things moving. By flowing through and across hot surfaces, it disperses heat and helps cool the engine to keep heat-sensitive parts safe. Additionally, the additives in engine oil work as a detergent to clean internal components as oil flows over them. As the oil cycles through the system, it begins to carry tiny particles of metal and debris, which can potentially cause major damage in such close clearances. That’s where the engine’s oil filter comes in. The microscopic holes in the internal fibers allow proper flow volumes to pass while holding behind particulate matter. Eventually, this can become a liability if the filter becomes clogged and restricts oil flow, and this is why we change them.

Slick and Slide

The oil itself also breaks down over time and becomes less effective at its job, this is why both oil and filter are usually changed at once. However, there are rare circumstances where you might want to leave the oil and change only the filter. Presumably, this is because there is damage to the filter itself or you might have a situation where high-quality synthetic oil was used with a mid or low-quality filter and thus the life of the oil outlasts the usefulness of the filter. Generally speaking though, it is advised to do both at once — partly for simplicity’s sake and also because timely oil changes are just so darn important to keeping an engine running.

Filter Out

It is, in fact, possible to change the filter alone, with varying degrees of difficulty. The filter is usually installed above the level of the oil pan, so you don’t have to worry about all the oil pouring out, but do expect a little. If you let the car sit for a while before attempting the replacement, you can minimize this, but keep a drip pan and rags handy. You’ll also want to prime the filter — this means filling it with oil, letting it sit and soak in, topping it off, rubbing a little around the lip, and installing it. Some filters must be installed on their sides, so these you don’t want to fill all the way up or they will spill on installation. Always check the oil level after installing a new filter and top off as necessary.

Even though it is possible, changing an oil filter alone is a rarity and frankly, inadvisable. It is certainly not an alternative to a full oil change. Your engine is a precise machine that requires care and attention, and frequent oil and filter changes are the foundation of good maintenance.

Check out all the maintenance parts available on NAPA Online or trust one of our 16,000 NAPA AutoCare locations for routine maintenance and repairs. For more information on why you should change your engine’s oil filter and oil at the same time, chat with a knowledgeable expert at your local NAPA AUTO PARTS store.

Photo courtesy of Flickr.

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