HomemadeTurbo - DIY Turbo Forum - Changing Motor Oil Writeup..proofread please

I did the following as a How To project for my english course, it was one of the things we had to choose from and I think it was the only thing on the list I know something about, so I picked it, any way, the original does contain pictures.

Someone proofread my writeup, it did take a while to put together keeping in mind that the reader would be a NEWB who never in his/her life changed motor oil.

Enjoy.

Changing Your Motor Oil.

You should change your motor oil every 4000 kilometers, or every 4 months under normal engine operating conditions; however you may want to do it more often if your car operates in harsh conditions such as extreme heat or cold, or if the engine is under heavy loads on a daily basis.

Step 1:

Getting started.

Before you start anything you will need the following items to change your oil successfully, these items can be purchased at any automotive supply store.
You will need the Year, Make and, Model of your vehicle in order to get the correct parts at the service counter.

You will need the following items:

·New Oil Filter.
(Refer to owners manual to find out what type of filter is required)
·Oil.
(Refer to owners manual for the type and weight of oil is recommended for your vehicle)
·A plastic funnel.
(These can be bought at any automotive supply store, or you can make your own by cutting an empty cola bottle in half and using the top as your funnel)
·An oil filter wrench.
(These are fairly cheep and can be bought at any automotive supply store)
·A Jack and two jack stands.
·A pan or bucket to drain the old oil in to.
·A container to store the old oil in.
·Gloves.
·Paper towels, and a plastic bag for the cleanup.

Step 2:

Draining your oil.

Tip: Gloves are highly recommended when changing the oil on a car.

Let the car idle for 3-5 minutes to warm the oil up, turn the car off and engage the parking brake.
Jack the car up and secure it with both jack stands, one on each side of the car

Warning: It is very dangerous to get under a car that is supported by the jack alone, be sure to use jack stands whenever working underneath a vehicle.

Place the pan or bucket underneath the cars oil pan and unscrew the drain plug in the oil pan

Caution: hot oil will come rushing out of the oil pan, keep hands clear of the opening when taking off the drain plug, or else you may get burned.

When the oil drains completely be sure to tighten the drain plug back in to the oil pan.

Tip: Check owners manual for torque specification when tightening the drain plug, you don’t want to over tighten it and warp the threads.

Step 3:

Removing your oil filter.

Locate the oil filter, it should be either on the front or the back of your engine block, some oil filters are accessible from the top of the engine bay while others from the bottom. Use an oil filter wrench to take it off as it will be seized on and you will not be able to get it off by hand.

Unscrew the oil filter using the oil filter wrench.

Caution: be very careful when removing the oil filter, it is full of hot oil.

Pour any oil that is in the old oil filter in to the pan and put the old filter in to a plastic bag.

Take the new oil filter and run a bead of old oil with your finger across the rubber gasket of the contact edge of the filter.

Put the new filter in its housing on the engine block and tighten it by hand.

Warning: Do not use the oil filter wrench to tighten the oil filter; this may cause damage to your engine block.

Step 4:

Putting in the new oil.

Before you put the car back on the ground, make sure the drain plug and oil filter are tightened.

Jack up the car and remove the jack stands, drop the front of the car back on to the ground.

On the top of the valve cover there is a plastic or metal cap that says OIL, Remove the cap and put your funnel in to the hole. Check the owners manual to see how much oil you need to put in. Pour in the new oil slowly, after you’re done, wipe off any oil that may have spilled on to your engine with a paper towel.

Tighten the oil cap by hand and let the engine idle for about 3 minutes to get the new oil to circulate inside the engine.

Step 5:

Cleaning up.

Take the old oil and pour it in to a container and seal the lid, take the container and old oil filter and dispose of it properly by taking it to an oil recycling facility or any auto repair shop, these places can recycle your oil for a small fee.