Car Oil Change - Do It Yourself
Getting your oil changed is something that the pros promise they can do in a
jiffy, however, with every three thousand miles you drive, the price can add up
quickly. You can save yourself some money by doing it yourself. An oil change is
not as hard as you may think!
Prior to changing your oil, you will need to pick up some supplies at you
favorite parts store. The first thing you will need is six quarts of oil. If
your car manufacturer recommends a certain type, you should stick with that.
Otherwise, choose a brand you know and trust. (Note- do not mix oil. If you have
a quart or two of one brand already at home, make sure you purchase additional
quarts of the same kind.) With every oil change, you should always change your
oil filter as well. So, you will also need to pick up an oil filter for your
particular car. In addition, you will need an oil pan to empty the old oil into.
Your best bet is to purchase one that can seal so that you can easily take it to
be recycled. And, if you don’t have one already, you could use an oil filter
wrench.
After you purchase the necessary items, you are ready to start the oil change.
First, elevate the vehicle off the ground using your car jack, just enough to
access the underside of the engine. (Note: For added safety, make sure you are
using a jack stand.) Remove the oil fill cap on the engine. Then, get underneath
the engine. The oil pan covers the entire bottom of the engine, and this is what
you will be draining from. Find the engine pan drain plug, which is shaped
hexagonal (six sides). Place the oil pan you bought underneath. Next, use a
socket wrench to loosen the drain plug. The oil will start to come out. Let this
drain completely. Once drained, replace the plug and tighten.
Next, move the drain pan so it is under the oil filter. Use your oil filter
wrench to rotate the filter counter-clockwise until it comes off. Once loosened,
you’ll need to unscrew it from the engine with your hands. Once off, place in
the oil pan- oil will drip out from the filter. Now, it’s time to put on the new
filter. When you remove the new filter from the box, you’ll see a rubber gasket
on the base. A good trick for easy removal in the future is to coat the gasket
thoroughly with oil. When that’s done, screw the new filter onto the filter pipe
tightly.
At this point, you’re done underneath, so you can let the car down. But first,
get the oil pan and any tools out from under the vehicle. Next, fill the engine
with five quarts of oil and put the cap back on. Then, check the oil level. You
should see that it’s one quart high, and this is just because the filter is not
yet full. Next, start the car and let the engine idle for about five minutes.
This will allow the oil pump to pick up the new oil, and get it circulating.
Also, check under the car to make sure the filter is not leaking any oil. Then,
you can shut off the car and check the oil level once again. This time it should
read, “full.”
You’re done! Just repeat these instructions in 3,000 miles.
Written by Michael Walker. Source EzineArticles.com. He is a freelance author providing tips and hints on engine related topics.
Understanding the Drive Layouts
The drive layout is the
arrangement of the engine, transmission, and driven axles. The types of drive
layouts are Front engine Front wheel drive (FF/ FWD), Front engine Rear wheel
drive (FR/RWD), Mid engine Rear wheel drive(MR), Rear engine Rear wheel drive(RR),
Four wheel drive (4WD or 4x4) and the All Wheel Drive(AWD). Each of these
layouts has their own performance, advantages and disadvantages.
Front engine Front wheel drive (FF/FWD) – The Engine and the two driven axles
are placed in front, where the power from the engine is transferred straight to
the front wheels. This layout increases the interior space especially in small
cars because there is no central tunnel needed for the driveshaft. FF layout has
advantage when it comes on low grip surfaces, and its tendency to understeer
reduces the risk of losing control. The disadvantage is the load placed on the
front tires. The front tires must transfer all acceleration, steering, cornering,
and braking forces to the road. This kind of tasks gives a lot of stress in
front tires which may lead to wear and tear, while the rear tires have very
little load on them.
Front engine Rear wheel drive (FR/ RWD) - This is the complement of FF layout,
where the engine is placed longitudinally at the front but the two driven axles
are placed at the rear connected through the driveshaft. With this kind of
layout, installation of more powerful engine such as V8, V10 and V12 is not a
problem. Since the FR has a driveshaft, central tunnel is present in this layout
a little interior space is sacrificed. All of the disadvantages of the FF layout
are the advantages of FR layout.
Mid Engine Rear wheel drive (MR) – The drive layout that consumes a lot of
interior space of the car especially the seating capacity, the engine is placed
in the middle of the chassis and the driven axles are at the rear. Although it
has more weight at the rear, entering a corner makes it more difficult because
the front tires have less traction resulting to understeer and since the rear is
heavy, the car tends to oversteer when exiting a corner. This kind of layout is
commonly used in racing cars and sports cars because of weight distribution
focused in the center of the car.
Rear engine Rear wheel drive (RR) - This layout places both engine and the
driven axle at the rear of the vehicle, even though the rear wheels benefit from
the additional grip due to the added weight given by the engine, the front
wheels still need grip in order to steer the car effectively. That’s why RR
layout car can also be prone to understeer.
Four Wheel Drive (4WD or 4X4) / All Wheel Drive (AWD) – It is a term usually
used to describe a car where the four wheels receive power from the engine
simultaneously. This can be found in an off-road vehicle. A well distributed
power to the four wheels improves the grip of the vehicle. The terms 4WD and 4X4
are used in jeeps and other off-road vehicles that require the driver to switch
from 2WD used in street driving (two wheel drive) to 4WD to improve the grip
depending on the road condition like mud, snow, etc. and it has a high and low
gear selection. The AWD term was invented to identify the vehicle capable of
driving all the wheels on any road condition without selecting high and low gear
selection because the power is distributed on all the wheels. Unlike the 4WD
with gear selection, you don’t have to select the appropriate gear to match the
road condition. Most of the modern cars use AWD system for more traction and
better handling.
Written by Alvin D. Agomaa
