How to Change Your Oil
Change your engine oil at home, from warming the engine and draining the old oil to fitting a new filter and taking the used oil for recycling.
Changing your own oil feels like it requires a garage and a mechanic's license. It does not. It requires about 30 minutes, some basic tools, and a willingness to get a little dirty.
We started doing our own oil changes to save money. What you save is what the shop charges for its time, because the oil and the filter cost the same whoever pours them in. Price a shop near you against the same oil and filter at a parts counter and the gap is the whole argument. We kept doing it because the process is oddly satisfying. Draining old, dark oil and filling the engine with fresh, amber fluid makes the car feel new.
Being underneath the car also lets you spot leaks, worn parts, and rust while they are still small. You will end up with fresh oil, a new filter, and the old oil ready for a recycling drop-off.
The correct oil for your car (check your owner's manual for type and quantity, something like "5W-30 synthetic, 5 quarts"). A new oil filter that matches your engine (the auto parts store can look this up by year, make, and model). A drain pan to catch the old oil (at least 6-quart capacity). A socket wrench set. An oil filter wrench if the old filter is on tight. Jack stands or ramps if your car sits low. Old towels or rags. Disposable gloves.
Warm up the engine briefly
Run the car for 3 to 5 minutes. Warm oil flows faster and carries more suspended contaminants with it, which means a more complete drain. You do not want the oil hot though. Hot oil can burn you and the exhaust components will be dangerously hot. Just warm is perfect. If you just drove home, let it cool for 10 to 15 minutes before starting.
Raise the car if needed
If you can comfortably slide under your car with the drain pan, skip this step. A low-riding car needs to be raised. Drive the front wheels up onto ramps, or use a floor jack and then lower the car onto jack stands at the jack points. Never work under a car supported only by a floor jack. A jack is a lifting tool, not a holding tool, and the weight needs to sit on stands or ramps before any part of you goes underneath. Set the parking brake and chock the rear wheels.
Heads up: A car coming down on you is the worst thing that can happen during an oil change, so the weight goes on stands or ramps every single time. But do not treat the stands themselves as infallible. NHTSA recall 20E027000 covered 1,254,000 pairs of 3-ton jack stands whose ratchet teeth "may not engage the pawl to a sufficient depth, possibly causing the stand to fail under load", and a second recall covered 454,000 pairs of the 6-ton version. Look up your own against NHTSA's recall database, check the teeth and pawl each time you set them, and lower the car onto them slowly.
Locate and remove the drain plug
Slide under the car with your drain pan and socket wrench. The oil pan is a flat metal surface on the bottom of the engine. The drain plug is a single bolt on the lowest point of the oil pan. It is usually 14mm, 17mm, or 19mm. Position the drain pan slightly behind the plug because the oil will arc outward as it drains. Loosen the plug with the wrench, then unscrew the last few turns by hand so you can pull the plug away quickly. Oil will flow out fast. Let it drain completely, which takes about 5 minutes. The stream will slow to occasional drips.
Replace the drain plug
Inspect the drain plug washer. It is a small metal or rubber ring that sits between the plug and the oil pan to create a seal. If it looks crushed, worn, or damaged, replace it. On many cars it is a crush washer designed to deform once, so keep a spare in the drawer rather than reusing a flattened one. Thread the plug back in by hand first to avoid cross-threading, then tighten with the wrench. Snug is the goal. Overtightening can strip the threads in the oil pan, which is an expensive mistake.
Remove the old oil filter
The oil filter location varies by car. It is usually a cylindrical canister on the side or bottom of the engine. Some cars have a cartridge-style filter under a cap on top of the engine. Check your manual if you cannot find it. Unscrew the old filter by hand if you can. If it is too tight, use an oil filter wrench (there are several styles, and strap wrenches work on almost everything). The filter will have oil in it, so angle it carefully as you remove it. Wipe the mounting surface on the engine with a clean rag to remove any old gasket material.
Install the new oil filter
Before screwing on the new filter, dip your finger in fresh oil and spread a thin layer around the rubber gasket ring on the new filter. This helps it seal properly and makes removal easier next time. Thread the new filter on by hand until the gasket touches the mounting surface, then turn it the amount printed on the filter or its box. That figure differs between brands, commonly from three-quarters of a turn to a full turn, and it matches the gasket compression the filter was designed for. Marking the filter with a pen at the point of contact makes it easy to see how far you have gone. Hand pressure is enough for almost every spin-on filter, and a wrench mostly makes it easy to overshoot and crush the gasket.
Good to know: Always lubricate the new filter gasket with fresh oil. A dry gasket can stick to the engine surface, and then the filter is hard to remove next time. It also risks the gasket folding during installation, which causes leaks.
Add fresh oil
Remove the oil filler cap on top of the engine (it usually has an oil can icon on it). Using a funnel, pour in about 80% of the amount your manual specifies. For example, if your car takes 5 quarts, pour in 4. Wait a minute for the oil to settle into the pan, then pull the dipstick, wipe it clean, reinsert it fully, and pull it out again to check the level. The oil should be between the two marks (minimum and maximum). Add more in small amounts until you reach the upper mark. Do not overfill. Too much oil creates excessive crankcase pressure and can damage seals.
Check for leaks and verify the level
Replace the filler cap, start the engine, and let it idle for about 60 seconds. The oil pressure light on your dashboard should turn off within a few seconds. While it idles, check underneath the car around the drain plug and oil filter for any drips. If you see a drip, turn off the engine and tighten the leaking component slightly. After the check, turn off the engine, wait 5 to 10 minutes for oil to settle back into the pan, and check the dipstick one final time. Top off if needed.
Expect the first one to be slow and messy. Write the date, mileage, and oil type in a small notebook in your glove box after each change, so you know when the next one is due, and look under the car again the next morning for drips at the drain plug and filter. If the filter on your car is buried in a hard-to-reach spot, or you have no flat, safe place to work, pay a shop to do it. The oil and filter are the same either way. Between changes, our guide on how to check oil shows how to keep an eye on the level.
Questions we get asked about this
Answers from experience, not a textbook.
Your owner's manual lists the exact specification, something like "5W-30 synthetic" or "0W-20 full synthetic." The numbers indicate viscosity (flow rate) at different temperatures. The auto parts store can also look it up by your car's year, make, and model. Using the wrong weight can affect engine protection and fuel economy. When in doubt, match what the manual says exactly.
Never pour it down a drain or into the ground. The EPA warns that used oil from one oil change can contaminate one million gallons of fresh water, which it calls a year's supply for fifty people. Pour the old oil from your drain pan back into the empty containers your new oil came in. Plenty of auto parts chains and municipal household waste sites take it at no charge, but terms vary by store and by state, so call the nearest one before you load up the car. Two things commonly get a DIYer turned away at the counter. Many sites cap how much they will take in one visit, and a site that accepts clean used oil often cannot accept oil that has been mixed with gas, coolant, or brake fluid, because mixing changes how the waste has to be handled. Keep your drain pan for oil only. Drain the old filter and bring that too, since the EPA notes it can usually go to the same collection point.
Go by your owner's manual, because the interval is the manufacturer's call and it varies a lot between engines. Many modern cars on synthetic oil list intervals well beyond the old "every 3,000 miles" rule, and some go as long as 10,000 miles. Many manuals also list a shorter "severe service" interval for lots of short trips, towing, dusty roads, or extreme heat, so check which schedule fits how you drive.
Yes. You can switch freely between conventional, synthetic blend, and full synthetic. They are compatible and mixing them causes no damage. What decides which one you use is your owner's manual. If it calls for synthetic, stick with synthetic. If it allows conventional, the choice comes down to cost and how you drive.
A small overfill (less than half a quart over the maximum mark) is not an emergency. Drive it and check again after the next fill-up. A significant overfill can cause foaming, increased crankcase pressure, and seal damage. The controllable way to remove the excess is a hand pump or extractor down the dipstick tube, because it lets you take out a measured amount and stop. Cracking the drain plug open sounds easier and occasionally works, but a plug loosened by hand has a habit of coming all the way out, and then you are catching 5 quarts of fresh oil instead of removing half of one.
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How to Change Your Oil
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