- 1). Park the car on a flat surface. Let the engine cool down if it's been running for a while or let it run for a couple of minutes if the engine is cold. You want to get the oil warm enough that it will easily flow out of the engine, but you don't want to be working on a hot engine or risk getting splattered with hot oil.
- 2). Go underneath the car, and locate the oil pan. The bottom of the oil pan will be a flat, metal surface with a bolt (the drain plug) sticking out of it.
- 3). Put a drain pan underneath the drain plug, and loosen it with a wrench.
- 4). Once it's loose, unscrew the drain plug with your hand, but keep pressure on the bolt so that the oil doesn't come gushing out when the bolt has been removed.
- 5). When the drain plug is completely out of the oil pan, remove it and allow the oil to drain into the drain pan.
- 6). At the top of the engine, remove the oil cap (the cap that says "Engine Oil Only"). This will help the oil to flow out of the engine as it will equalize the pressure in the engine.
- 7). Let the oil continue to drain into the drain pan until it is down to a steady drip.
- 8). Using your hand, screw the drain plug back into the oil pan, then tighten it with the wrench. Make sure you don't over-tighten it because you could strip the thread and the plug would no longer stay in place.
- 9). Pour the old oil in the drain pan into a sturdy plastic container like an old antifreeze container.
- 10
Place the drain pan underneath the area where the oil filter is. - 11
Loosen the oil filter with a filter wrench, then unscrew it by hand. Once it's been separated from the engine, make sure that you keep the open end up so that you don't spill any of the oil that is still inside. - 12
Turn the filter upside-down in the drain pan so that the oil inside can drain out. - 13
Dip your finger into the new oil, and run it along the rubber gasket of the oil filter (this will let the filter go into place more easily). - 14
Screw the new filter into place with your hand, turning it until it's secure against the engine. Don't over-tighten it. - 15
Pour the new oil into the engine (check your owner's manual for the type and amount of oil that you need). - 16
Put the oil cap back on, then turn the engine on and let it run for a couple of minutes. Turn the engine off, and check the oil level on the dipstick. If it's below the "Add" line, add more oil to the engine.
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