Frequent oil changes are important for preserving the overall life of your car’s engine. Dirty oil is harmful to your engine’s performance and if not changed could cause you to need major engine repairs down the line, at great expense to you. It is worth it to learn how to change your own oil. Here is how you can perform this task.

Make sure your car’s engine is still warm. It’s a good idea to gather your materials (sockets, wrenches, a container to catch the old oil, work gloves, new oil, a clean oil filter, old rags, jack stands, a funnel and a plastic bag) and take your car for a brief drive first before changing your oil.

Turn off the engine and open the hood. Make sure your car is secure for crawling under. You may need to jack the car up using jack stands.

Crawl under the car and find the plug for draining the oil on the engine. Set down the container for catching the old oil and unscrew the oil plug. Let the oil drain out. Be very careful during this step so that you don’t burn yourself. Clean the oil drain plug and reinstall it on the underside of your engine. If necessary, use a wrench to tighten it.

Find the old oil filter and place the container for catching the oil underneath it. Allow any remaining oil to drip into this container. Remove the old oil filter using a special oil filter wrench. Wipe off the area from which the oil filter was removed.

Smear some new oil onto the rubber seal area of the new oil filter for lubrication. Mount the new oil filter on the side of the engine. If necessary, use the oil filter wrench to tighten it.

Unscrew the oil filler cap on top of the engine. Place the funnel in the opening and pour oil in. Replace the oil filler cap. Allow the car to run and then check the oil levels using the dipstick to make sure you’ve added enough. Add more oil if needed.

Walk around the car and check for oil leaks. If you discover any, you will need to use wrenches to tighten the oil drain plug or the oil filter. Clean up your area using old rags. Dispose of the old oil by recycling it.