Engine Oil is to vehicles what blood is to human beings. It plays a crucial part in the proper functioning of your vehicle and ensures the longevity of each of its components. Over time, this engine oil starts to lose its properties that will affect the efficiency and performance of your vehicle, which is not a good thing. To ensure the top-notch performance of your vehicle, it is important that you change your bike or car engine oil at proper intervals and in a proper amount.
The process of changing engine oil is usually carried out in garages by mechanics, but you can very easily change it by yourself. All you have to do is educate yourself about the basic steps of changing engine oil and gather the proper tools/equipment required for that. We’ll tell you how you can change your car and bike engine oil.
Procedure for Changing Engine Oil:
- Run Your Engine:
Engine oil tends to lose its viscous nature with a rise in temperature. So, to make the process of draining the old engine oil slightly easier, you have to turn on your bike/car’s engine and keep it running for about 2-5 minutes. Then turn it off, let your engine’s temperature decrease.
- Park it:
In case of a bike, make sure that it is on a stand and parked on a flat and horizontal surface. In case of a car, park it in a flat and even terrain. Put it in Park position (automatic) or neutral (manual). Engage the handbrake and raise your car.
- Drain the oil:
Cover the ground with newspapers/rags, place a pan underneath your vehicle and carefully remove the drain or sump plug using proper tools such as a socket spanner. Let the engine oil drain for several minutes. Clean the plug as well.
- Remove the Oil Filter:
Remove the oil filter using and oil filter remover or filter spanner. Clean the oil filter compartment using old yet clean rags.
If your car comes with an insert type oil filter that is at the top of the engine, make sure you remove it before draining the engine oil.
- Install the new oil filter:
Change the O rings while you’re changing the filter. Apply the new engine oil onto the seal to reduce the risk of leakage. Put in the new filter and tighten it carefully.
- Fill the engine with new oil:
Pour the oil in the engine using a funnel. Educate yourself on how much oil you need to add to your bike/car. Use a dipstick if needed. Don’t overfill. Screw the plug back and ensure that there’s no leakage.
- Turn on the engine and check the oil level:
After changing the bike/car engine oil, let your vehicle’s engine run for about 5 minutes to allow the oil to circulate throughout the engine. Check for leaks and fix it if any. Check the oil level, top it off if necessary.