How do I do an oil change

Oil changes are a very basic maintenance procedure that everyone who owns a car should know how to do. Not only is it not particularly difficult, but it will save you a lot of money in the long run since oil changes are generally recommended every six months or so, depending on your car.

The general idea here is first, you drain the old oil, then remove the oil filter. Install a new filter, put the plug back into the oil pan and fill it back up with clean oil. Changing the oil regularly is the single most important thing you can do to extend the life of your car's engine.

Here's a video showing exactly how to change the oil on a 2017 Mazda CX-3.

Mazda Cx3 how to change the engine oil and filter - YouTube

The only thing I kind of disagree on is the timing of changing the filter. I generally let all the oil drain out of the oil pan first before attempting to loosen and remove the filter, as it will generally be less messy if you're not dealing with oil coming out of two places at once.

Before you start, here's a list of tools that are useful to have on hand.

• Jack stands
• Floor jack
• Wrench to open the oil pan plug (in this case a hex head socket)
• Oil filter wrench for removing the old filter, as they tend to get stuck on pretty well
• Drain pan to catch the oil
• Funnel for pouring the oil into a container with a lid for recycling

Of course, you'll need a couple of parts as well, specifically:

• A sufficient quantity of oil to fill the oil pan. Look up the specifications for your year and model to find out how much it takes.
• Oil filter specific to your car.

Basic home mechanic safety needs to be observed here; for example, never work on a vehicle supported solely by a jack; always use jack stands when you need to work under a car. Let the oil cool before attempting to drain it if the car has been driven any significant distance before the oil change. Burning hot oil pouring out of the engine is no fun, believe me. Here's my procedure for doing an oil change.

1. Chock the wheels, jack up the car and put it on jack stands
2. Remove the access cover to the oil pan and filter
3. Put the drain pan under the oil pan
4. Remove the drain plug and let the oil drain into the pan. Have disposable towels handy, as you will get oil on your hands and possibly other places
5. Once the flow has slowed to a drip, remove the oil filter
6. Drain the filter into the drain pan
7. Wipe up the old oil from the filter mount and from around the drain plug
8. Replace the drain plug. Most cars recommend replacing the copper washer on the plug if present, but that's up to you. Make sure it's tightened snugly
9. Wet the rubber seal on the oil filter with fresh oil
10. Observe any instructions on the oil filter package; generally they recommend screwing the filter on until the gasket touches the engine, then tighten it further, generally 3/4 to 1 full turn more
11. Open the oil filler cap on top of the engine and use a funnel to refill the engine to the specified capacity with the correct oil called for
12. Replace the cap once it's full and start the engine
13. Check the drain plug and oil filter for any signs of a leak
14. Shut off the engine and replace the cover panel over the filter/drain plug access hole
15. Jack the car back up and remove the jack stands
16. Lower the car and remove the wheel chocks and you're done!