People often get confused about when they’re supposed to change the oil and oil filter in their vehicle. As you probably know, oil is like the blood of the engine which lubricates the hot moving components inside of it. When an engine doesn’t have good oil anymore, it will start to overheat. You’ll know when this is happening because the temperature gauge on your dashboard will show the needle pointing toward the red zone. There may also be a burning smell in the cabin too.
The average car manufacturer recommends that you change your oil every 5,000 to 7,500 miles. In the old days, they used to recommend you change your oil every 3,000 miles. But this was when people used crude oil, which did not stay viable for very long. That is why most people now choose synthetic oil rather than crude oil for their engine. Synthetic oil lasts longer and does a better job of lubricating the engine.
The cost of engine oil ranges from $20 to $70. The conventional crude-based oils are on the lower end of this price range, while the synthetic oils are on the higher end. It may be worth to spend the extra money on synthetic oil because you can wait longer before you have to change your oil again. It is better for your engine anyway.
As for the oil filter, car manufacturers recommend that you change it whenever you change your oil. So, if you’re changing your oil every 3,000 to 7,500 miles, then that is when you change your oil filter too. The cost of a new oil filter is only around $10 or $20, so it is not a big expense at all. The filter is important for keeping contaminants and debris out of the engine as the oil cycles through it.
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On average, you can change the oil and oil filter in your car for about $50. It is not a big expense at all, so do not procrastinate when it comes to changing these things. Otherwise, you could end up paying thousands of dollars in repairs if your engine overheats from unchanged oil or a clogged filter.
Here are the summary of mechanic job done:
- Lift up the vehicle
- Open the plug and drain the oil from oil pan
- Remove the oil filter from engine
- Close the oil pan plug
- Fix the new oil filter
- Down the vehicle
- Fill engine oil
- Start the engine then of after 5-15 minute
- Check engine oil level (Make sure at correct level)
Tools: Box Wrench, SST (Special Service Tool) oil filter, oil drainer
Parts: Engine oil and oil filter
