DIY oil changes
Synthetic Oil in 5 quarts – Amazon.com
DIY oil changes are the easiest things you can do to extend the life of your car and save yourself from needless breakdowns and repairs. Oil changes, as part of a routine maintenance cycle, are essential to keep your vehicle running efficiently.
Benefits of Oil Changes
Oil lubricates the engine, and clean oil helps the engine to run more efficiently. Each oil change removes contaminants and dirt from the engine and reduces engine wear. Oil changes provide the least expensive maintenance for your vehicle. Oil changes reduce common problems due to age and wear.
All Synthetic Blend Motor Oil – Amazon.com
DIY Engine Oil Changes
Synthetic Blend Oil – Amazon.com
A DIY oil change of a vehicle is very easy to do. Most of the time spent on the job is lifting the vehicle and watching the oil drain out. There are the advantages of DIY oil changes. You pick out of which oil goes into your vehicle and the brand of oil filter used in the oil change, definitely an advantage.
Full Synthetic Motor Oil – Amazon.com
What do I do with the used oil?
The disadvantage is after the oil change you will have the old oil and filter to dispose of properly. There are designated recycling centers for disposal of the old oil and filter. For example, my city will pick up the old oil and filter left at the curb on trash pickup day. Most Auto Parts stores in my area accept used oil and filters. Oil change sites are another good possibility.
AC Delco oil filters – Amazon.com
AC Delco oil filters – Amazon.com
Sure I save a few bucks doing my own oil changes, yet that is not why I do it. I like doing my own oil changes, I know what kind and brand of oil and filter are going into my car. I have a lifetime of experience and trust the parts and fluids I have chosen to add to my vehicles.
DIY Transmission oil change
Castrol Transmax Automatic transmission fluid for imports – Amazon.com
Do the math, which costs less, a new transmission or automatic transmission fluid? A new transmission is expensive, while the fluid is cheap in comparison. Changing out the fluid in the pan adds up to another twenty dollars in transmission oil to the oil change.
Change out part of the transmission fluid with each oil change and you can extend the transmission’s service life. My transmission has roughly a twelve-quart capacity. I can change out four quarts of transmission oil at each engine oil change by simply pulling a drain plug.
The transmission oil change adds another fifteen minutes to the job. Changing the transmission oil is simplified by the car already being in the air. With the engine oil drained and filter replaced, slide the drain pan over to the transmission for a four-quart oil drain. No special tools needed to pull the transmission drain plug on my vehicle.
What’s the cost?
I use full synthetic oil; the upcharge for it over conventional engine oil is about 5-6 dollars. Synthetic oil provides the best protection and allows the maximum mileage between oil changes. The maximum mileage for my vehicle is 7500 miles. For my yearly mileage that is roughly one oil change per year. The transmission oil change added to my maintenance regiment adds up to an upcharge of $26 per year. An “insurance policy” for my engine and transmission that only costs twenty-six dollars a year. Oh yeah, sign me up.
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(By Dvortygirl (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)
(By Dvortygirl (Own work) [GFDL (http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/fdl.html) or CC BY-SA 3.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], via Wikimedia Commons)
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