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Running low
on motor oil can cause a lot more damage to your car than
you might think. Having a low level of oil in your car will
mean that the engine is being worn far quicker than it
should be and can lead to you having to fork out on
expensive repairs. In extreme cases it can ruin your engine
completely! |
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As car owners
it's one of the most important things we're supposed to do -
look after the engine and top up the oil regularly - but
it's also one of the most neglected aspects of car
ownership. Research shows that one in three cars has too
little oil to run effectively, and many people wait until
they see that little red light blinking at them on the
dashboard, warning them that it's been too long since they
paid their oil levels attention. In many cases, if you see
the warning light come on then the damage has already been
done and rather than preventative action, it becomes a case
of damage limitation. |
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How Often
Should you Check your Oil? |
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You should
perform several checks as part of your weekly routine.
Checking your oil levels and topping up when necessary
should be near the top of that list. If you notice any oil
on the floor when you’ve been parked up, or any other
problems that you think might be related to oil levels,
check it then too. |
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How Long will it Take you? |
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It shouldn't take you any more than 10 minutes. |
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What Kind of Oil Should you
be Using? |
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There are
lots of different types of oil and they are used for
different purposes. Before you go out to buy it, refer to
your owner's manual and make sure that you know what you
should be looking for. The thickness of motor oil is
referred to as the viscosity and is shown on the container
as an SAE rating. The quality is shown with an ACEA or API
classification. |
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Under the API
system - the top grade for petrol engines is labelled 'SJ'.
'CH' is the equal standard for engines that run on diesel
but 'CF' is the most common. |
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Under the
ACEA system - 'A' is for petrol engines, 'B' is for diesel
engines and a roman numeral tells you the grade - 3 being
the highest and 1 the lowest. Following the code you will
see a 2-digit reference to the year it was issued. |
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If you're
still not sure ask a professional for advice before
purchasing as using the wrong oil type can significantly
damage your cars performance and can lead to more severe
problems. How do check the oil levels and top it up if
needed? |
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First of all
you need to get some newspaper, paper towels, some oil to
top-up with and if needed, a funnel. It’s not the cleanest
of jobs and oil can permanently stain clothing and fabric,
so don’t wear anything nice if you can help it. |
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You should
follow these steps when the car has been running for a while
but leave it to cool down first for 5-10 minutes – the
engine can get extremely hot. |
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Park on a flat surface. Parking on a hill or an
incline can affect the reading.
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When the engine is stopped, open up your bonnet
and secure.
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Find the dipstick. It's usually red or yellow or
another bright colour so that you can find it
easily.
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Pull the dipstick slowly and completely out of
its tube.
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Wipe it on the paper towel and find the min/max
marks
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Push it into the tube and pull it back out
again. You should be able to see where the oil
comes on the markers.
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If it is below or near to the minimum marker you
need to top-up your oil.
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Find the engine filler cap. It may be marked -
if not and you're not sure, check your manual.
There are usually several different caps for
different systems and it's imperative that you
don't choose the wrong one.
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Take off the cap - unscrew it or pull it off
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Add some oil (just a little for now) and wait a
minute. Then repeat step 6 with the dipstick,
checking where the oil comes to now. If it isn't
near the maximum mark, add more oil. You should
have a better idea of how much to add this time.
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Repeat until the oil level is near the maximum
mark. Put the dipstick back securely.
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Put the cap back on, wipe up any spillage and
close the bonnet.
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Changing
your Engine Oil |
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Oil change step 1 |
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Choose the right engine oil
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Oil change step 2 |
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Prepare your
vehicle. Always be certain to consult your owner's manual
for specific safety precautions before climbing under your
vehicle. |
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Never use a jack to hold your vehicle up - it's
simply too unstable. Portable wheel ramps are
ideal and much safer. Wheel ramps will tilt the
car just enough to allow you to slide
underneath. Make sure you follow your wheel ramp
manufacturer's instructions carefully,
especially concerning safety issues.
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After making sure that you are on level ground,
drive your vehicle up onto the wheel ramps so
that the front tyres are elevated. Set your
handbrake, and brace both rear wheels with
wooden blocks to prevent the vehicle from
rolling.
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Put your vehicle in first gear if you have a
manual transmission or in “Park” if you have an
automatic transmission.
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Cold oil will not drain properly, so before
starting work, drive your car around to raise
the oil temperature to bring it to normal
operating temperature. Then switch off the
engine and raise the bonnet to loosen the oil
filler cap to avoid creating a vacuum. This will
allow the oil to drain from the bottom more
freely.
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Oil change step 3 |
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Drain the old
oil. Locate the oil drain plug on the underside of your
vehicle. It should be located at the bottom rear end of the
engine sump or oil pan. |
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Place the drain pan underneath the drain plug
and slightly toward the back. Using your
spanner, turn the plug anticlockwise until it
rotates freely. Finish removing the plug by
hand. At this point, be careful of the oil since
it may release rapidly and is likely to be
rather hot.
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Oil change step 4 |
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Remove the oil filter. |
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Loosen the oil filter by turning it
anticlockwise with a filter wrench. Complete the
removal by hand, taking care not to touch the
hot exhaust manifold. The oil filter may be
filled with oil and feel slightly heavy, so
carefully ease it down and away from the engine
and tip its contents into the drain pan. Note:
some oil filters are mounted horizontally and
when you loosen them they will leak some dirty,
hot engine oil. Don't worry, this is normal, but
be ready for the leak by having several
absorbent rags. Take your rag and wipe in and
around the filter seat on the engine.
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Oil change step 5 |
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Replace the oil filter |
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Take your rag and wipe in and around the filter
seat on the engine.
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Then take a new filter and use your finger to
apply a light film of oil (new or used) to the
gasket (the circular edge of the filter itself),
which acts as a sealant.
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Carefully screw the new filter onto the threaded
oil line, turning it clockwise.
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Once aligned properly, the filter will thread on
easily. Tighten the filter by hand, taking care
not to over tighten.
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Clean the oil plug and copper gasket and then
align and replace the plug.
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Screw the plug in by hand and finish by
tightening it with a wrench. Once again, don't
over tighten.
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Oil change step 6 |
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Add clean oil |
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Carefully release the handbrake and allow the
car to slowly roll back down the ramp to level
ground (do not run the engine at this stage or
severe damage will occur).
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On the top of the engine you will find the Oil
Filler Cap usually marked with the symbol of an
oil can. Unscrew the cap and proceed to fill the
engine with the required quantity of oil,
checking with the dipstick to ensure proper fill
level.
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Replace the cap and wipe off any spillage. The
oil light should go out as soon as the engine is
started.
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Run the engine for several minutes, then switch
it off and check the dipstick once again to
ensure proper oil level. It is likely that you
will have to add some more oil at this point.
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Last, but not least, check under the vehicle for
leaks - especially around the oil filter and
sump drain plug.
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Oil change step 7 |
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Dispose of used oil |
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The final, and in some ways most important, step
to your oil change is the proper disposal of the
used oil that you have drained from your
vehicle. Used motor oil is highly toxic to the
environment and it's of the utmost importance
that it's disposed of in a safe fashion.
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Transfer the used oil to a sealed container and
consult your local garage about options for safe
disposal. Chances are that a garage in your area
will take the oil off your hands and arrange for
it to be recycled or safely disposed of. You
could also contact an environmental agency that
can direct you towards an alternative option.
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Keep a written record of the mileage and date
for each oil change. That way, it will be easy
to keep track of when your next change is due.
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