Process Essay, Research Paper

Oil changing Made Easy

Changing the oil in your car every three thousand miles is about the single most important maintenance item you can do for your automobile. It is really very easy, takes approximately forty minutes, saves money and hassle over taking the car to someone else, and you have the satisfaction of knowing it was done correctly. Lubricating oil becomes contaminated by different matter (dust, water, fuel, swear, etc.). Engine lubricating oil filters cannot be cleaned. The lubricating oil and the oil filter have now done their work and it is time that they are change. Like the human body, the less contaminated the Life Blood of an engine the longer it will Live . It is therefore advisable not to exceed the service period for lubricating oil and filters recommended by the manufacturer. To change the contaminated oil in your vehicle rapidly, safely, and efficiently, the following procedures must be followed: setting of engine temperature, drainage of lubricating oil, pouring of fresh oil, and clean up.

Before we first begin the task at hand, the following supplies are needed: oil (type and amount depending on car, see owners manual), a new oil filter for the specific vehicle, a set of spanners and an oil filter wrench, measuring containers such as funnel and drain pan, an empty 6 liter container with a screw on top for pouring old engine oil, finally a floor stand and two jack stands(optional). Now that we have gather all supplies needed the first step is to warm the oil by running the engine for several minutes. Setting the engine to normal operating temperature will make it easier to drain the engine oil. If the car, however, has just been on the road, wait about an hour before starting this procedure to avoid contacting hot engine parts and hot oil. Warm oil is desirable, hot oil is not. I recall an incident were I personally did not allow the engine to cool down, when I went to remove the drain plug the hot oil slightly burned my left hand. In order to avoid such a painful experience, safety precautions must be taken. Next we must set the parking brake and/or chock the rear wheels to prevent car from rolling making sure the vehicle is on level ground.

Now that the vehicle has being safely secured the next step is to drain the old oil from the car. First we must locate the oil pan drain bolt, usually a hexagonal; bolt, situated at the lowest point of the sump which is at the bottom of the engine. Use the correct size spanner to loosen the drain bolt by turning it counter clockwise. Before removing the plug completely, place the container in the best position to catch all the old oil. Be careful, the oil will be hot. While waiting for the oil to drain from the engine, loosen the old oil filter by turning it counter clockwise with the oil filter wrench. Complete removal by hand using a cloth to hold the filter for it will also be hot. At this point in time you may do what I usually do: go inside the house and relax for 15 to 20 minutes waiting for the full drainage of the old oil.

Now that we are half way through the process of changing the oil in our vehicle we must continue to the third step which is pouring the new oil back into the engine. Before pouring the oil we must clean the filter seat on the engine and apply with our finger a light smearing of new oil to the filter gasket of the new filter. Now we may install the new oil filter by screwing the filter on by hand making sure not to cross the thread. Tightening the filter must be done only by hand, not with the filter wrench. Next the removal of all sludge and metal particles from the drain plug is essential. After this acquired tighten with the spanner. Now we re ready to use a clean plastic funnel to refill the crankcase with fresh oil. Use a major brand of recommended petroleum-based or synthetic oil. Place the funnel in the oil filler port usually located on the top of the valve cover. Carefully pour the correct amount of new oil into the engine through the oil funnel. Check the dipstick for the correct oil level. We must now start the engine and let it idle for 1 to 2 minutes to allow the new oil to circulate through the filter. This will allow the new filter to fill up and give us time to check for leaks at the oil pan drain bolt and filter. Finally switch off the engine, wait a few minutes, remove the dipstick and check the level of the oil and if necessary add more oil.

The last step to a complete oil change is clean up. It is important that we don t forget to remove the funnel, close the oil filler cap on the valve cover, and ensure that all tolls are removed from the engine area before closing the hood. Using our funnel we must empty the used oil from the drain pan into the empty container with the screw on top. We are now ready to store the used oil until we can get it to a service station to deposit it in their recycling tank. Seal the old oil filter in a Zip-lock bag and deposit it in the trash. We must always remember not to ever pour oil down the drain, throw it in the trash, or dump it out on the ground. Let s protect our environment.

Congratulations on a job well done. You saved money, learned something about your car, and received the satisfaction of knowing the job was done right.

Remember that our cars are like the human body, the less contaminated the Life Blood of the engine is the longer it will Live .

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