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How-To Guide
How to Change Your Engine Oil
An oil change is the most worthwhile hour you can spend on a car. It is genuinely simple, it costs a fraction of what a shop charges, and it is the single maintenance job with the largest effect on how long an engine lasts.
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Two things go wrong for first-timers, and both are avoidable. The old filter's rubber gasket sometimes stays stuck on the engine, and fitting a new filter on top of it guarantees a fast leak. And the drain plug gets over-tightened into an aluminium sump, which strips threads and turns an hour into an expensive repair. Both are covered below.
What You Need
- The right oil, in the right quantity: your manual gives the viscosity grade, the specification and the capacity. All three matter — our full synthetic oil guide, or check on Amazon
- An oil filter wrench: for the filter that was over-tightened by whoever did it last — our oil filter wrench guide, or check on Amazon
- Jack stands: if the car needs lifting. Ramps also work, and never rely on a jack alone — our jack stands guide, or check on Amazon
- A new oil filter and a drain plug washer: many cars use a crush washer that should be replaced every time. While you are there, check the air filters too — our engine air filter guide, or check on Amazon
Changing Your Oil, Step by Step
Warm the engine briefly, then let it cool
Run the engine for three or four minutes. Warm oil is thinner and carries suspended contaminants out with it, where cold oil leaves a meaningful amount of sludge behind. Do not run it to full operating temperature — hot oil and a hot sump will burn you.
Then switch it off and give it ten minutes. You want the oil warm to the touch, not hot.
Lift the car safely, if it needs lifting
Many cars have enough clearance to reach the drain plug and filter without lifting at all — check first. If you do need to lift, use the manufacturer's jacking points, lower onto jack stands and shake the car before going under it. Ramps are an excellent alternative for this job specifically, because you never have to remove a wheel.
Work on level concrete. Never on a slope, and never on a jack alone.
Drain the old oil
Position the drain pan slightly offset from directly beneath the plug — oil comes out at an angle at first and then falls straight down as the flow drops. Loosen the plug with a socket, then finish by hand, keeping upward pressure so it does not drop into the pan.
Let it drain for ten to fifteen minutes. Tipping the last of it out is worth the wait; you are trying to remove the contaminated oil, not most of it.
Replace the drain plug with a new washer
Most cars use a crush washer that deforms to seal, which means it seals properly once. Fit a new one. Thread the plug in by hand first — always by hand, so you cannot cross-thread it — then tighten to the manufacturer's torque figure.
This is where sumps get ruined. Aluminium threads strip easily and the repair is far more expensive than the whole service. Snug plus a nudge, or a torque wrench if you have the figure.
Remove the old filter and check its gasket
Position the pan under the filter, because it is full of oil. Unscrew it with a filter wrench if it will not move by hand, and expect it to run down your arm.
Then do the check that prevents the most common oil change disaster: make sure the old rubber gasket came off with the filter. If it stayed stuck to the engine and you fit a new filter over it, you have two gaskets, no seal, and the oil will leave rapidly once the engine runs. Run a finger around the mounting surface to confirm it is clean and bare.
Fit the new filter by hand only
Wipe a film of fresh oil onto the new filter's rubber gasket — this lets it seat rather than grab and tear. Some people also part-fill the filter with oil; on a filter that mounts vertically this reduces the dry-start moment, and on a horizontally mounted one it just spills.
Spin it on until the gasket touches, then turn it three-quarters of a turn further by hand. Never use the wrench to fit a filter. That is exactly how the next person ends up needing one.
Add the new oil and check the level properly
Lower the car first — a dipstick read on a lifted car is meaningless. Add slightly less than the manual's capacity, because some oil remains in the engine. Wait a couple of minutes for it to drain into the sump, then check the dipstick.
Top up in small amounts to reach the upper mark. Overfilling is a real problem, not a harmless excess: the crankshaft whips aerated oil, which the pump cannot deliver properly.
Run it, check for leaks, and recheck
Start the engine and let it idle for a minute. The oil light should go out within a couple of seconds. Look underneath at the drain plug and the filter for drips while it runs.
Switch off, wait five minutes, and check the dipstick again — it will read lower now that the filter is full. Top up as needed. Take the old oil to a recycling point; most motor factors and civic amenity sites accept it free, and pouring it away is both illegal and genuinely damaging.
Safety: Warm oil is comfortable; hot oil causes serious burns. Let the engine cool before draining. Never work under a car supported only by a jack — use stands or ramps on level concrete, and shake the car before going underneath.
Common Mistakes
The doubled filter gasket
The old rubber ring stays stuck to the engine, a new filter with its own gasket goes on top, and nothing seals. The oil leaves within minutes of starting, often fast enough to damage the engine. Always check the mounting surface is bare before fitting the new filter.
Over-tightening the drain plug
Sumps are frequently aluminium and the threads strip easily. A stripped drain plug thread means a repair insert or a new sump — dramatically more expensive than the service. Hand-thread it, then torque to specification or snug it firmly and stop.
Fitting the oil filter with a wrench
Filters are designed to seal at hand tightness plus three-quarters of a turn. Using a wrench bonds the gasket to the engine and distorts the housing, which is why so many filters need a wrench to remove. Oil the gasket, hand tight, done.
Overfilling
More oil is not better. Above the maximum mark the crankshaft can whip the oil into foam, and an oil pump cannot pump foam. Add less than capacity, wait, then top up to the upper mark in small increments.
Once you have done this once, an oil change is an hour and the cost of oil and a filter. Check the old gasket came off, do not over-tighten anything, and recheck the level after running the engine — those three habits cover almost everything that goes wrong.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should you change your oil?
Follow your manufacturer's interval rather than a general rule — modern full synthetic oils in modern engines commonly go 7,500 to 10,000 miles or more, while older engines and severe use call for shorter intervals. Short journeys, towing and dusty conditions all shorten it. Your manual is the authority.
Do you need to change the oil filter every time?
Yes. The filter is full of everything it trapped over the last interval, it cannot be cleaned, and leaving it in place immediately contaminates fresh oil. It is a small part of the cost of the service and skipping it defeats most of the point.
How much oil does my car take?
Your owner's manual gives the capacity, and it varies widely between engines even in the same model range. Add slightly less than the stated figure, let it settle, then top up to the dipstick's upper mark — some oil always remains in the engine, so the full capacity often overfills a car being changed rather than rebuilt.
What happens if you overfill engine oil?
The crankshaft can churn the oil into foam, and an oil pump cannot deliver foam properly, so lubrication drops exactly when you least want it to. It can also force oil past seals and into the crankcase ventilation system. Drain the excess rather than hoping it settles.
Can you change your own oil without lifting the car?
On many cars, yes — plenty have enough ground clearance to reach the drain plug and filter from the side. Check before you start. If lifting is needed, ramps are ideal for this job because no wheel has to come off, and jack stands are the alternative. Never work under a car held only by a jack.
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How We Write Guides
Every product named in the “what you need” section is one we have researched and written about separately, and each links to that guide so you can see the reasoning rather than taking a recommendation on trust. We publish no prices, because they change faster than we can update pages. Where a job carries genuine risk we say so plainly rather than burying it, and where a job is beyond a home mechanic we say that too. Last reviewed August 24, 2026.
A note on safety: Confirm the old filter's rubber gasket came away with the old filter. A doubled gasket will not seal and the oil will leave rapidly once the engine runs.