Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Oil Change - Which Tools Do You Need to Do It Yourself?

These days, a lot of people are adopting a more do-it-yourself attitude. Especially when the economy is bad, people try to save money wherever they can. Changing your own oil can save you upwards of $20 each time you do it. If you change your own oil every three months you can save $80 a year. It is little changes in your spending behavior that can really help stretch your paycheck further. The only downside to a do it yourself oil change is there are a few tools that you will have to invest in. However, if you plan on doing your own lube transfers from now on, this investment can quickly and easily pay for itself.

Jack stands: While doing any type of work on your vehicle that requires you to be underneath it, it is important to make sure that the car is sturdy. That is why you will need a set of jack stands. You should never ever do any type of work under your car while it is supported by the jack alone. This is not secure and you should not get under the car. Make sure to have these handy as they will come in handy with many other do it yourself car repairs.

Socket wrench: You will need this to remove the drain plug under the car in order to do the oil change. Usually the size of the nut is 3/8 - but check your owner's manual to make sure that you have the right sized socket. Most people will already have a socket wrench set in their tool box. It is a great investment and something you will use on more than just lube transfers.

Oil Filter Wrench: The oil filter wrench is a tool that you will most likely buy for the sake of doing an oil change and you probably do not already have one in your toll box. However, they are relatively inexpensive, but necessary to a do it yourself oil change. You can find them at your local auto repair center for between $7 - $10 for a decent one. That is less than half the price of one oil change at a mechanic's shop.

Drip Pan: You will need something to collect the oil after you have drained it from your car. You do not need anything fancy here. As a matter of fact, it can be an old bucket you found in your garage or an old bowl in the kitchen that you do not want anymore. Remember, this will ruin the item, so do not choose anything you will want to reuse for anything other than holding oil. If you like, you can always buy something at the auto repair store.

A funnel: This seems like a very simple tool. However, some people do not think of this as a tool and therefore neglect to get one. You are going to want to get a funnel that is larger and more heavy duty than your run of the mill kitchen funnel. This funnel is going to need to get a lot of oil into a bottle. You want something that can hold a lot of oil and is sturdy. Funnels are also sold at the local do it yourself auto repair shop for a couple of dollars.

1 comment:

  1. Changing your car oil is easy task. changing your car oil regularly is important and changing your car oil can save your good amount of time & money.
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