Time to Change the Oil

The repair hubs I write are my personal contribution to educating and emancipating women so they can take control of their vehicle maintenance and repair. These can be costly, occasionally more so, if your a woman.

Part of speaking directly to women means explaining a new world of words and concepts, sockets and wrenches, torque specifications and inch pounds. We know you guys, "got dis all down" but for those that don't, please be patient. And for those guys reading this while hiding in the closet with your laptop so nobody will see.....its ok, we won't tell anyone. ;)

I'm going to go over how to change the oil in your car. I want to remind my lady readers to remove your fingernails and put on a pair of gloves if you wish. The nails will come off of their own accord when the oil comes in contact with them. Wearing gloves is a good idea to protect your hands but the moisture that builds up inside will cause your nails to pop off inside the glove and then you have the problem of retrieving the nail inside one of the fingers. Can you tell I've tried everything to keep my nails and take care of my car at the same time, but they just don't mix. The best results I've had is just take the nails off. The best way that I've found to remove acrylic nails is : soak your fingers in acetone (nail polish remover) for maybe thirty seconds, gently pry up the sides, if still firmly attached, soak for another thirty seconds and pry again until the nail comes up without much resistance. Do your car repair or tune-up, clean-up (use a good hand cleaner like mine or gojo), then reapply a fresh set of nails. This way you save the bed of your nail from the nail ripping off and you have fresh nails after a greasy job. The oil change process will get oil on your hands regardless of how careful you are, so I want you prepared. Put your hair into a ponytail or braid to get it out of your face and keep it out of the oil. Your gonna do great with this oil change, lets go...

The terms used to describe oil are referring to the oils viscosity, or when the engine is running, how well the oil will flow. The higher a viscosity the slower it will flow. The "SAE" on the label means that the oil was tested at a normal operating range of 210⁰. When there is a "W" after the first number it means the oil was tested at a colder temperature. So "W" indicates winter.

5w-30 oil wil run the same as 10w-30 or SAE 30 at normal engine operating temperatures.

The only time 5w-30 is different is in cold temperatures. If you live in a cold climate 5w-30, unlike 10w-30 or SAE 30, is "thin", so when you start your car in these climates the oil flows up into the engine easier. The faster your oil gets up into the engine the faster it can keep the engine lubricated which means a longer life for your engine. If your in a warmer climate the fact that 5w-30 is "thin" when cold does not matter because it performs exactly the same when your car is at normal operating temperature.

Ok, we got your motor oil and filter. (The filter type is found through the same avenues as the oil or creep under your car and read what the can has printed on it). The next thing we need to do is get your tools together.

Now that we have everything ready, let's get started with the oil change! The link below will take you to a simple ten step oil change hub with a video to show you exactly what to do!