5 Simple Answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Changing Your Own Motor Oil
When you own your own car, one of the simplest do-it-yourself jobs involve changing your own motor oil. Changing your own motor oil is simple task, but it’s incredibly important for maintaining the engine of your vehicle. By changing your motor oil yourself, you can also save up to $75 a year, instead of paying a mechanic to do it for you. A lot of people who want to start changing their own motor oil have some common questions; so here is a list of 5 common motor oil questions with simple answers!
1) How often should I change my oil? It used to be recommended that you religiously change your oil every 3,000 miles. Today, as the technology of synthetic oils improve, that mileage has increased. Most synthetic oils don’t need to be changed until after 5,000-7,5000 miles. But just to be safe, and to keep your engine performing optimally, it’s recommended that you change your oil ever 3,000 miles for traditional motor oils, and every 5,000 for synthetic oils.
2) Which motor oil should I use? It really all depends on the type of engine. Engine oils vary in viscosity levels, and every engine requires a specific viscosity level. Check your car’s owners manual to find out which motor oil is best for your vehicle.
3) Where can I buy motor oil? You can buy motor oil at almost any supermarket, auto store or auto repair shop. You can also buy motor oil online. When you buy motor oil online, you’ll be able to compare prices to find oil for the best price. To save even more money, a lot of people buy motor oil online in bulk, too.
4) How much motor oil should I use? You can find how much oil your engine requires in your owner’s manual, too. Beware of over-filling your engine with oil, too much oil in the engine may cause parts of the crankshaft to dip into the oil, which churns air into the oil and causes foaming, as well as fluctuations in oil pressure.
5) What do I do with the old motor oil? You need to recycle it! Motor oil does not wear out — instead, it just gets dirty — So recycling your motor oil saves a valuable resource. Unfortunately, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that 200 million gallons of motor oil is illegally dumped each year. When used motor oil is dumped improperly, it can form a scum on the top of bodies of water, stopping sunlight and oxygen from entering the water. This process can kill fish, frogs, plants and other forms of life. In addition, 2 gallons of used motor oil, if properly recycled, is enough to run the electricity of an average home for 24 hours! Check out this website for more.