If you have always wanted to change the oil in you car yourself, but have never known where to start, then this short guide will show you the secrets.

Why and how often should the oil be changed?

To gain an understanding of this you need to appreciate what purpose the oil serves in the engine and how it does it.

The oil in your engine serves to lubricate internal engine parts to reduce friction, cool internal components by dissipating heat and to flush away, from the moving parts, impurities such as fine metal filings or carbon from the combustion process.

The oil starts off in the sump which is a reservoir usually fixed to the bottom of the engine, this is where a bulk of the oil is stored. From here it is pumped through an oil filter to remove any impurities large enough to cause damage or accelerated wear to internal components. The filtered oil is then piped under pressure to various moving parts throughout the engine. Most rotating parts inside the engine, such as the crankshaft and camshafts, use bearings with no moving parts and are actually floating on a very thin film of oil.

It is for this reason that the oil needs to be kept clean and free of impurities as this gap is very small. Once the oil has flowed out of the bearings it simply runs back down into the sump. During this process the oil has collected carbon from the combustion process as well as fine metal particles.

Typically engine oil needs to be replaced every 10000km/6000mi or every 12 months together with the oil filter. After 10000km the oil has generally collected enough carbon deposits (it will be black) to justify changing it. The 12 month limit is there because oil also collects acidic deposits from the combustion process which over time can cause erosion of internal components.

What you will need.

Although you will find these parts at most Kmart and Target stores, if this is the first time you’ve changed oil I would recommend an auto shop like Supercheap or Autobarn as they can help you get the right items for your car.

1) A jack to raise the car to a sufficient height for you to get underneath.

2) Car stands to hold up the car. (NEVER get under a car only supported by a jack)

3) Oil pan to collect oil.

4) Spanner that fits the drain plug.

5) Oil filter tool for removing the oil filter.

6) Rags for cleaning up.

7) New oil (Typically 4-5 Litres)

New oil filter.

How you do it.

First make sure the car is on hard flat ground with the handbrake on. Place the jack under the front cross member which runs across the bottom of the engine between the wheels and raise the car. Make sure you don’t place the jack under the engine sump.

Once the car is raised, place the car stands under the chassis either side of the engine and gently lower the car down onto them.

Note. NEVER under any circumstances get under a car which is only supported by a jack. Jacks can and have failed and you do not want to be under the car if it does.

With the jack out of the way, place the oil pan under the engine and remove the sump drain plug located on the very bottom of the engine. Allow the all of the oil to drain out. (It may drip for a while.) Once the oil has drained, re-fit the drain plug ensuring the gasket is in place.

Using the oil filter tool, remove the oil filter from the engine by turning it anti-clockwise ensuring that the rubber gasket is not still stuck to the engine block, and wipe clean with a rag. If this gasket is accidentally left in place it will cause an oil leak.

Apply a little engine oil or grease to the gasket of the new oil filter prior to screwing it on and tighten by hand until firm.

You have now finished under the car, so, jack it up again and remove the car stands and lower the car back to the ground. You’ve almost finished.

Remove the oil filler cap and pour the new engine oil into the top of the engine, add the oil in stages until it shows ‘full’ on the dipstick. Don’t be in too much of a rush here as it takes time for the oil to run down through the engine.

Replace the oil cap and start the engine. Just let the engine idle until the oil light on the dash goes out or the gauge shows pressure. This usually takes about 10-20secs and the engine can be a bit rattly during this time. If it takes longer than this then stop the engine and investigate, there may be a problem. Have a look underneath for a leak and check there is enough oil in the engine using the dipstick.

If everything is OK, then check the oil level again you will usually find the engine needs a little more oil, another quick check and you’re done.

Some good tips before starting, it is faster to drain oil if the engine is warm but avoid a hot engine. Keep rags on hand in case you have a spill and if you don’t have any hand cleaner, use ordinary washing up liquid.

What do you do with the old oil?

Tip the old oil into the oil bottle that the new oil came in or another one if this is not empty, but then what? Well these days it is definitely not OK to just tip it down the drain, similarly you cannot just chuck it in the bin don’t even be tempted to do this just once. Most local council tips will take oil for recycling and it only costs about $2 to drop it off. I normally just collect it in bottles and store out of the way and take it all to the tip once a year.

Although just one of the many actions performed when servicing a car, changing the oil and oil filter is really quite simple. I hope you have found this article useful and prompts you to give it a go.

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The BMW endurance racing team are in Barcelona and preparing for their next dare - the 24 Hores Frigo de Motociclisme at the Circuit Cataluyna in Barcelona.

The 24-hour endurance race will give the team a chance to continue the development of the 1200s bike they raced so successfully in the Le Mans 24 hours earlier this year, though the one at the Circuit Cataluyna is not part of the World Endurance Championship series.

Since then, the bike has improved in terms of weight reduction of some five or six kilos, refined aerodynamics and other small touches. The rear Brembo disc and caliper are now lighter then before, as is the lower triple clamp. A new windscreen and mild revisions to some of the streamlining has given the bike a better shape and appearance through the air.

The team is allowed to use four riders for this race, so they have called up Briton Richard Cooper. He may only be a twenty-four year-old rider but he is an experienced BMW racer and exhibits BMW’s commitment to youth. Richard joins the triumvirate who finished top in their class at Le Mans and 16th overall. The triad is composed of Marcus Barth, Thomas Hinterreiter and Rico Penzkofer.

Team Manager Berti Hauser said that this race was in their schedule for the season and it gives them the opportunity to put into practice what they have learned at Le Mans. The race gives their team a nice opportunity to test the ideas from that race and continue their development programme for this bike.

Hauser continued that they learned a lot in Le Mans and they feel that their pit work will now also be better because they have a bit more experience of this category. The team targeted to finish the race at Le Mans, and they did it. And for the upcoming race, the have the same target. He said that he would like a top ten finish at the Circuit Cataluyna, but one can never tell what is going to happen in a whole day race. His team wants to make this a good race for all the BMW fans in Spain and exude that they are a sporty brand.

He also said that they chose Richard for he has experience of this kind of bike plus the fact that he is young. Hauser said they want to show that young riders can have fun in their kind of team and on their kind of bike.

Aside from making BMW manual, it seems that BMW is ready for another tough challenge.

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Hailey Kerr is a Business Administration graduate. She is currently part of a business consulting firm in Massachusetts. Hailey loves to write and enjoys doing her favorite hobby during her free time - cooking French cuisines.

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