Quiz: How to Change Oil

Changing your engine oil is one of the single most important vehicle maintenance acts you can perform. Gasoline, coolant and water, transmission and brake fluid are all important fluids for your car, but no other fluid can have more negative implications on your vehicle's engine if you don't address it regularly.

Engine oil lubricates the engine, absorbs heat and allows the moving parts of your engine to work properly with one another.

Over time, heat breaks down the oil and reduces its lubricating properties.

Oil also helps to neutralize acid in the engine, but this process breaks down over time.

Oil works well to absorb trace amounts of water, dust and combustion byproducts in your engine. However, as heat breaks down the oil, it loses its effectiveness to absorb these materials and they begin to stick in your engine and can cause major car maintenance problems.

To check the clarity of the oil, let the car run for a few minutes and then shut it off. Find your oil dipstick, pull it out and check the level of oil and its color.

To check the clarity of the oil, let the car run for a few minutes and then shut it off. Find your oil dipstick, pull it out and check the level of oil and its color. If the oil is a dark-brown or black color, like Coca-Cola, then your oil needs to be changed. However, if it appears to be lighter, like the color of a cup of tea, then you still have some time before it needs to be changed.

The oil filter holds all the excess sludge and grime that the oil catches while lubricating the engine. Changing the filter is vital to car maintenance because without a new oil filter in place, new engine oil will be passing through the old filter, making it dirty and less effective.

When filling the engine back up with clean oil, check your vehicle's owner's manual or reference a service manual at your local automotive maintenance shop for the type of oil that's recommended and how much you should use. Typically, most engines take between 4 and 6 quarts.

It's extremely important that you don't add too much oil to your vehicle. When too much oil has been added, the crankshaft can come into contact with the oil. The crankshaft spins at several thousand revolutions per minute and can whip the oil into froth. If this happens, the oil pump will be unable to pump the oil into the areas of the engine that need lubrication. This can cause serious problems to your engine and will bring you additional car maintenance repairs.