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This DIY Oil Change makes changing your oil easier than you think! Save money and be resourceful by changing your own oil! We demonstrate how to change your car’s oil by using Pennzoil motor oil purchased at Walmart; see our step-by-step tutorial below.
DIY Oil Change
My husband, Eric, demonstrates how to change the oil in your car yourself. Every car is different, so make sure to consult your car’s owner’s manual before starting to make sure you are getting the right oil and filter for your car. By following the easy steps, outlined in this tutorial, you will have your oil changed in no time! Check out the short Snapchat video below where we previewed this post (follow on Snapchat @lifeslilsweets):
[bctt tweet=”Check out this DIY Oil Change! Save money by changing your oil yourself! #ad #DotComDIY #CollectiveBias @Pennzoil” username=”lifeslilsweets”]
Disclaimer & Safety Considerations Before your DIY Oil Change
- Thoroughly read and consult the owner’s manual for your particular car before starting this process. You can always call your dealer if you have particular questions related to your car.
- Gather your materials, any safety equipment needed and prepare/protect the area around and under your car.
- Wear clothing that you do not mind getting dirty and keep your arms and legs covered just in case
- Make sure to use a car jack that is in well working condition and use solid jack stands to secure your car safely
- Make sure to have your car on level ground, free of clutter or debris
- Work in a well ventilated area
- Make sure to read the instructions and comprehend them before starting, follow all the steps & adapt the instructions for your particular car according to what your dealer and/or your car’s instruction manual says.
- Please note: Our car is a little different from other cars, it uses more oil (7 quarts) and a different filter and the 2006 BMW 325xi (e90 model) does not have a dipstick like most cars do. Since our car uses more than the 5 quart container, we had to get some extra.
- Make sure that the engine is cool and NOT running
- We are not responsible for the results you have with your car, these are general instructions but also tailored to our particular car (a 2006 BMW 325xi) and we are sharing our experience changing the oil using Pennzoil 5W30 Full Synthetic Platinum Motor Oil.
How do you know when your car is due for an oil change?
Our owner’s manual recommends having the oil changed every 5,000 miles. Every car is different, please consult your owners manual and/or car dealer to find out when is the best time for your car’s make/model.
What is the best oil for your car?
We used Pennzoil 5W30 Full Synthetic Platinum Motor Oil on our 2006 BMW 325xi because that is the type of oil that is appropriate for that car. If an oil change was due for my old 2001 Honda CRV that has been in my family for what seems like forever, we would have used a high mileage motor oil like Pennzoil Platinum High Mileage. Here is the difference between the 2 types:
- High Mileage Vehicle – This type of oil helps to reduce leaks and oil consumption in worn or higher mileage engines. I learned that it’s a motor oil that is specifically designed for new or late model vehicles with over 75,000 miles, to help keep the engines running clean and going strong for a long time.
- Platinum (synthetic motor oil) – This motor oil has the best cleanliness and protection in the Pennzoil line-up. I learned that with PurePlus™ Technology, the Platinum® motor oil is proven to keep pistons up to 40% cleaner than the toughest industry standard. PurePlus™ Technology is a revolutionary process that converts natural gas into a 99.5% pure base oil.
- We learned that all Pennzoil products help clean out sludge that lesser oils tend to leave behind and Pennzoil is designed for complete protection and will allow you to drive an extra 550 miles per year vs. a dirty engine and no other motor oil provides better protection from friction.
Materials You Will Need for DIY Oil Change
- Purchase the appropriate oil in the appropriate amount, for your particular car. Follow your Owner’s Manual Guidelines: Please make sure to purchase the recommended weight and grade your vehicle requires.
- Safety First! – Safety glasses for your eyes, non-permeable gloves – to protect your skin while handling oil
- A oil filter that is the appropriate filter for your car. Consult your car’s owner manual to find out the exact filter needed. Eric recommends changing the oil filter every time you change your cars oil.
- An oil pan that is large enough to fit all the old oil that will drain out.
- A tarp or board to put under the oil pan while the oil is draining just to make sure any drips are caught
- A plastic bag for disposing of the used oil filter safely
- A dedicated funnel for pouring the oil – keep this funnel for specifically changing the oil
- A container with a cap that will fit all the old oil. You can take the old oil to be recycled after at a local place that recycles used motor oil.
- A car jack – make sure it is in good, working order.
- Jack stands to put under the car while it is jacked up.
- A tool you might need to unscrew the oil cap: Oil filter socket on a 6″ extension (this is the size we used for our car, check the size needed for your car)
Step-By-Step Tutorial for Your DIY Oil Change
- Make sure your car is on a level working area and that the engine is cool and NOT running. Wear any appropriate safety gear.
- Using a jack, jack up your car and put jack stands under your car to secure it safely
- Open the hood and secure it open.
- Unscrew the lid to the oil reservoir, so that it is loosened, you might need an oil filter socket tool to do this, as mentioned above under materials – doing this step allows the old oil to drain completely out of the engine.
- Under the car, open the oil drain plug access door.
- Place the drain pan below the access door.
- Allow the oil to drain completely until it stops dripping into the oil pan. Pay attention to the oil as it is draining.
- When it’s done draining, remove the drain pan from below the car being careful not to spill any oil.
- Now install oil drain plug with the new sealing washer and torque to 25 Nm (i.e. 18 ft-lb) and close the oil drain plug access door.
- Remove the old oil filter from the cover and disposed of properly.
- Using a small flat head screw driver, remove both o rings, small and large, from the cap.
- Add new oil. Install the new o rings and new filter, screw cap back on.
- Start engine, check your dial to confirm the oil warning light is gone and that the level is okay. Check around the car to confirm that there are no oil leaks or spills. Consult your owner’s manual for detailed instructions on how and when oil level should be checked. Allow engine to idle for about 6 minutes. Remember: Your car’s dials might be different than ours.
- Don’t forget to recycle your old motor oil at a local place that recycles motor oil. We just used a funnel and poured the old motor oil into a previous Pennzoil 5W30 Full Synthetic Platinum Motor Oil container that we already had.
[bctt tweet=”Check out this DIY Oil Change! Save money by changing your oil yourself! #ad #DotComDIY #CollectiveBias” username=”lifeslilsweets”]
- Special Thanks to my husband Eric for helping me with this post! He’s my car guru and has taught me so much about cars.
- Special thanks to Pennzoil at Walmart for sponsoring this post and helping us keep our car running smoothly!
- If you like this DIY Oil Change post, Check out Seashell Winter Planters | DIY Pine Mason Jars | DIY Crayons
- You can visit Pennzoil on their social media channels : Twitter, Facebook, Instagram & YouTube
- FYI, Pennzoil products are on Rollback right now for a limited time at Walmart.com, be sure to check out that special Rollback pricing!
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Have you ever changed your own car’s oil? Please let me know in the comments below!
Owner at Life's Little Sweets
Sara is an architectural designer turned work-at-home Mom. She lives in New Jersey by way of New England and New York, with her husband and 3 kids under 6. She loves design, being creative and spending time with family and friends. She loves checking out local businesses and eats and being apart of the local farm to table community.
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I’ve never changed the oil in my car, but I am totally inspired to give it a shot now. You make it look so easy! Plus, I didn’t realize you could order oil online…thanks for sharing! #client
Hi David, thank you for visiting and commenting. We tried to make changing your oil something that’s actually entirely possible. I used to be afraid to change the oil in my car but it’s really just a matter of following simple step and consulting your car’s owner’s manual:)
Great article, I’m inspired to have a little tinker with our little car now 🙂 One thing to point out.. I think you forgot to mention the step where you pour in the fresh oil..maybe I missed it? But just in case, I thought I’d mention it 🙂
Please please please be sure that you are disposing of the old oil properly!
Oil leaking into our water systems and rivers, streaks and lakes can be devastating to local wild life.
I totally agree with you Rick!
It’s great if some ideas would help people save few penny. Changing engine oil of car does not require much proficiency. It can be done with simple training. You have to first go through the manual of the brand and model. Gather the required equipment and a good brand engine oil before starting the process. If you want to be a DIYer, it is better to follow the professionals when they are doing the same work with your car. However, the post has left no stone unturned to educate folks on oil change.
Today is the first time I changed the oil for my Toyota Tacoma myself, I read many articles online on this issue yesterday, your article is very detailed guide, thank you for sharing this.