Alright. So we commend you for wanting to be less of a girly girl. But listen, DAME holds common sense above all things. If you want to learn how to change your own oil because you want to develop an intimate relationship with your car, a machine that responds to your every command, and that can be changed, well then, by all means print this little handy guide out.
But, if you’re doing it to be Sally Spend-thrift, let me tell you what. Take your car to any local Jiffy or Grease Monkey, and for just under $30 and twenty minutes, you’ve got clean oil, washer fluid, steering fluid, brake fluid, and crystal clear windows. For this project, you will have to invest in the proper tools and supplies and use your own time. Logically, it’s just better to take it to Jiffy. But again, if you’re doing this for your own personal pleasure, or you plan on being with your car in a place that is miles away from any JL, here’s what you’ll need:
Prep Steps:
1. Say goodbye to your manicure, and put on some clothes you don’t mind getting dirty.
2. Find a locale that will take your dirty oil and oil filter, sans fee. Check with your Jiffy Lube. Can’t dump it just anywhere, lest you be fined an exorbitant fee by the EPA or feel like a terrible person.
3. Shave your head, or cover it up. You don’t want oil in there.
4. Get yourself a nice little work area, and bring all the following necessary tools, all of which you can find at your neighborhood friendly hardware store, and grocery store:
a. Oil—get a name brand, such as Mobil, Pennzoil, Castrol, etc. (How much and what grade can be found in owner’s manual.)
b. A new oil filter (see vehicle’s owner’s manual for requirements)
c. 3/8-drive socket set (metric will work for both)
d. A combination wrench set (closed- and open-ended, metric)
e. An oil filter wrench
f. Two jack stands
g. A pan or bucket to catch the old oil
h. Two 1-gallon plastic containers with screw on lids (empty ones, that is)
i. A funnel
j. 1-quart Ziploc baggie
k. A lot of old newspapers and several dirty rags
l. Four large bricks or rocks.
m. A Scorpions CD
