Small service - you can do it yourself! Replace engine oil, filters. . .

Small service - oil change

The replacement engine oil, air filters and air filters, or a small service - you can do it yourself. In the instructions for use of the car, you will find a table with all the interventions that belong to the regular maintenance with mileage or the time period after which they should be performed. However, these intervals may be shorter depending on the driving conditions.

Engine Oil Change Interval - Small Service

We know that the oil should be changed once a year, regardless of the mileage. However, if it is prescribed to change the oil every 10.000 km or 15.000 km, and you cover 30.000 km in a year, you will change it two or three times a year.

For some models, the service interval is 20.000 or 30.000 kilometers, but even then it is noted that if the car is driven in difficult conditions, the service interval should be shortened or a small service performed when the car itself indicates this by notifying the instrument panel.

For example, Opel Insignia will print a "Change Engine Oil Soon" message when the computer concludes based on the driving mode that it is motor oil "Ripe" for replacement. So there is no universal / ideal mileage at which to change the oil.

Keep in mind that under "difficult driving conditions" is considered and e.g. city ​​driving (traffic jams), many short rides (frequent starting and stopping of the engine that does not have time to reach operating temperature) especially in winter, driving in mountainous areas…

How oil changes

1. Park the car on a straight line.
2. The engine should be warm, but not too hot so as not to burn yourself.
3. Remove the oil filler cap to facilitate leakage.
4. Snuck under the engine and find a plug / screw on the crankcase that removes the oil. Depending on the manufacturer / model, you will need e.g. hex or "Thursday".
5. Place the oil pan under the cap.
6. Unscrew the plug and let the oil leak. Be careful not to let the plug "escape" into the oil pan. Gloves can help keep you from burning oil if it is too hot.
7. Don't rush - let as much old oil as possible drain.
8. Remove the oil filter with a belt, chain or wrench.
9. Clean the thread with a cloth to wrap the filter. Check that the old gasket does not remain.
10. There are two types of filters. For some cars, only the filter cartridge is changed, ie. a new cartridge is inserted into the old enclosure, while others change the enclosure and cartridge as they form an indivisible whole. If you have the first type, replace the filter cartridge.
11. Lubricate the new sealing rubber provided with the filter with new oil. Screw in a new filter; by hand, without the aid of tools.
12. Return to the oil drain plug - wipe the thread and bearing surface of the plug before screwing it
13. Check the condition of the copper washer on the plug. It should be replaced every couple of oil changes, although it is advised to replace it at every service.
14. Screw in the oil drain plug. Don't tighten it too much - e.g. when you feel it firmly tightened, turn it another quarter circle or less.
15. Fill with new oil - find in the manual how much oil fits in the engine.
16. Allow the oil to settle for a few minutes.
17. Check the oil level and top up as needed.
18. Start the engine - the oil pressure light will come on, but it will go out very quickly.
19. Let the engine run for a minute or less.
20. Shut off the engine, wait five minutes for the oil to settle.
21. Check the oil level and top up as needed.
22. Be sure to check later for oil leaks on the filter or oil drain plug. If it leaks, tighten but do not overtighten.
23. Check the oil level for the next few days.

Not everyone changes oil strictly by following these steps and in the same way. When you make the replacement yourself several times, you are likely to change something yourself.

 Necessary / useful equipment

1. An old blanket, a bigger card or something to lie under the car
2. Tool (hex, "Thursday") for unscrewing the oil drain plug
3. Belt (or key) to remove the filter
4. Cloths and old wiping papers
5. Oil drain pan - e.g. you can lay a five-liter water balloon aside and cut out the top if you don’t have a suitable container
6. gloves

Be sure to have a new engine oil change filter

There is absolutely no discussion on this issue - when you change the oil, you must change it as well engine oil filter.

Small service - oil filter replacement

Air Filter Replacement - Small Service

Although manufacturers usually plan to replace the air filter at every other small service, many recommend that this filter be replaced at every small service. Remember that it collects all the dirt that would otherwise end up in the engine cylinders.

The price of an air filter is such that in our opinion it should be replaced once a year, ie. at every little service. Of course, not all filters are of the same quality, which is another reason not to take the risk if you use cheaper / lower quality filters, though it says "if you don't know what's good, buy what's expensive" is long gone.

Drivers often remove the filter, estimate that it is not very dirty, "blow it out" with a compressor or vacuum cleaner and return it. In doing so, they forget about tiny particles that cannot even be seen with the naked eye and thus, for a small savings, do themselves a disservice.

The air filter is changed very simply - the housing cover is removed, the old one is removed, a new filter is inserted and the cover is replaced. However, care should be taken to close the case tightly. If you are not sure how to do this, find the procedure in the car manual.

Small service - air filter replacement

Cabin filter replacement (air conditioning filter, pollen filter…) - Small service

Look in the manual for your car where this filter is located - known as a cabin filter, air conditioning filter or pollen filter. Remove the old filter, clean the housing, put in a new filter.

Air filter replacement intervals are usually recommended by manufacturers every two years. However, they note that if the air is heavily polluted, if the car is driven in conditions with a lot of dust, sand or pollen, it should be replaced annually, or at the discretion of the owner or repairman himself, depending on driving conditions.

Therefore, find this information in the user manual of your car and assess the conditions in which you drive. We recommend changing the cabin filter every year, but it's up to you to decide.

Fuel filter

Modern cars have increasingly sensitive nozzles and other components, whose repair or replacement can be extremely expensive. That is why timely replacement of fuel filters is a very smart investment.

However, when it comes to gasoline, filter replacement intervals are usually very long - over 100.000 kilometers. And some do not have a classic filter at all, but it is located in the tank near the fuel pump, and the manufacturer did not even plan to replace it.

So - if you have a gasoline engine, read what it says in the car manual and do not hesitate to consult with a proven craftsman or other owners of the same model.

In diesel the situation is significantly different - for example, one manufacturer says that the fuel filter should be changed every 4 years or 60.000 km, but it should be checked every 2 years or 30.000 km and replaced if necessary.

In particular, the manual for the Fiat 500L with diesel engine states that the fuel filter is changed every 60.000 km or 3 years, but with the note: "In the case of refueling of a lower quality than prescribed by the European specification, it is recommended to replace this filter every 20.000 km".

Independent filter replacement, whether it is diesel or gasoline, can be problematic for many reasons, so we do not intend to go into the subject. It is advised to leave this to the service after all. Of course, if you are sure you know what you are doing and know the issues, go ahead!

Prepared: Dragan Romcevic

Retrieved from: www.polovniautomobili.com

Mladen

Hi there, I am Mladen and I am an auto enthusiast. I started this blog years ago to help like minded people share information about latest cars, car servicing ideas, used car info, exotic cars, and auto technology. You will find helpful articles and videos on a wide variety of cars - Audi, Mercedes, Toyota, Porsche, Volvo, BMW and much more. Ping us if you have anything cool to share on latest cars or on how to make older cars more efficient, or just want to say hi!