MicksGarage Blog
  • Menu 
    Filter Home
    Project GTI
    DIY Guides
    Most Popular
    Motorsport
    Driving
    Travel
    Car Safety
    General News
    How Stuff Works
    Car Reviews
    MicksGarage.com
    About us
    Contact us
    Work with us
  • Store
  • Subscribe
  • Close Menu
  • Filter Home
  • Project GTI
  • DIY Guides
  • Most Popular
  • Motorsport
  • Driving
  • Travel
  • Car Safety
  • General News
  • How Stuff Works
  • Car Reviews
  • MicksGarage.com
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Work with us
  • Store
  • Subscribe
  • Car Parts
  • Car Accessories
  • Batteries
  • Wiper Blades
  • Gifts & Toys
  • Oil
Service Academy: How To Change Your Engine Oil And Oil Filter

Service Academy: How To Change Your Engine Oil And Oil Filter

Changing the engine oil and oil filter is arguably the most important part of servicing your car. Using the correct type of engine oil and keeping it in good condition by changing it at the correct intervals will protect your engine from premature wear and keep it running smoothly and efficiently.change your engine oil Before you get started I can't stress enough how important it is (especially on new cars) to use the correct engine oil. Gone are the days where you can just put the cheapest 10w40 oil into it. Modern engines, especially ones fitted with Diesel Particulate Filters (DPF's) use the engine oil as an integral part of the emission control systems. Using the wrong oil can not only damage the DPF but the engine itself and it can result in total engine failure - the bill for which will land at your door if the wrong type of oil is discovered in your engine. To pick the right grade of oil for your car use the TOTAL oil finder. It will  not only tell you which engine oil your car needs but how much of it you will need. Tools & Equipment Required:
  • Engine oil
  • Oil filter
  • Sump plug washer
  • Oil filter removal wrench (for spin-on style oil filters)
  • Oil drain pan
  • Jack & axle stands or ramps
  • Socket set inc extension and torx bits
  • Torque wrench (ideal but not absolutely essential)
  • Rags
Top Tip: It's a good idea to warm the engine up a bit (not so much that you will burn your hands) before you start the oil change as warm oil will flow out more easily.  You will also need a level surface to work on. Safety tip: Never work on a car or go underneath a car that is supported by a jack, make sure the car is firmly supported by axle stands. As an extra precaution you can also lay the spare wheel on the ground under the raised car so there is something solid in the way should the worst happen. The video below shows you the step-by step process of changing your engine oil and oil filter and lists the tools we needed on this particular car (the tools you need may vary slightly depending on your car make and model) The car we used for the demo was a 2005 Volkswagen Passat with the popular 1.9TDi engine, one of the most common engine on the road, you'll find this engine has been fitted at some stage to most models from VW, Audi, Skoda & Seat.
If you don't have this engine then what you see under your bonnet will of course look a bit different, but don't worry, the basic principals of changing the engine oil and oil filter are basically the same for most cars. If you search YouTube it's pretty likely that you will find a 'How To' video for your specific make and model of car.
 
Check your levels
keeping your oil level topped up is as important as changing the oil at the correct intervals. Most engines actually use a certain amount of oil. Some engines will use quite a lot and some very little. It wouldn't be uncommon for certain engines, even new ones to use up to a litre of oil per month! Engine oil is not a 'fit and forget' product, you really do need to check it on a regular basis, every couple of weeks would be our recommendation. If an engine runs low on oil it can cause all kinds of damage in a very short amount of time. It's a good idea to keep a 1 litre top up bottle of oil in the boot to avoid paying the astronomical prices garage forecourts charge for engine oil. This very weekend I didn't heed my own advice and ended up paying almost €20 for 1 litre of non-branded engine oil (more than double the cost of the equivalent TOTAL product on our site) because my car had almost run out.
At MicksGarage.com we stock Total,  Castrol & Carlube engine oils. We have a full range for all makes and models of car and light commercials and regularly run special offers, discounts and promotions, so don't get stung like I did! stock up when the price is right!

Category: About Us

Author: The Filter Blog Team

16 July 2023
  • MicksGarage.com

Latest Offers!

Bike Racks, Peruzzo Venezia Silver Rear Door Mounted Bike Rack for 3 Bikes, Peruzzo
Peruzzo Venezia Silver Rear Door Mou...
€93.99 €144.60
Bike Racks, Nordrive Bike One Black Roof Mounted Bike Rack (Frame Holder) for 1 Bike, NORDRIVE
Nordrive Bike One Black Roof Mounted...
€59.00 €88.99
Bike Racks, Peruzzo Arezzo Black Tow Bar Mounted Bike Rack (Hang on) for 4 Bikes, Peruzzo
Peruzzo Arezzo Black Tow Bar Mounted...
€95.99 €149.22
SALE
Roof Boxes, Junior 420L Roof Box   Gloss Black, Junior
Junior 420L Roof Box - Gloss Black
€249.99 €385.00
Bike Racks, Thule OutWay Hanging Trunk Mounted Bike Rack for 3 Bikes, Thule
Thule OutWay Hanging Trunk Mounted B...
€448.99 €527.95
SALE
Bike Racks, Thule VeloCompact Towbar Mounted Bike Rack for 2 Bikes, Thule
Thule VeloCompact Towbar Mounted Bik...
€499.99 €569.99
SALE
Glass Care, Holts Concentrated Screen Wash   5 Litre, Holts
Holts Concentrated Screen Wash - 5 L...
€7.99 €10.99
SALE
Glass Care, Rain X Rain Repellent   200ml, RAIN X
Rain-X Rain Repellent - 200ml
€11.99 €12.99
Car Shampoo, Simoniz 2 in 1 Shampoo and Wax   5 Litre, Simoniz
Simoniz 2-in-1 Shampoo and Wax - 5 L...
€17.99 €30.00
SALE
Engine Oils, Castrol GTX 5W30 A5/B5 Full Synthetic Engine Oil   5 Litre, Castrol
Castrol GTX 5W30 A5/B5 Full Syntheti...
€49.99 €55.00
Pressure Washers, Draper 98679 230V Pressure Washer (195bar), Draper
Draper 98679 230V Pressure Washer (1...
€433.99 €825.95
Vacuum Cleaners, Streetwize 12v Wet & Dry Car Vacuum   60W, Streetwize
Streetwize 12v Wet & Dry Car Vacuum ...
€11.99 €14.99

Related posts

Service Academy: How To Change Your Engine Oil And Oil Filter
The Ultimate Guide To Roof Bars and Roof Racks

...

Everything You Need To Know About Your Car Battery

MicksGarage Blog

Filter Home
Project GTI
DIY Guides
Most Popular
Motorsport
Driving
Travel
Car Safety
General News
How Stuff Works
Car Reviews
MicksGarage.com
About us
Contact us
Work with us

Travel

Roof Racks and Bars
Roof Boxes
Bike Racks
Tow Bars and Hitches
View all Travel

BBQs
Garden Furniture
Patio Heaters
Games And Activities
View all Summer

Service Parts

Service Parts
Batteries
Wiper Blades
Engine Oil
View all Service Parts

SUP

SUP Boards
Kayaks
Boats
Wetsuits
View all SUP

Car parts

Car Parts
Brake Parts
Lamps & Mirrors
Steering & Suspension Parts
View all Car parts

Tools

Garden Tools
Hand Tools
Power Tools
DIY Service Tools
View all Tools