Preventative Maintenance

"Take care of your stuff" is what my mother used to tell me. When it comes to something as expensive as an automobile, I really have to take care of it. If I do not, it will cost me even more money. Owning a vehicle takes a lot of work. Many things must be done to prevent a vehicle from becoming a money pit, and allowing it to retain some resale value. One process that must be done regularly is changing the oil in my truck's engine.

I perform this operation every 3,000-4,000 miles after the last time I change the oil in the engine. That basically means that I change the oil around four times a year. Since this is not something that is done very often, I forget the part number for the proper oil filter and the correct oil weight that my truck needs. Therefore, I start this operation by checking my truck's log book to recall the proper information needed to purchase the right items.

After I have all the information that I need, I go to the auto parts store to buy an oil filter and a jug of 5-w30 weighted oil. If I am lucky, they will have a deal for buying oil and an oil filter at the same time. With the proper supplies, I head home. At home, I ready the newly purchased supplies, oil spill pan, and the correct socket wrench.

Now that all the correct tools and supplies are laid out, I can begin the actual operation of changing the oil. With the engine cool, I begin by laying the oil spill pan under the drain hole of the truck's oil pan, and unscrewing the bolt that plugs the drain hole. I wait a few minutes while gravity does its work on the oil. As the final drop drips out, I screw the bolt back into the drain hole securely.

Since the oil spill pan is full of oil, I gently slide it under the oil filter, because once I remove the filter, a bit more oil will spill. I reach in through the wheel well and wrap my hand around the oil filter. With a firm grip, I unscrew the old oil filter. After sitting the filter aside, I replace it with the new oil filter. Before I screw the new one on, I wipe some of the old oil around the rim of the new filter. This will enable an easy removal next time I change the oil.

The filter and plug bolt are now both secure, and the truck's oil pan is empty and awaiting new oil. At this point I pop the hood of the truck and unscrew the oil cap. With the passage to the oil pan open, I empty the correct amount new oil in. I finish the operation by screwing the oil cap back on. With the operation finished, I am now able to take the used oil and oil filter to the auto parts store for recycling. I never want to just dump the oil down a sewer, into nature, or down a drain, because this is harmful to the environment and very illegal. Plus, some auto parts stores do not charge me for recycling my oil.

Performing this operation does cost a bit of money, but it is the price I for "taking care of my stuff". Also, if I do not take care of it, the cost will be much higher in the future. Therefore, changing the oil in my truck is an easy way to help keep it running and keep the cost of owning it down.