Car Maintenance and Repairs

Not everyone has the money to shell out when it's car maintenance time. So I wanted to make sure you can come here and get the information you need and probably save you a bit of cash while doing your car maintenance. So let's start easy and work our way up.

The main thing that people need in ways of car maintenance is best oil for 6.0 powerstroke Changes. Now you could go to a shop and have them charge you anywhere from 50 to 100 bucks or so to do it for you, or you could run out to an auto parts store, grab a filter and some oil and do it yourself for somewhere around 20 bucks. Yea see I told you I'd save you some money.

Now the first thing you need to do is get your materials-

• motor oil- this is obviously your first step. Most cars will take about 4 quarts.

• oil filter- this is what keeps your motor oil as clean as possible.

• floor jack- simply put a jack to raise your car so you can get under it. (if you have a tall vehicle you may not need one.

• oil pan- you can't just let the oil flow out, you need to have it run into something. typically you can get one at an auto parts store for a couple dollars.

You with me so far? Great. Let's get to work.

If you need to jack up your car, do it now. If not then get under there. If you're one of those conscientious people who don't want to lay on the ground, you can always get yourself a rollback, which is basically a manufactured board with wheels. It's a bit more than my description but hey we're moving on.

OK so you've either jacked up your car or you're underneath it, either way you now need to locate the oil pan of your car. Every car is a little bit different but they are all basically the same. You want to look for a big pan at the base of the engine. It will look very similar to this picture.

Once again all cars are a bit different but the same, confusing yes I know but trust me it's the best way to say it. After you've found your cars oil pan you need to look for the drain plug. The plug is usually a small bolt on the pan somewhere, typically on the bottom so gravity can do it's job and the oil can drain.Now be sure to have your oil pan nearby as in the picture because once you pull that plug the oil is going to start flowing and you don't want it all over you or your garage. The next step I'm sure you know but I'll tell you anyway, pull the plug. This could mean you need a wrench or in some cases a screw driver either way pull the plug.

Now as you're letting the oil drain it's time to look for the oil filter. Most of the time it can be reached by popping the hood. Typically on the side of the engine you'll see a white or orange or even blue thing that looks like a small can. That's your filter. Grab it twist and pull it off, a little more oil will come from the opening but don't fret. So you've got the oil draining and you've pulled the filter off, now what? You play the waiting game, it takes a few minutes for all the motor oil in your car to drain out so take this time to congratulate yourself on a job well done thus far.

OK all the oil has finished draining you don't see anymore dripping out, it's time to put more in! BUT first you need to replace the drain plug. Go ahead and pop that sucker right back in there, got it? Good. Now you're going to put that new oil filter on. Ready? Now just poor in the new motor oil into your engine oil placement on the top of your engine.

Like I said earlier most cars take roughly 4 quarts of oil. To be sure you can always check your owner's manual for the car, or put 3 quarts in, start-up your car and check your dipstick. Now after you've put the right amount of oil in your car make sure to start it up and let it run for a minute. All that new oil needs to start circulating throughout your engine. Once you've done that, check your dipstick you should be at a good level and you're done! YAAY!!!

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