3 Reasons It’s Worth It to Change Your Car’s Oil Yourself by Amber Fallon

With so many drive-in oil change stations available, few people bother to learn how to change their own car’s oil. It’s not a terrible idea to rely on professionals to change your oil, but there are many reasons to do it yourself and to teach your children how to monitor their vehicles’ oil levels and change it on a regular basis. Even if you’re not that interested in car maintenance, changing a vehicle’s oil is a fairly basic procedure. You won’t need to learn how to diagnose and fix every car problem just by deciding you’ll start changing the oil yourself.

Ask a knowledgeable friend to show you the first time how to do it right and prepare to get a little messy. You’ll need an oil pan and also know where to properly dispose of the used oil in your area – that’s where your friend can prove especially helpful. Changing a car’s oil is the most basic of car ownership skills and may even be put to use more than changing a tire. If it really seems too much for you, at the very least, learn to change your car’s antifreeze, as that’s as easy as can be and doesn’t even require a pan or disposal of spent liquid.

Save Money

Buy quality oil directly from the retailer licensed to sell the best brands and save money. You could ask a garage if you can bring in your own oil you purchased beforehand to save a few bucks, but many won’t allow you to do that. You could also request they buy a specific brand you know gives you more value for your buck. However, if you stock up on the oil yourself, you can change all of your household’s vehicles – including vehicles like riding mowers and snowmobiles – for far less than taking every car to a garage individually. Search for a retailer near you from the oil manufacturer’s website.

Save Time

When you decide to change the oil in your vehicle yourself, you don’t have to call and schedule an appointment or drive around looking for the oil change business that doesn’t have a line around the block. Getting your oil changed at a garage is an ordeal, one that ensures you’ll have to spend an hour or two devoted to the errand. Once you get used to changing it yourself, you’ll realize it only takes a matter of minutes to get the task done and you can do it when it’s most convenient for you – whether that’s late at night after the garages close or early in the morning before they even open.

Don’t Feel Pressured

If you don’t know much about cars – or sometimes even if you do – the people working at a garage may sense that and try to take advantage of you. This is especially true if you’re a woman. They’ll try to scare you into purchasing upgrades you don’t need and replacing things like air filters long before it’s necessary. When you take your basic car maintenance into your own hands, you don’t have to face that kind of pressure anymore.

If you change your own car’s oil, you’ll save money and time and feel more in charge of your own property. With the right product, your car can actually safely go a little longer between oil changes, too. Stock up on motor oil, antifreeze and other fluids for your vehicle and stop paying hand over fist for the "experts" to perform a simple maintenance task on your car.

About the Author: Amber Fallon blogs about car maintenance and works in the auto industry. She recommends Peak Auto oil and antifreeze products to everyone interested in changing their own car’s oil.

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