DON'T Make These Common Oil Change Mistakes With Your Car!!

There's nothing wrong with priming the filter, but it's not really needed. Moreover, you really don't need to worry about a dry start after changing an oil filter unless the car has been sitting a long time; there will be enough oil left coating the internals for that brief period of time before oil is recirculated. I have a Toyota Tacoma with 324,000 miles on her and never once primed the filter!

One major issue that was never mentioned was removing the oil filler cap beforehand. Doing this lets atmospheric pressure aid in draining the old fluid without creating suction. I learned this in trade school 40 years ago. The theory is obvious, yet no one ever mentions it. Try it yourself, the difference in drain flow is dramatic with a more efficient and complete drainage.

Lots of information. Delivered quickly but concisely and easy to follow. No extraneous self-centered junk about “me me me”. Well done video. Keep it up.

Your points were fine & correct except for one. Overfilling the crankcase will not cause high oil pressure. Crankcase pressure may climb a bit but a proper working PCV system will compensate. Biggest problem would be the crankshaft will slap the oil causing aeration. Then oil can't lube engine properly.

Having done over 500 oil changes in my life, I can tell you that all that really matters, is actually doing an oil change and then doing it at least once a year or every 5000 miles. Thats it! You Don't need to warm up the oil, you drain it for 30 minutes and you are good. It it makes you feel good to pour some oil into the filter, go ahead! I am all about feeling good! It's really not necessary at all, but it feels good, so go ahead! Don't waste money on flushes. Better, start changing your oil twice a year, every six months. I do mine in the spring, then six months later. Keep it simple. Remember, fresh oil is all that matters. Expensive oil gets dirty and toxic the same as cheap oil. Change it often.

Heat the engine up before draining the oil. This suspends any contaminants in the oil.

Regardless if your oil filter mounts sideways or any other direction where completely pre-filling the filter is not feasible, at the very least, pour oil in the filter to saturate the filter medium, it's amazing how much oil is required to do this and when installed, the pleats are saturated and saves precious time for the oil to flow where it's needed and cuts down on "dry-startup" time.

You may overlooked this step which is to wipe clean the filter mating surface on the motor block. Just in case some dirt or debris gets up there since most of us do our oil changes are done out of doors.

I drive semi trucks for a living and I'm one of the company mechanics. I do all the PM services on our Peterbilt 579s. They are equipped with EPA 17 Paccar MX-13 engines. Modern vehicles have really tight tolerances, screwing up an oil change can cost you your warranty. That being said the most minor of things on a Preventative Maintenance Service (oil change) can cost you a lot of money so here are some real tips from a real mechanic that might cost you more money in the short run but save you a lot in the long run. 1. NEVER PRE FILL THE OIL FILTER UNLESS THE SERVICE MANUAL SPECIFICALLY CALLS FOR IT. This is really bad because the oil you pour in the center of the filter has not passed through the filter and while brand new oil should be clean, sometimes it can be contaminated with microscopic impunities from the refinery and while it may not instantly destroy your engine, over multiple oil changes it will have a cumulative effect slowly reducing the life of your engine. Engines that require a prefilled oil filter are typically found on heavy equipment, hold at least a quart of oil in the filter itself and the filter will come with a plug for the center hole as well as a spout to fill it from the side holes so the oil is filtered. 2. All oil is not the same, different brands have different additives and some additives may not be compatible with the seals in your engine. A specific brand is not important. What is important is checking the bottle you are buying and making sure it matches the manufacturer specification listed in your owners manual. Some companies have actual specification numbers, others go buy API numbers and some use ASTM. Don't always go by your manual, call your local dealership because sometimes after a vehicle has been out for a while the engine manufacturer may change oil standards if a problem becomes apparent with the oil they recommended, they will change oil recommendations and publish a "Technical Service Bulletin". IMPORTANT: DO NOT MIX OIL BRANDS OR MIX BASE OIL WITH SYNTHETIC. Different oil brands put different additives in their oil. Two different oil brands made to the same standard can have incompatible additives and cause engine damage when mixed. Synthetic oil blends usually have additives in them to prevent the base oil from foaming or gelling whine mixed around in the engine. If you buy a quart of synthetic oil and dump it in a vehicle filled with base oil, it won't have the additives prevent foaming or gelling. Finally some synthetic oils are made from ester oils and they can cause incompatible seals in older engines to swell or break down. 3. Not all oil filters are the same. Just because a filter is the right size and has the right thread doesn't mean it's the right filter. Some filters have bypass valves needed in high performance applications where oil pressure has to rise sharply during hard acceleration or when taking off under heavy load. Other applications prohibit a bypass valve. Different filters have different flow rates and micron ratings. When picking the right filter you want to check your owners manual AND verify with your dealership that the engine manufacturer has not published any technical service bulletins changing the filter specification. Make sure the oil filter you use has a date of manufacture on it also known as a born on date. DO NOT BUY FILTERS ONLINE. Several truck operators ordered Fleetguard filters on online marketplaces that turned out to be counterfeit. Using a knock off filter voids the engine warranty if damage occurs due to improper filtration. Always buy your filters from a reputable name brand store or a dealership, never from a seller in an online marketplace. 4. When installing the new filter, make sure the rubber gasket from the old filter came off with the old filter. If the rubber gasket from the old filter is stuck to the filter housing and you put on the new filter, the gasket from the new filter will not seal right and it will leak. When you've insured the surface the oil filter seal will make contact with is clean, lube the oil filter seal by rubbing a drop of oil over it with your finger, screw it in until it makes contact then tighten it about 1/8 turn. You don't want it over tightened but you also don't want it to come loose, leak or fall off. IMPORTANT IF YOU LIVE IN CALIFORNIA: Puncture the side of the oil filter with a screwdriver while holding it over the container you drained your oil into to drain the filter. In California oil filters that have not been crushed or drained are considered "Hazardous Waste" and must be disposed of properly. Companies like Walmart and O'Reilly's Auto Parts simply take all oil filters for disposal and eat the extra cost. Smart auto shops know disposing of a drum of drained oil filters is around $70, disposing a drum of undrained filters is more around $300, at least that's what it was when I was working for a disposal company. 5. When you go to put your oil plug back in change the rubber gasket or washer on it, this should always be changed. Some high end vehicles don't use a replaceable gasket and instead recommend replacing the plug. Check the vehicle service manual or call your dealership if you're unsure. Quick drain plugs like the ones Paccar uses twist and lock into place without much effort and you will know they are secure without any torquing. If it's a bolt style plug check your owners manual for the proper torquing force and use a torque wrench. Losing an oil plug while going down the road will cost you thousands more than a $70 torque wrench don't risk it. 6. Double check your oil capacity, viscosity and manufacturer specification before filling. Fill it to half capacity, then stop, look under your vehicle and check the drain plug for leaks. Then fill until your 1 quart less than full, check your dipstick, if it's less than full slowly add oil and check until full. Then start the vehicle and let it idle for one full minute while checking the filter for leaks. After a minute stop the engine, wait 5 minutes, check the oil again and top off as needed. 7. Underneath most vehicles on various joints on the suspension, steering column, drag link, pitman arm, tie rod ends, axel, kingpins, transmission bell housing, U joints, drive shaft or other locations varying based upon your vehicle make, suspension, steering system and power train configuration are these little nipples called a "grease zerk". They are for attaching a grease gun and lubricating various joints and fittings. Make sure you check the service manual and grease every single one. Their location and grease specification usually is NOT in the owners manual or maintenance log. Dealerships, Auto shops and lube shops as well as Walmart usually grease all of these every time you get an oil change. They have computer software that tells them which ones need grease at what mileage and what grease to use. Failure to grease these zeks regularly (usually every oil change) will result in premature failure of the joint, ball socket, bearing or other moving part the grease is meant to lubricate resulting in a tow and costly repairs. All greases are not the same and they are not all compatible with each other. Do not use calcium sulfonate grease on applications that do not call for it as it can form a corrosive compound when mixed with some lithium grease even if it's just residue. I can not stress how important using the proper type and amount of grease is. I've seen dust boots destroyed by too much grease, I've seen control arms and tie rod ends pop off their sockets sending vehicles out of control from not being greased and I've seen cross shafts and throw out bearings destroyed on semi truck transmissions from using the wrong grease. To summarize if you have read this whole lecture, when you pay a shop to change your oil, you are paying for their expertise, insurance and warranty. You are paying them $40 to $120 so that if something is missed or an incompatible filter or oil is used or grease zerks are not greased or an oil plug falls out, their insurance is paying for the thousands of dollars to fix your car. Remember if you bring a new car into a dealership with internal engine damage, the first thing they are going to do is loosen the oil drain plug and get a sample of the oil to send for testing. The next thing they are going to do is check your oil filter. Wrong oil or wrong filter means the damage won't be covered by warranty. In closing I'd like to say an oil change is never as simple as it sounds and if you don't know what your vehicle specifically calls for at every oil change or PM Service, don't do it yourself. Doing your own oil change might save you a few dollars but a small mistake can cost you thousands in repairs on a vehicle you are still paying for. Paying a shop a few extra bucks can save you thousands. Oh and one more thing, Do not buy cheap oil or store brand oil. Lookup the Dollar General Motor Oil class action lawsuit to know why. Buying cheap oil is the FASTEST AND DUMBEST WAY TO MAKE SAVING A FEW DOLLARS COST YOU THOUSANDS in my opinion.

Every 3k with a filter replacement, wix filter prefered! Good overall video!

You forgot to include the fact that one should use the motor oil viscosity & type specified in the Owner’s Manual. Thanks for your video, dude!

Good points. I always warm my car up to operating temperature; then by the time I jack it up and get it on stands, the engine and its oil's cooled off enough to handle without getting burned. Because my oil pan does not use a crush washer, I use a torque wrench to tighten the drain plug to specifications. Also. I do use a cap-style wrench to install the new filter, but only because the filter is mounted at an angle; in changing filters, my fingers get so much oil on them that I need the wrench just to grip the new filter and get it hand-tight.

Make sure the car is supported well. If you are crushed under it oil is the least of your worries.

Yep done mine exactly field my oil cape running smoothly now. Chaned all my oil's.thank you for sharing 👍🏼 love my Toyota Celica 1995 🚗.

ALWAYS love your videos. Thanks buddy, good to see you again!

Tip for using Havoline boxed motor oil, the bag inside uses a standard gallon jug thread, and they sell an adapter with a shut off and a thick clear hose to pour in the engine spill free. Since there's six quarts, I keep a clean empty oil bottle to drain off 1 qt. so don't overfill if it takes 5 qts. and keep the extra in trunk to top off when checking oil.

Good video. Did you know in modern engines, 10-20% of old oil remains in an engine. I would agree to a point about warming the engine oil if you live in very cold climate. At normal ambient temps, it will not improve oil removal. Draining the oil after sitting for several hours achieves a better drain. I have been able to remove another 1/3-to1/2qt by letting sit. Also removing the filter first allows the oil to drain from the engine better. I park my car on ramps overnight, remove the filter, then drain first thing in the morning. I also recommend clear flood crank to refill and pressureized the engine before starting. I lived in Hawaii for 4 years, miss the weather and surf.

When my two sons were young I was working 50+ hours a week, travelling etc. so I did not get to spend as much quality time with them as I would have liked. One thing I taught them both was how to do a proper oil change. They are 30 now drive older Hondas and Toyotas and do all of their own routine maintenance--using most of the info shared here. Thanks GREAT video!😎

I always do all that. I'm almost 67 & I've never once had anyone change the oil in any of the cars I've owned 😅. And I do use that Wal-Mart oil, with Wix filters, every 3k miles.

Simple but important guidelines..well presented, all useful. Also your "delivery" is great..like your positivity. Keep it up!