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Do Your Own Oil Change

By Matthew Wright, About.com

1 of 8

Preparing For Your Oil Change

Oil change stuff.

Gather what you'll need for your oil change.

photo mw
Never change your oil while the engine is hot! Let it cool for a few hours, oil can burn you badly.

Be sure you have a safe area to do your oil change. Level, solid ground is a must so that you can safely jack up your car. I also like to put something on the driveway or garage floor underneath the engine in case you spill. Cardboard or a piece of plywood are great for this.
Before you even start to do your oil change, be sure you have everything you need to get the job done.

What You'll Need

  • Ratchet or open end wrench
  • Oil filter wrench
  • Oil catch/recycle container
  • Funnel
  • New oil filter
  • New Oil
  • Clean rag

Let's get to it.

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