How to Change Your Own Motor Oil and Oil Filters

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Why Bother Recycling Used Motor Oil? Oil
How to Change Your Motor Oil
Recycling Your Used Oil
Changing and Recycling Your Own Oil Filter

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Why Bother Recycling Used Motor Oil?

Oil Disposal Practices
For years, motor oil was reused or discarded in ways that neither protected the environment nor conserved its resource value. In the United States alone, an estimated 200 million gallons of used motor oil are improperly disposed of by being dumped on the ground, tossed in the trash (ending up in landfills), and poured down storm sewers and drains. Just one gallon of used oil has the potential to contaminate up to one million gallons of drinking water. Additionally, used oil that ends up in the country's rivers, lakes, and streams can threaten aquatic life.

If all of the used oil that is improperly disposed of were properly managed, the United States could save thousands of barrels of oil each day. Used oil that is properly handled can be re-refined into lubricants, processed into fuel oils, and used as raw materials for the refining and petrochemical industries.

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How to Change Your Motor Oil

  1. Turn off the engine, block the wheels, and set the parking brake before getting under your car. To avoid burns, make sure that the engine is not too hot. Consult your owner's manual for directions.

  2. Remove the drain plug on the bottom of the engine's oil pan and allow the used oil to drain from your car into a suitable container, such as a drip pan.

  3. If you are changing your oil filter, do it next and follow the directions below and in the section on the filter. Replace the drain plug in the bottom of the engine's oil pan. Make sure it's tight.

  4. Carefully add the new engine oil. Although most cars take four to five quarts of oil, always check your owner's manual for the amount of oil required and the recommended grade of motor oil to be used. Do not overfill. With the parking brake still set, and in a well-ventilated area, start the engine of the car. The oil presure light may be on but should go out after a few seconds. Once the light goes out, allow the engine to run for a few minutes.

  5. Turn off the engine and check the oil level. Also, check around the oil filter and drain plug for oil leaks.
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Recycling Your Used Oil

After draining the oil from your car's crankcase, pour the oil into a clean, leakproof container with a screw-on top. Many household containers are suitable, including the original motor oil containers. Make sure that the container has a secure lid so it cannot spill. Never use containers that held household chemicals, such as bleach! Containers specifically designed for carrying used motor oil may be purchased at automotive supply stores.

If you don't take your used oil to a recycling center immediately, never temporarily store it in any container that once held food, beverages, or chemicals. Regardless of the type of container used for carrying and storing used oil, be sure it is clean, clearly labeled "Used Oil", and kept out of reach of children and pets!

Take the container to the nearest used oil collection center. If your community doesn't have a collection center, check with your local service station or an automobile maintenance facility (such as a lube center, repair shop, or car dealership).

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Changing and Recycling Your Own Oil Filter

Where it's practical and cost effective, empty used oil filters are being collected for recycling. Check with the used oil collection facility where you take your used motor oil to see if it accepts used oil filters, or if it can direct you to a place that does. If you don't have any facilities in your area that recycle used oil filters, the empty used filter usually can be wrapped in newspaper and disposed of with your regular household trash. Check with your trash collection service before discarding the filter because some states don't allow used oil filters to be landfilled.

Whether you recycle or dispose of your used oil filter, it must be drained of used oil! Special handling is required to properly drain an oil filter.

  1. Use a filter wrench (if necessary) to loosen the old oil filter. Carefully remove the used filter.

  2. Drain the filter of any oil. Using a sharp tool, puncture a hole in the dome end of the filter or through the antidrain back valve located on the flat end of it. The most effective method for properly draining the filter is to make one of the suggested punctures and allow the used oil to flow into a container appropriate for recycling it. (Antidrain back valves are present in most automotive and light duty truck filter models. The valve consists of a rubber flap that creats a vacuum to prevent oil from draining back into the engine when it is not running. Puncturing the filter breaks the vacuum and allows the "trapped" oil to be recovered for recycling.)

  3. Place the flat end of the punctured filter on the used oil collection container and drain as much used oil as possible out of the filter. It is important for used oil filters to be drained a minimum of 12 hours near engine operating temperature (Approximately 60 degrees Fahrenheit).

  4. Install the new oil filter according to the manufacturer's instructions. Coat the rubber seal on it with a small amount of oil, then replace it. Do not use a filter wrench to tighten the new filter as this may damage the filter. Instead, tighten it snugly with your fingers, following the directions supplied with the filter.

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