How to Change Oil In Your Car

The improper disposal of motor oil even just one gallon has the potential to damage one million gallons of drinking water in addition to its damaging of aquatic life.

Proper discard and reuse of motor oil can help protect the environment and conserve its natural resources. In the U.S. alone, an estimated 200 million of gallons of used motor oil are improperly discarded or disposed by just tossing it into the trash, by damping it on the ground or being poured down into sewers and drainage system.

If all used oil were just properly managed and disposed of, the U.S. could save thousands of gallons of oil each day. Use oil that is properly handled can be refined into another oil products and it can also be use as raw materials for other Petrochemical industries.

Steps to Change Your Own Motor Oil

1. Turn off the engine, block the wheels and set your parking brake before getting under your car. Make sure that the engine cooled down a little and its not too hot to avoid burning
2. Prepare a drip pan, put it under your engine. Remove the drain plug at the bottom of the engine and let the used oil drain from the engine into the container.
3. If you want to change oil filter too, do it next. Then replace the drain plug in the engine's oil pan at the bottom.
4. Pour the new engine oil, always check your manual for the amount of oil required and the recommended grade of oil to be use.
5. With the parking oil still set, start the engine of the car. The oil pressure light maybe on and once it goes out, let the engine run for a few minuets.
6. Then turn off the engine and check the oil level. Don't forget to check around the oil filter and plug for any signs of leak.
7. Write down the date and mileage so that you will know when to change oil and filter.
8. Pour the drip pan into a recycling container Reuse the drip pan, don't rinse the residual down the drain.
9. Bring your used oil to the nearest public used oil collection center like lube centers.

Changing and Recycling Oil Filter
Empty used oil filter can be recycled. It's cost effective and practical for both consumers and the environment. If your place does not have a used oil collector, you can put the used oil filter into your trash wrapped in a tissue paper. There are some states who does not allow used oil filter in their landfilled, so check out first with your trash collector.

The Safety of our Environment
We must remember that environmental quality and safety is everybody's concern and everyone can help by developing the smart habit of recycling.

For more information on recycling used motor oil, call your local government environmental agency for more details.