How to change engine oil?

[esage]

Hi guys I just know how to drive thats it , zero in car mechanics :(

I want to change my car's engine oil and oil filter.I have purchased both items as per the given manual and specs. Please help me to locate the nut to drain out the oil first I got 1988 Toyota Corolla AE82 Hatchback

The manual says to loosen the nut but i cannot see from top. can anyone post the picture or help me

i want to learn rather than going for mechanic for such small issues and paying hight price.

many thanks

[Camry95]

I can't help ya with corolla specific, I've only serviced my commodore, but should be similar. The nut you have to undo is the sump plug. If you get the front of the car on jack stands or ramps, and slide underneath, you will see it on the engine sump (the bottom of the motor).

What ya wanna do is warm the car up, take it for a drive around the block or something. Get it up on the stands, take the oil cap off, chuck ur pan underneath the sump plug then undo it with a ring spanner (this is so you don't round off the nut). Leave it for 10min to an hour, depending how thorough ya wanna be for the oil to drain out. Remove the old oil filter with a removal tool. Get the new filter, smear a bit of oil on the rubber seal on the filter then screw it on hand tight (don't use the tool to tighten it or you'll struggle to get it off again) Replace the sump plug, it's also a good idea to replace the sump plug washer aswell. Fill with the required amount of oil according to ur manual, replace the oil cap. (Also a good idea to check the dipstick on a level surface, just to make sure) Then take it for a runaround the block, check the sump plug and oil filter for leaks, tighten if necessary and ur done :)

Found a photo of the corolla engine sump, where the yellow paint is in this pic, you can see the oil draining out. It's removed in this photo, but this is where the sump plug will be.

This is what the sump plug and washer will look like, or very similar...

Edited May 24, 2009 by Camry95

[Camry95]

Oh! If it's an auto, make sure you undoe the engine oil sump plug, which is one the bottom of the motor. Not the transmission oil sumplug which will be under the transmission ;) It should be reasonably straight forward which is which, but just incase.

Edited May 24, 2009 by Camry95

[esage]

thanks and much appreciated , will give a try

[the_random_hero]

If you can find your sump, it's quite easy from there. From memory, sump plug will be on the drivers side of the sump, possibly needing a 19mm spanner to open it.

Another thing - fill the filter with oil before you put it back on. It's a bit of a toss-up to get it back on without spilling any, but helps getting your oil levels right the first time. it's also a lot better to slightly underfill it and then top it up later than overfilling it.

[dwee.]

yes, don't put the whole 5L bottle of oil in, put about 3L-ish, that's enough =)

[cuppas]

so howd you go?

[KHIEM]

i just have a quick + noop question: Why do we have to warm the oil a bit before chianging it? Won't it get very hot and we can get burn if the oil accidentally contact the skin?

[DJKOR]

i just have a quick + noop question: Why do we have to warm the oil a bit before chianging it? Won't it get very hot and we can get burn if the oil accidentally contact the skin?

Warm oil flows more easily than cold oil. By having the oil warm, you can not only drain it quicker, but you would be more likely to drain more oil out of the sump. There is a chance you may burn yourself, but the key is to take care. I usually loosen it enough to make the oil start running down the plug, then use a long screwdriver to tap the corner of the sump plug till it eventually drops off.

[dwee.]

if the car is completely cold, i usually leave it idling for a few minutes before removing the oil

if the car has just been driven, i leave it to cool down for about 10mins or so before removing the oil

usually the oil will be warm enough to drain quickly, but not so warm to burn your skin.. or you can just wear cheap $2 dish-washing gloves ;)

[cuppas]

guys its much quicker if you unscrew the sump plug all the way instead of using a screwdriver or whatever. hold it up against the hole when its free then reef if out to the side. much cleaner.