by Eric L. Haschert

Created on: April 09, 2009   Last Updated: June 23, 2009

Before attempting to change your oil you should check the condition of the old oil in the vehicle. If the old oil smells like gasoline, looks like chocolate milk, is gummy or is gritty you may have one of several engine problems and you should see a mechanic or get a repair manual. It is also a good idea to keep an eye on the oil level in between oil changes so you can see if your vehicle burns or leaks oil. You can put some newspaper under the vehicle where you regularly park it to see if it has a leak. If you don't have any leaks but your exhaust smoke is bluish white then your vehicle burns oil.

If your vehicle burns oil that does not mean it needs piston rings. That may be what is causing the oil to burn but that is normal wear and tear on an engine. If properly maintained ANY engine will last 300,000 miles and it will be burning oil by the end of that time there are NO exceptions. What you can do to help your engine as it gets older is to use heavier oil to lubricate it. Go from a 10 w 30 to a 10 w 40 or for much higher mileage vehicles ask your auto mechanic if 20 w 50 might not be right for you. The heavier the oil the less will get past the piston rings and the less will burn. You should only use the heavier oils when an engine is older because the engine is worn more and the oil clearance, distance between oiled parts, is higher. A heavy oil in a new engine could break the oil pump causing the engine to seize.

Changing your oil in your car or truck or jeep can be a breeze if you know what you are doing. First you must know what kind of oil and filter to use. The type of oil should be written on either the fill cap, a sticker on the hood in the engine compartment, an owner's manual or an after market repair manual. If you don't have an after market repair manual and you think you might be doing more than just changing your oil buy one. You can also find out what kind of oil your vehicle uses at the auto parts store from the parts guy there or in the oil filter catalogue when looking up which kind of filter to use.

Now as for the quality of the filter and oil. As long as the oil has an S.A.E. (Society of Automotive Engineers) number on it telling you what weight it is. An A.P.I. (American Petroleum Institute) oil service rating on the same label telling you what quality of oil it is. Then should you use the quality and weight of oil recommended for the vehicle. The label is round and can be found on the oil bottle. If you cannot find an oil bottle

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