Easy Steps To Service Your Car Engine: Do It Yourself

A motor vehicle service is a series of maintenance procedures carried out at a set time interval or after the vehicle has traveled a certain distance. The service intervals are specified by the vehicle manufacturer in a service schedule and some modern cars display the due date for the next service electronically on the instrument panel.

Servicing your car engine is something that should be done every time your car hits 5,000km depending on the state of your car engine. Due to tight schedules some vehicle owners don't even service their engines for a long time, which causes the engine to weaken as the engine oil turns dark.

Sadly people tend to run to our mechanics anytime we have to do a little work on our car or when we notice a little fault that we need to fix, just out of ignorance or that it is too complex to fix it ourselves. The truth is that it spoils the fun of being a car owner. Look at it this way; you can't administer primary health care to your baby just because you think there are doctors who it is their job to do everything in that area including showing you how to feed your baby, now loosing the fun of being a parent. Besides not withstanding the mechanic fees.

This procedure will show you how you can service your car by yourself engine with ease in your garage confidently without having to pay your mechanic to do so. These procedures have four easy steps.

• Drain the old oil from the sump drain pump.
• Replace the oil filter.
• Pour the exact amount of new oil back into the engine.
• Start the engine

1. Draining the old oil

Have a container ready to catch the long jet of oil that comes out when the plug is removed.

The front or rear of the car, depending on engine layout, will usually have to be raised - either on ramps, or jacked up and supported on axle stands - to give working room under the engine.

The old oil should be drained with the engine warm, so that it flows more freely, taking with it any harmful deposits. Run the engine for a few minutes, then switch off and put a drain can or container big enough to hold all the engine oil under the sump drain plug.

Clean the plug with a clean rag and slacken it, using either a universal drain-plug key or a suitable ring spanner or socket, depending on the type of plug fitted.

Unscrew the plug, remove it by hand and let the oil flow into the can. Remember that the oil may be very hot, so avoid contact with it.

Wait until no more oil drips from the drain hole, then clean the drain-hole threads and the surrounding area with a clean cloth or tissue.

Clean the drain plug too, and make sure its washer or gasket is in good condition. Replace it if it is worn or broken. Refit the plug but do not overtighten it.

2. Replace the oil filter

Place the drain can directly under the oil filter - usually on the side of the engine crankcase. The filter can be one of two types - either a throwaway cartridge or, on older cars, a replaceable element inside a metal bowl.

A throw-away cartridge is usually unscrewed complete. Normally, you need a strap or chain wrench to free it. If you do not have one, hammer a long screwdriver through the filter and use that as a lever.
Remove the central bolt, supporting the bowl with one hand.
Remove the element and sealing ring.

Remove a replaceable-element filter by unscrewing the central bolt, either at the top on the face of the filter adaptor, or at the bottom of the bowl.

Hold on to the filter bowl until it can be completely detached, in case it drops and spills oil.

When the bowl is off, remove the sealing ring from its groove in the flange, using a sharp tool - a safety pin will do. Clean the groove thoroughly.
Empty the filter bowl and discard the old element, then clean the bowl.
Replace with new one.

3. Pour the exact amount of new oil back into the engine

The amount of oil that a normal car engine uses to function is about 8-9 litres approximately. Before you replace the oil make sure you know the exact amount of oil that goes into you engine, excess of oil poured into the engine can set the car on fire and lesser oil can can also knock the engine. For V6 and V8 272 and 273 Mercedes Benz engine uses up to 9 litres of oil.

4. Start the engine.

Watch to be sure the oil pressure light goes off after start-up. Put your car in park or neutral with the parking brake on to check for any drips and look carefully under the car to check for any leaks or drips. If the filter and drain plug aren't tight, they may leak slowly. Run the engine for a minute or so to get the pressure up and ensure you've installed everything correctly.