Motor Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Stack Exchange
Motor Vehicle Maintenance and Repair Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [oil-change]

For questions regarding changing the engine or transmission lubricant oil, or problems resulting from doing so.

The oil change is often one of the first tasks of the amateur mechanic. The process is pretty similar between vehicles, but some unique problems can arise nonetheless. Oil changes are not needed on all-electric cars.

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How can you tell the oil needs to be changed?

I know oil should be changed every 3000 or 6000 miles (depending on the car and conditions) but I'm not all that great at keeping track and I've let the car go for 10,000 miles before and it still runs fine (I know that's not "evidence" that I…
tooshel
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Leaving car for 3 weeks, change oil before or after?

I'm going on vacation for 3 weeks and am due for an oil change right at that time. Where I live is cold, I may be able to store it in a garage however. My car is a 2017. Should I get the oil change before my trip and let it sit with fresh oil or…
FrugalTraveller
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Garage tech drained oil and forgot to refill. I drove off - what damage could this have caused?

I went to a Quick oil change place, and they drained the oil from my new Fiat 500 and did not refill/replace oil. After I started the car, I drove approx 1/8 mile before engine quit. The car would not restart. After the car stalled, I raised the…
Katherine
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Stubborn oil drain plug caused by hot oil?

I'm trying to change the engine oil but running into difficulties removing the oil drain plug. One of the instructions I followed to change the engine oil was to give the car a short drive prior to the oil change; this would heat up the oil so that…
methon.dagger
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What is the proper course of action after over-filling oil during an oil change?

Managed a very stupid mistake: changed the oil on my just-purchased '03 Kia Diesel Pregio on uneven ground. The drain plug on it is on the side of the pan, exacerbating the mistake. Initially drained only ~3.8L and refilled 7.1L. Manual states 7.1L…
Drawninpictures
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Is it normal for a car's first oil change to be sooner than the regular interval?

Related: When should I change the oil, as the tech recommends or as my oil change light indicates Do newer cars actually monitor the quality of oil? How does the change oil light system work and does it matter what type of oil you use for it to…
Iszi
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When should I change the oil, as the tech recommends or as my oil change light indicates

I have a Toyota Corolla 2008. It has an oil change light indicator. The tech at the one hour oil change place recommends to change it every 3,000 miles but the indicator light only goes off about every 5,000 miles. Which one is correct? How often…
Supermighty
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Why are there large differences in oil-change intervals?

I've been reading this site (and simmilar ones) a lot, and I noticed a lot of people (mainly from USA i think) who mention 3000-6000 mile intervals for oil changes. I'm from Europe, and driving a Korean petrol car, and my service/oil change…
eurkor
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When should I get an oil change if I drive infrequently?

I drive a 1997 Honda Accord maybe 6,000 miles each year. In past years, I've driven about 12,000 miles per year and changed the oil about every 3,000-4,000 miles, or about every three months. When should I get my oil changed now that I'm driving…
Bernard Chen
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Should I let the motor run for a few minutes before oil change -- even if it's been in storage for a while?

I typically will idle my motorcycle's engine for about 10 minutes before changing my motor oil, to warm up the oil, so it flows out better. I never really questioned it. But my bike's been in storage for longer than usual, and the battery's in…
mvm_init_js
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Oil Change Frequency

I don't know much about cars besides how to drive them, but my father gave me his 2005 Chrysler Crossfire as his age and health make it difficult for him to get in and out of it. It runs like a dream and is a lot of fun. I've had it for about a…
theglossy1
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Should you change your oil even if your car isn't driven very often?

I don't drive my car very much. I probably put maybe 300 miles a month on it. Do I need to change the oil if my car is sitting most of the time? During the winter I drive even less. I do go out and start it up and let it run for a little while every…
GJ.Baker
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How often should I change my Nissan Sentra's (2012 model) oil?

I have a 2012 nissan sentra. Here is the manual. I looked into it but it doesn't seem to indicate the frequency of which I should change the oil. It does mention that the oil change light indicator should not be the indicator for changing oil. It…
munchschair
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A way to tell if mechanic used synthetic or organic oil?

I brought my car to a mechanic and asked for synthetic oil change. However, now I have realized that mechanic has put a new sticker in my windshield that states that next oil change is due in 3000 miles. With synthetic oil range should have been…
Jonny
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Is it possible to drain oil pan without getting any oil on your fingers?

This may be a frivolous question or a brain teaser... But I've always wondered if it is possible to so skillfully remove the drain bolt from the bottom of an oil pan upon oil change as to not get any oil on your fingers or the socket/wrench being…
amphibient
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