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Welcome to our oil change page in our website, we want to help you to understand why and how often the oil in your car or truck needs to be changed; we will also show you the steps involved in case you decide to do it yourself.

- The oil in a gasoline engine, no matter if is a car or truck needs to be changed in between 3,000 and 5,000 miles, depending on driving conditions, some modern vehicles have a light that comes on on your dash to remind you that the oil needs to be changed, the light needs to be reset once the oil has been changed.

- What does the oil do?

The oil in your vehicle helps to keep all the internal moving parts lubricated to minimize engine wear, it also acts as a hydraulic fluid for the parts that work with oil pressure like hydraulic rocker arms, camshaft phasers, VCT solenoids, timing chain tensioner etc. It also helps to dissipate the heat produced inside the engine, specially if the vehicle is equipped with an external oil cooler either as part of the radiator assbly or as a single unit.

Why does my oil turn black?

The oil turns black after few thousand miles because inside your engine there is a lot of friction generated by all the moving parts, this friction is what causes the oil to break down and lose its viscosity, some low quality oils break down so bad under severe heat that it starts getting very thick, ( this is commonly known as sludge), another reason why the oil turns black is because some of the unburned fuel mixture in the combustion chamber makes it past the piston rings, and they are collected by the engine oil, some of these deposits are filtered by the oil filter, but only the larger particles stay in the filter, the smallest make it past the oil filter element and continue circulating in the oil.

Is synthetic oil better than conventional oil?

Yes, synthetic oil is formulated in a lab, while conventional oils are made from the oil extracted from the ground, some additives are added to enhance its properties. Synthetic oils withstand higher temperatures and flow better at colder temperatures ( below freezing )

- If I use synthetic oil, can I change it at 6,000 miles or more instead of 3000?

 You could but it is not recommended because even though it won't break down as fast as the conventional oils do, it still has to collect all the deposits inside the engine, and the contamination of the oil is what causes the hydraulic parts ( rocker arms, VCT solenoids etc) to get clogged up and start malfunctioning, so it is not recommended to change the oil at larger intervals even if you are using synthetic oil.

How about my Diesel engine, how often should I change my oil?

Diesel engines have a larger crankcase than gasoline engines, allowing larger intervals between oil changes, for a pick-up truck equipped with a Cummins engine, Duramax, or Powerstroke you will be changing your oil around 6,000 miles or even longer, depending on how you use it, it is always recommended to consult your user manual to get the correct specifications.

What kind of oil should I use?

There are several classifications , you can see them on the back of the oil bottle ( SM, SL, SJ,SH,SG, CJ, ETC ) look in your owner's manual before you purchase the oil to buy the correct kind, also take note of what weight your car needs, example : 5W-30, 10W-40, 15W-40 etc., by using the correct oil grade, you will allow your engine to last longer and to work properly for a long time prolonging the life of your engine.




Below are the steps needed to change the oil in your car or truck, please note that we don't have enough room to list all of them, but the steps below, apply to most vehicles.

 Click on image to learn how to change the engine oil on 1994-2000 Mercedes Benz C230

   

- The first vehicle we are going to illustrate how to change the oil on, is a 2004 Dodge RAM 2500, with a Cummins Diesel Engine.








Step number 1-

Place a container under the oil pan of the truck big enough to hold 12 qts.. of oil, next remove the oil plug at the bottom of the oil pan with a 3/8" ratchet









  - Step number 2:

Remove the oil filter, a strap style oil filter wrench works great, you will need a long 1/2" extension at the end of the oil filter wrench due to the location of the oil filter of this truck, place a 1/2" drive ratchet at the end of the extension and proceed to loosen the filter, once the filter is lose, you can remove it by hand.







  - Step number 3:

Fill the oil filter with oil to ensure that the truck won't run dry during the first start-up after you finish changing the oil in it.

  - Step number 4:

Lubricate the seal of the oil filter with engine oil to ensure that it will seal properly and proceed to install the filter. Install the oil drain plug back on the oil pan, remove the pan with the used oil from under the truck.

  - Step number 5:

 Add engine oil to the crankcase through the opening in the valve cover by removing the oil cap , this particular truck requires 12 qts.. including the oil filter, once you finish adding oil, install the oil cap back on the valve cover.







  - Step number 6:

Start the truck and allow it to run for a minute or two, make sure that you have good oil pressure, if there is no oil pressure, turn the truck off and make sure that you didn't forget to add oil!!






  - Step number 7:

Allow the engine to set for a couple minutes to allow the oil to make its way back to the oil pan, next check the engine oil level with the oil dipstick, it is marked to show you where the oil level should be.







  - Step number 8:

 
Double check that there are no oil leaks, and that the oil filler cap is tight.








  - Last step:

Install an oil change reminder sticker to allow you to know when the next oil change is due, they are available at your local auto parts store free when you buy the oil and filter, this sticker on the left says JL SPORT TRUCKS, because the pictures and instructions were provided by them Their business website is:
       WWW.JLSPORTTRUCKS.COM


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