How a Mechanic Performs an Oil Change

If you've ever been responsible for a vehicle, you're probably aware that they need oil changes. No make or model can go without one; hybrid, vintage, economy, luxury and all of those which are in between need a regular tune-up. Most of us either don't have the time or don't have the car-smarts to just do it ourselves. So what does your mechanic do when you bring your car, truck, SUV or fancy less-than-four wheeler into the shop?

First, your mechanic is going to take note of the make, model and year of your vehicle and see what type of materials he or she will need. Most will ask if you have a preference for synthetic or semi-synthetic oil, so know the difference. Synthetics are known for helping drivers with fuel economy, better cold-starts and coating and are generally recommended for vehicles with high mileage on their odometers. It's also good for those who drive aggressively or have high-performance engines. Semi-synthetics are good for the normal, everyday driver. Mineral options are good for those who just want basic engine protection, but drivers will need to bring their vehicle to the shop more often when using this in their system. There are also different filter options, but this is a lesser decision which can be easily researched.

Next, your mechanic or technician will either jack up your vehicle or drive it onto a ramp system. This helps to give them room to work and actually see what they're doing. Ramps are a bit safer, but each shop has their own preference when performing an oil change. The next step is finding the drain plug and positioning the oil pan under it; this is done for an obvious reason—so they don't get oil everywhere. Because your clever technician checked out your car's specific needs, they'll be catching oil with a pan that's big enough to accommodate all the funky oil built up in your engine. Unlike you, when your tech removes the plug, they are adept in not getting hot oil all over themselves. Aside from avoiding an oily bath, the mechanic also knows that removing the oil cap will ensure faster draining.

After draining, your mechanic will flush the dirty oil out and move on to the other half of the battle: the filter. The filter is removed, the rubber ring is oiled, the area is cleaned and the new filter is installed. This is where a small fluke could cost you—a mechanic should never use tools for the filter replacement process. Using tools is how awful things like stripped mounting threads happen. After this part, the oil plug is re-installed with and the drain bolt is tightened to the manual's recommended torque. Remember the oil cap from earlier? That should be closed up.

Now that you know what happened, you may choose to tell your friends you performed the oil change yourself. We won't tell. Just do your car's caretaker a favor and at least check your oil regularly.