Oil Change For Your Semi

Any vehicle that runs with an internal combustion engine needs an oil change from time to time. As with smaller vehicles, semi trucks also need to have the oil changed, though not as often. There are also certain areas that need to be maintained on a regular basis to keep the truck's engine in proper running order. You still have to change it occasionally so that it remains in the proper running order because the oil helps protect the engine parts by coating the engine surfaces with a light coating of oil. Though it looks intimidating, replacing the oil in your semi tractor-trailer is actually quite simple.

There are several items that you will need to help you make the oil change job easier. These are an oil pan to catch the oil, an oil filter wrench to make it much easier to remove the soiled one, new oil and oil filter so that these items can be replaced each time, and crescent wrenches to help you get all the bolts off all the parts.

To perform an oil change in a semi you first must make sure that it is on a level surface so that the oil does not run. Then you will need to crawl under the truck so that you can find out where the oil pan is so that you can release the oil. These are usually located near the front of the engine. After you have found the oil pan, you need to find the drain plug and unscrew it with the crescent wrench that has been sized according to the job. Before you open the plug, make sure that you have placed the oil catch pan under the oil pan so that you don't damage the environment by dropping oil on the ground below.

After you have the oil draining, you need to find the oil filter, which is located on the top of the engine, and unscrew it with a special filter wrench. Then you need to put in a new filter and fill the oil filter compartment with the specified amount of oil, then screw the filter where it belongs and tighten it by hand so that you don't make it too tight and break the seal. Once you have the filter in place, it is time to fill the oil tank. Check the manufacturer's recommendations on how much oil to put in the tank, then, put the cap back on.

Because a semi truck is a much larger vehicle it may be more difficult to change the oil, so if you do not feel comfortable with the responsibility, schedule an appointment with an oil change specialist who is specially trained in changing the oil in semi engines.