Refilling engine oil

Part 1. Preparation and safety

Objective

• Safely refill engine oil.

Personal safety

Whenever you perform a task in the workshop you must use personal protective clothing and equipment that is appropriate for the task and which conforms to your local safety regulations and policies. Among other items, this may include:

• Work clothing - such as coveralls and steel-capped footwear
• Eye protection - such as safety glasses and face masks
• Ear protection - such as earmuffs and earplugs
• Hand protection - such as rubber gloves and barrier cream
• Respiratory equipment - such as face masks and valved respirators

If you are not certain what is appropriate or required, ask your supervisor.

Safety check

• Make sure that you understand and observe all legislative and personal safety procedures when carrying out the following tasks. If you are unsure of what these are, ask your supervisor.

Points to note

• If the engine has been running, be careful not to burn your hand or arm on the exhaust manifold or any other hot part of the engine when reaching for the dipstick. The dipstick and the oil on it will also be hot.
• Although fresh oil is translucent, and oil that needs to be replaced looks black and dirty, it is often difficult to assess the condition of engine oil simply by its color. Oil loses its clean, fresh look very quickly and yet may still be serviceable. The best guide to changing oil is knowing the vehicle’s mileage and period of time since the last oil change.
• If the oil on the dipstick is not blackish in color but looks milky grey, this could indicate that there is some water (or coolant) being mixed into the oil. There may be a serious problem somewhere in the engine, such as leaking head gasket, and you should report this to your supervisor immediately.

Part 2: Step-by-step instruction

1. Replace drain bolt
   Before replacing the drain bolt, install a new sump plug gasket. Screw in the bolt and then tighten it to the torque level recommended by the manufacturer. You will find this information in the vehicle service manual.
2. Select correct type of oil
   The service manual or the owner’s manual will also tell you the correct grade of oil for the vehicle, and the quantity you will need to fill the engine.
3. Add correct amount of oil
   Pour the oil in carefully so that no oil is spilt onto the outside of the engine, and slowly enough to avoid the risk of blowback or overflow. Fill the engine only to the level indicated on the engine dipstick, not until the oil is coming out the top of the filler nozzle. Replace the filler cap.
4. Run the engine, check pressure
   Start the engine and check the oil pressure indicator on the dash. If the oil pressure is inadequate, stop. Do not continue to run the engine.
5. Inspect under car for oil leaks
   Check underneath the vehicle to make sure that no oil is leaking from the drain plug.
6. Stop engine and inspect level
   Turn the engine off and wait thirty seconds, then check the level again with the dipstick. It may be necessary to top off the engine by adding a small additional quantity of oil to compensate for the amount absorbed by the new filter.
7. Install reminder sticker
   Refer to the owner’s manual or the service manual, and install a static sticker or door sticker to remind the owner when the next oil change is due.