Maintaining of the Petroleum Circulatory System

Maintaining a car is an important task and is often neglected. Not only is it neglected, but it is also frowned upon. Few people enjoy maintaining a car. However, it is crucial in order to have a properly running vehicle and avoid major repairs in the future. With a little knowledge of the components, a little patience and some curiosity the maintenance can be key to the cars life, and fun as well.

One of the most important and probably simplest maintenance jobs of all is the oil change. An engine cannot run without proper lubrication of the internal components. Without the oil, the metal parts inside of the engine would move for a brief time as they are supposed to, but after rubbing directly against each other they would have generated sufficient heat to weld or literally fuse the metal together therefore seizing the engine. The engine would be a useless lump of iron and steel.

The engine has many passageways for the oil to flow through. These passageways allow the oil to flow throughout the entire engine and lubricate various moving parts as necessary. The engine requires a certain amount of oil to always be in the oil system to keep the pressure through the passageways high enough to allow even flow to all components in the engine. Checking the oil level is important in allowing you to know whether it has dropped below a crucial limit. It is also important not to overfill because this is also detrimental to the engines performance. If the level is high enough, the crankshaft may dip into the oil, causing drag on the crank and also frothing of the oil so that air bubbles enter the oil system. The frothing interrupts the correct flow of oil. It is easy to check the oil level by reading the dipstick.

Changing the oil is important because the quality of the oil degrades with heat and friction. The oil’s degraded state causes buildup and clogging of the passageways and poor lubrication properties. This can lead to overheating of the engine or poor performance.

Oil can easily be changed. The first step, assuming your car has clearance underneath to allow free movement, would be to find a pan or low bucket capable of containing six to seven quarts. The next step would be to locate the drain plug on the backside of the oil pan. Always use a properly fitting wrench. Place the oil catch pan or bucket beneath the oil drain hole. Never lie directly under the oil drain. Loosen the bolt by rotating the wrench counter-clockwise. Allow the spent oil to drain into the catch pan. This could be messy, so it is advised to keep a few rags handy. The oil could still be hot from the engine if it had been running previously. It would also be advised not to come into contact with the oil whenever possible. When the oil has drained, replace the drain hole bolt.

If you wish to change the oil filter simply place the catch pan underneath the oil filter and rotate the filter counter-clockwise. Most oil filters can be found on the exterior of the engine somewhat near the oil pan. Clean the surface of where the oil filter was mounted. Apply a thin film of oil to the rubber gasket on the oil filter. Install the new oil filter in place of the old one.

The engine has now been completely drained of its used oil and it is ready to be filled with fresh motor oil. Remove the oil fill cap and add oil. Check the dipstick after each quart of oil and be careful not to overfill too much. This could also cause problems as previously stated.

By following this simple process, you have extended the life of your car or maybe you have saved a few dollars by doing it yourself. Participating in the maintenance of your car may be boring or at least not enjoyable, but it may help you appreciate your car a bit more thus making the ownership much more enjoyable.