How To Save ₦‎15,000 Every Month & Do Car Servicing Yourself In Nigeria

While many people take their cars to the mechanic shop for servicing, it’s also something you can do at home to save that extra cost. Owning a car requires that you conduct regular servicing but considering how expensive things are currently, you can do the servicing yourself and save that extra cost.

How To Do Car Servicing By Yourself At Home

The routine maintenance of a car is referred to as car servicing. It is meant to be done on a car after every 4,000 to 5,000 KMs mileage because every car needs a refresh of certain supplies after a certain period.

How Often Should You Service Your Car?

Focusing on the oil change aspect of the servicing, what determines when you need to service your car is the type of car oil you use.

If you drive a car that requires synthetic engine oil, you should schedule your car for servicing every 6 months or every 5,000 Kms. But, if you drive a car that requires mineral/regular oil, you should schedule the car servicing for every 3,000 Kms.

How To Know The Type Of Oil Your Car Needs

To know the type of oil your car needs, read the owner’s manual or check the write-up on the engine oil cap cover under the bonnet of your car.

However, in many modern cars today, there’s a meter that calculates the oil life of your car, and it flashes a service reminder when it is due for service. 

Note: Before learning to service your car yourself, it’s important to know that having a good experience with your car as it ages starts with using the required oil needed to service it every time.

Steps To Service Your Car By Yourself At Home

To avoid damaging your car, home car servicing should only be restricted to changing car oil at home. A professional automobile technician should address any other servicing like brake pad replacement, suspension inspection, engine inspection, and other technical issues.

What You Need To Change Car Oil At Home

• The required quantity of engine oil and specification
• The authentic oil filter
• A Spanner that can unscrew your oil pan bolt
• A Chainspanner that can loosen your filter
• A Bowl to collect engine oil
• A jack(maybe) in case you need to raise the car
• 15 minutes of free time with maximum focus

Once you have all these things, here are the steps to change your car oil.

Step 1: Make Sure Your Car Is Cool

Before changing the oil, the car and the engine must be cool so the oil won’t burn your hand. In fact, it’s best to change the oil once the car has cooled off for up to 10 hours. This allows all the specks of dirt in the oil to settle at the bottom level of the oil storage area.

Step 2: Park The Car Properly

Park the car somewhere that can accommodate some oil spill or someplace where the spilt oil can easily be cleaned.

Step 3: Losen The Oil Sump Bolt

The oil sump is the part under the car that houses the engine oil you pour into the car. The oil sump is beneath the engine and always under the car. There’s always a bolt in the oil sump, usually 12-inches to 14-inches locking the oil from pouring out as you drive. You have to find this bolt and loosen it while the container is around the area so that it can take the engine oil siping out as you loosen the bolt.

This bolt has to be loosened very fast so that you don’t stain your hand with the engine oil sipping out. If your car is very close to the ground, jack it up to access the oil sump.

Step 4: Unscrew The Oil Filter

The oil filter is a cylindrical metal case that is attached to a part of your engine. It could be under the car or somewhere around the engine to look at the engine from the bonnet. Find out where your oil filter is, and use a chain spanner to loosen it out completely. Remember, the engine oil is still sipping out through the oil sump.

Step 5: Bolt The Sump & Oil Filter After 10 Minutes Of Oil Sipping

After the oil sipping has lasted for 10 minutes, bolt the oil sump tightly and also screw in the new oil filter and make sure it locks properly. Once you have done this, you can take out the container used to collect the oil.

Step 6: Pour The New Engine Oil

Pour the engine oil into the engine using a funnel through the engine top. You’ll see an engine oil cap cover, open it and pour the engine oil until the dipstick shows that it has properly gauged.

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Step 7: Start The Car & Let It Run

When you have gauged the oil with the dipstick and confirmed that it is perfect, start up the car and let it run for about 10 minutes.

Conclusion

After concluding all these steps, you have successfully changed your engine oil. Also, remember that you should limit your car servicing only to changing the car engine.