Did you know that if you put too much oil in your car after a change, certain sections of the crankshaft can dip into the oil and introduce air to it, which will cause foaming and fluctuations in the oil pressure. That is just one of the mistakes that you can make when you are changing your own oil. You can avoid that one in particular by utilizing a dipstick, which is a tool used to check the level of the oil in a part of the motor that would otherwise be inaccessible. However, you really need to know about engine oil in order to change it properly.

The SAE or Society of Automotive Engineers has actually established a grading system for the classification of motor oils, and it numerically compares them according to the characteristics of their viscosity. And that is only one of the many things you need to know about engine oil to make sure that you know what motor oil to use.

Not only that, but if you do change your own oil, you need to make sure that you dispose of your oil properly. It is important because if it is improperly dumped, it can form a layer of scum on the surface of a body of water. This layer stops oxygen and sunlight from entering the water, and will kill frogs, fish, plants, and many other life forms in the ecosystem.

Most of the time, you can just pour your used oil back into the container your new oil came from, and then take it to any place where you can purchase oil in order for it to be properly disposed of. Prior to the 1980s, motor oil tended to come in cans made of metal and cardboard, entirely metal, or glass bottles, but now with plastic bottles on the scene, it makes for a much easier time disposing of the used oil.

It is actually much easier to get your oil changed professionally, and many times besides supplying the correct motor oil types, will give you a reminder when to come back for your next change. Not only that, but when you go some where to get an oil change, you usually pay only slightly more than the oil and filter going into your car… So, rather than schooling yourself about engine oil, why not just go somewhere and let professionals handle it for you? Learn more: www.motoroilmatters.org