If you don’t change your own oil, you’re probably thinking that there’s nothing in this post for you. However, I think that you may find some principles here that you can apply to other areas of your life, so read on…

Why I Change My Own Oil: My wife and I each drive around 20,000 miles a year. That means that the oil and filter needs to be changed about 4 times a year in each vehicle. I typically I change them every 5,000 miles. I could take it to a local automotive service center and spend 45 minutes to an hour checking the vehicle in, waiting, and paying; or I could do it myself in about 15 minutes. I could pay a local service center about $20.00 each time ($160/year), or I could pay about $12.00 each time ($96/year). I usually choose to do it myself.

The Checklist: I have a laminated checklist that sits in the top of my toolbox. Before I had this checklist I would somtimes have to make an extra trip or two between the driveway and my storage building to get everything. I no longer have that problem. Here is my current checklist:

Grand Am Oil Change

Tools:

• ½” Open End Wrench
• Jaw type oil filter wrench
• Ground Blanket
• Rags

Consumables:

• 4.5 quarts Valvoline 5W-30 motor oil
• PF-47 Oil Filter

Reset the CHANGE OIL Light:

• Turn Ignition Key ON
• Press RESET button in fuse block
• When CHANGE OIL light flashes press and hold the RESET button again.
• The light will go out and you will hear chimes

Ranger Oil Change:

Tools:

• ½” Open End Wrench
• Cap Type “D” Oil Filter Wrench
• 3/8” Drive Ratchet
• 3/8” Long Socket Extension
• Ground Blanket
• Rags

Consumables:

• FL-820S Oil Filter
• 5 quarts Valvoline 5W-30 motor oil

Dealing with Consumables: If I had to run out each time and buy oil and filters, I would be wasting a lot of time. When I finish changing oil, I check to see if I have everything I need for the next oil change. If I don’t, then I add those items to my @Errands list so that I can pick them up when I’m near an auto parts store. I typically have six to eight weeks before I need them, so there’s no rush. I already have the part numbers on the checklist, so I include this when I add the item to my @Errands list. This also saves me from having to spend time looking up part numbers in the store. When I buy these items I buy enough stuff for to do two oil changes. This keeps me from having to go to the auto parts store between every oil change. For example, I buy two cases of oil each time, two PF-47 filters, and two FL-820S filters.

Dealing with Waste: I have two 5-gallon cans that I keep the used motor oil in. When I fill up one of can I go ahead and start filling up the second can. I then add an item to my @Errands list to “Recycle Used Motor Oil”. Once again, there is no pressure to get this done since I usually have about six months before it becomes critical.

Conclusion: We all have a number of areas in which a simple checklist can improve our efficiency. If you have some other areas in your life where you use similar checklists, or where you have established procedures to deal with consumables, please take a moment to add a comment for others to learn from your experiences.