How Often Should You Change Your Engine Oil?
FixMyCar explains the importance of changing your engine oil regularly.
Book a car repair nowEllie Dyer-Brown
Monday August 04 2025
7 min read
An oil change is an essential part of any car’s maintenance routine. After a while, old oil stops working effectively, putting your car's components at risk of damage. Think of it like replacing a worn-out pair of running shoes to protect your joints.
If you have questions about what an oil change is, why it's important and how it's done, this guide is for you.
In a nutshell: You should change your engine oil approximately every 10,000 miles or 12 months, whichever comes first. Check your owner's manual to find out the recommended oil change interval for your car.
What is an oil change?
An oil change for your car involves draining old motor oil from your engine and replacing it with fresh oil and a clean filter. This process is necessary because the oil loses its lubricating properties over time - it becomes dirty, and its chemical makeup changes.
Failure to change your engine oil at the correct intervals can result in engine damage due to excessive friction.
How often should you change your oil?
The best way to know when to get an oil change is by checking your vehicle handbook, which should recommend a manufacturer-approved oil change interval. You can also inspect your car's oil using the dipstick - a dark rather than transparent colour and a gritty feeling when you rub it between your fingers indicate it's time for an oil change.
This guide explains how to check various car fluid levels.
You should change your engine oil approximately every 10,000 miles. However, this distance varies between different models; following the correct maintenance schedule for your car is important. Check your owner's manual to find out the correct fluid change intervals for your make and model of car.
An oil change is included as part of a full service, which should be carried out annually.
When should you check your oil level?
Changing your engine oil isn’t the only way to maintain it; ensuring it’s topped up to the right level is also essential. If your engine oil level drops too low, it can cause engine damage.
You'll need to top up your engine oil more often than you need to change it. So, check your oil level regularly, ideally before every long drive.
How to check your oil level
Checking your engine oil level is a straightforward task that you can do on the driveway with your car switched off and the engine fully cool.
Follow these simple steps:
Open up your bonnet.
Remove the dipstick and wipe it clean.
Push the dipstick back into the tube.
Remove the dipstick again. The oil streak on the dipstick should sit between the two marks.
If the oil streak sits less than halfway between the two marks, you should top up your engine oil.
How to change your engine oil
It is possible to change your engine oil yourself. However, it can be a fiddly and potentially mess job. If you lack confidence or run into any difficulty, it’s best to visit a local garage instead.
Equipment
You will need...
Oil drain pan
Fresh engine oil
Fresh oil filter
Spanner
Oil filter spanner
Protective gloves
Funnel
Jack stands, ramp or hoist
Read this guide for advice about what engine oil your car needs.
Step one: Raise your car up
You need to give yourself enough room to work, which involves elevating your car using jack stands, a ramp or a hoist. You should never work under a vehicle raised by a floor jack.
Step two: Locate the oil sump and drain plug
Many modern cars are fitted with a plastic undertray, which needs removing to access the oil sump (also known as the oil pan). It is likely attached by a mixture of screws, bolts or plastic clips.
Once you have removed the undertray, find the drain plug. It's a large nut on the sump, usually beneath the engine. While doing this, check for signs of leaking oil - if you spot any, you'll need to book a repair.
Step three: Position your oil drain pan
You need a way to collect the old oil without letting it spill - this is where your drain pan comes in. Remember that cars contain a lot of oil - between four and eight litres - so you need a receptacle large enough to hold it all. Place it beneath the drain plug.
Step four: Remove the drain plug
Use a wrench to loosen the drain plug (turning it counter-clockwise), then unscrew it. The oil should now begin to drain from the sump. Allow it to do so for five minutes or until it has slowed to a small trickle.
Step five: Locate and remove the oil filter
Next, it's time to find the oil filter. It's cylindrical and looks like a small can, often screwed onto the engine near the sump. It may also be labelled 'filter'. Using a hand or oil filter wrench, loosen it slightly so the oil starts dripping into your drain pan. Wait until the oil has stopped dripping to remove the filter.
Take a moment to check that the old oil filter gasket, which looks like a thin rubber O-ring, hasn't been left behind. Failure to remove it will prevent the new filter from sealing correctly - all your new oil will leak out within minutes of starting the engine.
Step six: Screw in the new filter
Grab your new filter and rub a light coating of oil around the rubber gasket on top - this ensures a proper seal when you tighten it. When you screw it in, don't do it too hard. Make sure it's 'hand tight', then turn it a little more so it's snug.
Step seven: Replace the drain plug
Replace the plug, tightening it until it feels snug. You don't want to over-tighten it. Otherwise, you could damage it and the sump. There may be a torque spec from the manufacturer for you to follow using a torque wrench.
Step eight: Lower your car
Reinstall your car's undertray if necessary and lower it to the ground. Then, open the bonnet and locate the oil filler cap.
Step nine: Fill it up with fresh oil
Use the funnel to pour new engine oil into the system through the filler cap. If you're unsure where it is, consult your owner's manual. It should have a picture of an oil can on it. Make sure you fill your car with the correct amount of oil - again, this information can be found in your vehicle handbook.
Step ten: Check the oil level and look for leaks
Wait five minutes for the oil to settle into the sump - you can use your dipstick to check whether it is at the correct level. Then, switch your car on and let it idle, warming up. See if you can spot leaks around the filter and under the vehicle. If not, you're good to go.
How to dispose of engine oil
You mustn’t pour your engine oil down the sink, onto the ground or into a regular bin. It’s insoluble, toxic, and terrible for the environment, so it must be disposed of safely.
Once you’ve drained your engine oil, seal it in an airtight container with a screwed cap. You should then be able to dispose of it at your nearest oil bank.
Try Oil Care for details of your nearest oil bank.
How much is an oil change?
If you don’t fancy changing your engine oil - and let’s be honest, it's not the nicest job - then we would recommend comparing prices at local garages and getting a professional to do it instead. The average price of an oil change is £115.02.
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Ellie is FixMyCar's Content Manager. She has over three years of experience writing about cars and regularly collaborates with automotive experts to provide trustworthy advice for drivers that is easy understand. Her work has been featured in Yahoo! Finance, iNews, The Daily Express and The Sun. She has a BA in English literature and an MA in creative writing from Durham University. Outside of work, Ellie follows F1 and eagerly awaits Ferrari's next era of dominance in the sport. She drives a Suzuki Swift.