Ever since it first launched in 1982, the Toyota Camry has been a great, reliable vehicle.
While this is a sedan that was built to last, you may eventually find yourself wondering how often to change oil in the car. You can take your car to a shop to get an oil change quickly, but you can save a lot of money in the long run by learning how to do it yourself. With a free VIN lookup and the right components, you can become your very own mechanic in no time.
Get the Right Supplies
Before you get to work, you want to make sure you have everything you will need already. The supplies you will need include:
- Carjack
- Carjack stands
- New filter
- Oil drip pan
- Cleaning cloths
- Metric socket or closed-end wrench
- New oil
- Filter wrench
Prepare Your Camry
No matter what year your Toyota Camry is, the process is more or less the same across the board. The first thing you will need to do is lift up your Camry with the car jack. Place the jack stands underneath it to hold it in place. From there, you can drive your vehicle up onto the wheel ramps. You will need to brace the backs of the front tires so that the entire car does not go rolling.
From there, you can open the hood and find the oil filter cap. Remove the cap as well as the dipstick. You will need to collect the new filter, oil drip pan and closed-end wrench. Some cleaning cloths will also help. You are ready to slide underneath the car to locate the filter and drain plug.
Change the Oil
Using your closed-end wrench, you can remove the drain plug. You want to pull the plug away quickly to let the oil drain smoothly into the pan. This should take about 15 minutes. This is a good time to inspect the threads of the drain plug to ensure it is still in good condition. You can then replace the drain plug and turn your attention toward the filter. With the filter wrench, you can remove the old filter in order to install the new one.
Next, coat the new filter’s rubber gasket with the new oil. You are now ready to install a new filter. From there, you are ready to pour in the new oil. You can find out what type of oil is best for your specific year of Camry in the owner’s manual. Search online to find the best prices for synthetic oil so that you can do this job without spending a ton of money. Turn on your car for a minute to allow the oil pressure to build. Inspect the dipstick to ensure there is enough oil. If there is not, you can add more until it is good.
Toyota Camrys are known for being great cars long after owners purchase them. With routine oil changes, your car will continue running the way you want for years to come. The best part is that you can buy all of the supplies you need from a single reputable auto shop.
