Oil Change Instruction for Teenagers

[The Critic]

My next-door neighbor has asked me to teach his 13 yr old twins boys how to change oil. He drives an Acura RDX with the J35 V6 engine which is a fairly straightforward oil change.

I am not the best teacher - any tips or general best practices on how to teach beginners on how to handle this task?

 

[Quattro Pete]

Maybe use this C&D page as a guide, and tweak as needed?

How to Change Your Oil

Follow these simple steps and you'll do the job right and for much cheaper.

www.caranddriver.com

Here is another one from Edmunds:

How To Change Your Oil | Edmunds

Get quick and simple do-it-yourself instructions on how to change your oil on Edmunds.com and save money on your car maintenance costs.

www.edmunds.com

I would also start by explaining to them what oil and oil filter does and why they need changing - often times it helps people understand why they're doing the job in the first place.

 

[ecotourist]

Get them to do as much as possible. Lay out the steps and tell them (and show them) what can go wrong - left gasket, cross threaded bolt, forgetting to add oil, leaking filter or oil plug. Finally supervise them doing the job once or twice.

In medicine the teaching motto for learning was "see one, do one, teach one".

 

[JustN89]

I taught my brother when he was 10 on my '97 Grand Cherokee. I made a checklist beforehand, and had him read me each step followed with him watching me do said step. I thought that was a pretty straightforward way to do it.


That said, he learned absolutely nothing, doesn't change his own oil, and can't even ride a bike. He's 19 now. I wouldn't recommend my approach.

 

[Gimpy1]

Be patient. Explain things "what, why, and how" Make an agreement to keep cell phones away. Let the kiddo make mistakes remember thats how we learn. And above all else dont yell or get frustrated, once a kid shuts you out its over. Enjoy yourself and "dumb it down" to the very basic thing, remember this is the first time this kid has ever done it and maybe the first time hes opened the hood dont assume anything.

 

[Hal-9000]

Isn’t it normally a fathers job to teach his sons such things?

 

[WylieCoyote]

One of the most important items to teach is one you speak out loud before the process begins. You add oil, you don't fill the oil. Probably not an important lesson when you don't have a drum of oil to work with, but.....the words you choose can be important.

A girl in my 11th-grade auto shop class filled her boyfriend's '72 Chevelle engine all the way to the filler cap. His mistake for telling her to fill the oil, then walking away.

 

[Leo99]

When I taught my son, the things he had trouble with were righty tighty and lefty Lucy and how much strength is needed to tighten and loosen things. He had trouble tightening the drain plug properly out of fear of overtightening it and breaking something and wasn't confident when loosening the filter or plug that he was turning in the correct direction and was hesitant to put some muscle into it.

 

[Kestas]

When I train people at work, I first show them how to do it, then I watch them do it, then I make sure I'm nearby when they're solo... pretty much what ecotourist said.

But you only have one stab at this. Ecotourist and Gimpy1 gave good advice.

 

[AutoMechanic]

Have them do as much as you possibly can. I am a hands on learner so that’s how I learned most of my stuff. Don’t scream at them if they make a mistake too that’s only harder. I learned lots from school and old timers and they all let me assist and do some of the stuff. Might be a good time to educate them on the importance of using a 6 point socket on the drain plug too I remember my first oil change all I had was a wrench and rounded off the plug a bit. No big deal as it wasn’t a significant amount but still enough. And one thing too please teach them to use new oil on the filter gasket. One of my biggest pet peeves is someone using old oil on the filter.

 

[brages]

My problem with teaching kids to do stuff is that I always jump in and do it for them instead of watching them struggle. Sadly, the learning is in the struggle.

How to use a ratchet with two hands (one supporting the head) is something that they struggle with.

 

[Trav]

Nice engine to learn how to strip the drain plug on. First you better tech them how to use properly set and use a torque wrench.
Seriously these and a few other aluminum pans are notorious and will not take over tightening by very much. I use a TW on all aluminum pans regardless, pay close attention to the threads when you remove one that you didn't tighten.

General info. always use a quality torque tool of the correct size, do go go after a 18ft.lb bolt with the trusty HF 1/2" drive, its a guaranteed strip out. A 3/8 drive wrench 7-50 ft.lb would be ideal. If you are going to work with aluminum and most engine today use a lot of it these tools are a must have even for weekend warriors.

 

[Oillover]

My next-door neighbor has asked me to teach his 13 yr old twins boys how to change oil. He drives an Acura RDX with the J35 V6 engine which is a fairly straightforward oil change.

I am not the best teacher - any tips or general best practices on how to teach beginners on how to handle this task?

Tell the neighbor to spend more time with his kids.
They'll probably be more inclined to learn from him, than you.

 

[Kira]

Maybe teach then separately.

 

[rob1715]

I do, you watch. I do, you help. You do, I help. You do, I watch. Don't move on to the next step under they understand the definition of each word and its function. Too steep a gradient and misunderstood words are the main obstacles to learning. Take nothing for granted. If you're using a torque wrench, don't assume they know what "torque" means. Once in management class we had to tell someone how to unwrap a stick of gum. Sounds easy, but you wouldn't believe the amount of questions you can have from one simple procedure.

 

[Chris142]

Bring them here! My cousin can show them! Plus I do not like her currant BF at all. Hehe

 

[Dave Sherman]

My little sister was required to learn how to change the oil for a Girl Scouts thing, and mom and dad figured it was a good thing to have her learn anyway, if only to know that that it was something that needed to be done. I got elected to teach her, so we went over why it needs to be changed, where the oil filter was located, tips to minimize the mess, checking to make sure the filter gasket came off with the old filter, how to oil the gasket, how to tighten the filter properly, and how to tighten the drain plug properly. For someone who was not accustomed to working on cars, she did quite well. She probably never changed it herself again, but she could have.

 

[Danno]

It might be something that I would politely refuse.
Not wanting to be on any hook for future missteps by the kids.
As noted, not an engine you want kids to be making rookie mistakes on.
My 2 cents.

 

[Eddie]

Start with safety precautions. Vehicle support, gloves, etc. Then proper tools and basin to hold all the oil. I taught both my daughters and had them do an oil change, atire change and how to check levels of coolant, oil brake fluid etc. They don't do it now but, understand the effort it takes to do a good job. Just my way. Dad Ed

 

[ragtoplvr]

If the car must be raised for access, then the most important thing is to teach them to NEVER use a jack. 2 types of lift. Concrete blocks do not count. Wheel chocks.

Ramps Back up jack stands, floor jack or something. Then push sideways on car a few times to make sure secure. Lost a second or third cousin by one falling off the jack. It should have been closed casket, the undertaker could not fully hide the crushing.

Rod