How I Changed My Own Car Oil for the First Time (And Why I’ll Never Pay a Mechanic for It Again)

Before I tell you this story, let me say one thing. I am not a mechanic. I am not a car expert. I am a driver. I drive 8-10 hours every day. Sometimes more. My car is my office. My car is my income. So when something goes wrong, I can’t just sit and wait. And I definitely can’t pay someone 8000 rupees for something I can do myself in 30 minutes.

So here it is. How I changed my own oil for the first time. And why I will never pay a mechanic for this again.

(Disclaimer: Bhai, main driver hoon. Mechanic nahi. Jo main ne kiya, woh maine apni gari pe kiya. Tumhari gari alag ho sakti hai. Oil change karne se pehle apni car ka manual parh lo. YouTube pe video dekh lo. Galti se zyada oil daal diya ya kam daal diya toh engine kharab ho sakta hai. Toh samajh ke karo. Meri tarah andha naa karo.)

The Day I Said “No More”

So I have this mechanic. I-8 wala. Old guy. Grey beard. He is good. But expensive.

Every 5,000 km, I would go to him. Oil change. He would charge me 4,500 rupees. Sometimes 5,000.

One day, I was sitting in my car. Waiting for a passenger. I started thinking.

4,500 rupees. Every 5,000 km. I drive 60,000 km a year. That is 12 oil changes. 12 * 4,500 = 54,000 rupees. Per year. Just on oil changes.

And then I thought: How much is the oil? How much is the filter?

I asked a passenger. He worked at an auto parts shop in Saddar. He said: “Bhai, good quality oil 1,800-2,200 rupees. Oil filter 800-1,200 rupees.”

I did the math. 2,200 + 1,200 = 3,400. Mechanic taking 4,500. That is 1,100 rupees for 20 minutes of work. 3,300 rupees per hour. Bhai, main itna nahi kamata.

So I decided. I will do it myself.

The First Mistake (There Were Many)

I went to a shop in I-10 Markaz. Auto parts shop. Young guy behind counter.

I said: “Bhai, mujhe engine oil chahiye. Aur oil filter.”

He asked: “Konsi gari hai?”

I said: “Toyota Corolla. 2008 model. 1.3 liter.”

He went inside. Came back with a can of oil. And a filter.

He said: “Yeh lo. 2,500 total. Oil 1,800. Filter 700.”

I paid. Went home. Opened the hood.

First problem: I couldn’t find the oil drain plug. I knew it was under the car. But where exactly? I lay down on the ground. Looked. Crawled. Dirt in my face. Passenger waiting outside. Awkward.

Lesson number one: Buy a car jack. Or ramps. Or at least a piece of cardboard to lie on.

The YouTube University

I opened my phone. Searched: “How to change oil Toyota Corolla 2008 Pakistan.”

Found a video. Some guy in Lahore. Same car. He showed everything. Drain plug location. Oil filter location. How much oil to put. Everything.

So bhai. If you are reading this and thinking “I can’t do it” — stop. YouTube pe video hai tumhari car ki. Just search. Watch. Do exactly what that guy did.

After watching the video, I felt better. Not confident. But better.

The Mess Under the Car

I found the drain plug. 14mm bolt. I had a wrench. A small one. Not the right size. But close.

I tried to open it. Nothing. Too tight.

I pushed harder. Nothing.

I used my foot. Nothing.

I was sweating. My passenger was waiting in the car. He was watching me. “Bhai, ho raha hai?”

I said: “Haan haan. Bas 2 minute.”

After 10 minutes of struggling, I called a friend. He came. He had a bigger wrench. One hit. Bolt opened.

Lesson number two: Have the right tools. A simple wrench set from Saddar costs 1,000-1,500 rupees. Worth it.

The Oil Drain

When the bolt opened, oil started pouring out. Fast. Black. Thick. It went everywhere. On my hands. On the ground. On the cardboard I finally found.

I panicked. I tried to put the bolt back. Too late. More oil.

The oil was hot. Not burning hot. But hot enough to make me jump.

Lesson number three: Let the engine cool down first. I had driven for 1 hour before. Bad idea.

After 10 minutes, the oil stopped dripping. I wiped the drain plug. Cleaned it. Put it back. Tightened. Not too tight. Just enough.

The Oil Filter

Next was the oil filter. This thing was on tight. I tried to turn it with my hand. Nothing.

I tried with a cloth for grip. Nothing.

I tried with a tool I had. Nothing.

I was about to give up. Then I remembered the video. The guy used an oil filter wrench. A special tool. I didn’t have that.

So I did something stupid. I hammered a screwdriver through the filter. Then used the screwdriver as a lever to turn it.

It worked. But what a mess. Oil everywhere. And now the filter was destroyed. So I had to put the new one.

Lesson number four: Buy an oil filter wrench. 300-500 rupees. Saves time. Saves mess. Saves your sanity.

Putting the New Filter

The new filter was simple. I put some new oil on the rubber gasket. (That helps it seal. A passenger told me later.)

I screwed it on by hand. Tightened as much as I could.

Then I poured the new oil. 3.5 liters. The bottle said. I poured slowly. Checked the dipstick after each liter.

At 3.5 liters, the dipstick showed perfect. Between min and max.

I closed the oil cap. Started the engine. Let it run for 2 minutes. Checked underneath for leaks. No leaks. Alhamdulillah.

The Total Cost

Let me break it down. What I paid vs what mechanic would charge.

I saved 2,000-3,000 rupees. On one oil change.

In one year, with 12 oil changes, I will save 24,000-36,000 rupees.

That is real money, bhai. That is fuel for 2 months. That is food for a family.

What I Learned (The Hard Way)

1. Tools matter. A good wrench set. An oil filter wrench. A car jack. Ramps if possible. Cardboard to lie on. Nitrile gloves to keep hands clean. Rags to wipe mess.

Total tool cost: 3,000-4,000 rupees one time. Pays for itself in 2 oil changes.

2. Watch a video first. Do not go in blind. YouTube has everything. Pakistani mechanics making videos in Urdu. Watch. Then do.

3. Let the car cool. Hot oil is dangerous. Not just burns. It flows faster. Makes mess. Wait 30 minutes after driving.

4. Don’t over-tighten. The drain plug and oil filter do not need Hulk strength. Snug is enough. Over-tighten and you will strip threads. Then real problem.

5. Dispose of old oil properly. Do not pour in drain. Do not pour on ground. Take to any workshop. They will take it. Sometimes free. Sometimes 50-100 rupees.

6. Keep records. Write down the date and mileage. Next oil change in 5,000 km. I keep a small notebook in my glove box. Has saved me many times.

What People Say (From Passengers)

One passenger. Engineer. He changes his own oil. He told me: “DIY oil changes are cheaper and satisfying if you know what you’re doing” . He is right. The satisfaction of doing it yourself is… something else.

Another passenger. Accountant. He calculated: mechanic oil change $70-120vsDIY$70−120vsDIY30-50 . Same math. Different currency.

In Pakistan, mechanic oil change 4,500-5,500 PKR. DIY 2,500-3,500 PKR.

Savings: 2,000 PKR per change. Minimum.

The Filters

While I was under the car, I also checked the air filter. It was black. Full of dust. Islamabad ki hawa. You know.

Air filter price: 1,200+ PKR . I bought one. Changed it. 5 minutes.

Cabin filter (AC filter): 1,500+ PKR . Changed that too. 2 minutes.

So total parts: Oil 1,800 + Oil filter 700 + Air filter 1,200 = 3,700 PKR.

Mechanic would charge: Oil 3,000 + Oil filter 1,500 + Air filter 2,000 + Labor 1,500 = 8,000 PKR. Easy.

Savings: 4,300 PKR.

Bhai. This is not small money.

Why I Will Never Pay a Mechanic for Oil Change Again

Reason 1: Money. I save 2,000-4,000 every time.

Reason 2: Time. Mechanic ka time nahi lagna. I go to workshop, I wait 30-60 minutes. Sometimes more if rush. DIY? 30-40 minutes total. At home. At my pace.

Reason 3: Control. I know what oil is going in. I know what filter is going in. No one is putting cheap oil and charging me for premium.

Reason 4: Satisfaction. Bhai, jab aap apne haath se karte ho, alag maza hai. Engine smooth chal raha hai. You know why. Because you did it.

Who Should Not Do DIY

Not everyone should change their own oil. Be honest with yourself.

Avoid DIY if:

• Your car is under warranty (some dealers void warranty if no service record)
• You have no tools and no space to work
• You have physical issues bending or lifting
• You just don’t want to. No shame. Convenience has value too.

Do DIY if:

• You want to save money
• You like learning new things
• You have 1 hour on a weekend
• You are tired of mechanics overcharging

The Bottom Line (Driver’s Honest Take)

Bhai.

First time maine oil change kiya, I made mistakes. Lots of them. Dirty hands. Frustration. Near giving up.

Second time? Better. Third time? 25 minutes. Clean. Simple.

Now I change oil every 5,000 km. On time. No waiting for mechanic. No overpaying.

You can do it too. Just start. Watch a video. Buy the parts. Get your hands dirty.

Pehli baar messy hoga. Second time better. Third time aadat.

And the money you save? Put it in fuel. Or take your family out for dinner. Or just keep. Your call.

Also Read

• Car AC stopped blowing cold air? Fix for 250 PKR — passenger saved me from 8,000 scam.
• True car repair costs in Islamabad — what I learned from passengers.
• Cheap car parts in Saddar Rawalpindi — 7 shops. Real prices.
• Islamabad road closures shortcuts — 7 routes I use daily.

— Mohsin

*I-14, Islamabad*

P.S. — You changed your own oil? Or made a mistake I didn’t mention? WhatsApp me. I will add to this guide. We drivers help each other.

P.P.S. — Disclaimer phir se: Main driver hoon. Not a mechanic. Jo tum karoge, tumhari responsibility. Main sirf share kar raha hoon jo maine kiya. Agar engine kharab ho gaya, toh mujhe mat bulaana. Mechnaic ko bulaana.