I’m writing this because it seems no one else in the world will do it. I am very particular about changing my own oil in my cars. First of all because I can do it cheaper than anyone else, secondly it only takes about 15 minutes which is less time than it takes at some places, and thirdly because I trust myself to do it correctly. When I was ready to change the oil in my new ‘05 Chevy Cobalt I discovered that the Cobalt uses an oil filter cartridge instead of the normal oil filter canister. This was new to me and so I went searching on the internet to find out where it goes and how to change it. Guess what, I found nothing. After going through the trouble of trying to figure it out myself I decided to help out my fellow Cobalt owners.
Where does the filter go?
For those of you that already know how to change your oil, let me tell you quick. You can find the filter under the hood of the car. Pull the oil cap off, pull up on the big plactic cover that sits over the engine and you will see the canister where the filter goes. It hangs directly off the side of the engine closest to the front of the car. You’ll be able to tell because it has a large, black plastic top that you have to take off to get to the filter. Thats it!.
For those of you that don’t know how to change your oil, or need a reminder I am writing this small step by step guide to changing your oil in the Chevrolet Cobalt:
How to change the oil in my Cobalt
1. When Do I Change My Oil? While many times the manufacturer recommends changing your oil every 3,000 miles or so, the Cobalt actually has a computer that uses a working algorithm to calculate the use of your oil based on how much you drive, how fast you drive, and how quickly you accelerate. With the computer you only need to change your oil when the “Change Oil Soon” messages appears on your message board. For me, I went about 7,500 miles before I had to change my oil.
2. What materials do I need? You will need 5 Quarts of 5W/30, an oil filter (cartridge) for your car, a #15 metric wrench, a tool to take loose the oil filter plug, old rags, an oil pan, and a funnel.
3. Make sure the engine is warm Get all of your tools together, purchase the oil and filter, and then drive your car around awhile to get your engine warm. If your heater is blowing out hot air then you are good. This gets your engine oil thinned out which will make it easier to drain.
4. Drain your oil Put your drain pan under the car’s oil pan and loosen the bolt using the metric wrench. Just loosen the bolt first, unless you wish to have your hand drenched in burning hot oil (remember, you just drove it around to get it hot). Once you loosen the bolt with the wrench, you can continue to turn the bolt with your fingers, holding it tight until your ready to pull the plug out and let it drain. Make sure your aim is correct and you pull it quick or you could get oil all over the floor, your hand, your face, or anything else that is in the way. Remember you just drained the oil out of your car, so good luck getting to the emergency room if you burn your face off.
5. Change your filter While you let your oil drain, go ahead and get under the hood of the car. Once you pull the oil cap off you can pull off the big plastic cover that sits over the engine. It isn’t bolted down, so all you have to do is lift up on it and it will come right off. Once the plastic cover is removed, you will be able to see the canister where the filter goes. It’s silver, it hangs directly off the side of the engine, closest to the front of the car, and the top of it has a black, plastic plug that you can remove by turning it with a socket or a wrench, but let me tell you it takes a big one. If you don’t have a socket that fits, then you can be creative and try to get it loosened another way. Be careful, don’t ruin or bust the plastic top. Once you get it unscrewed, just lift up on the black plug and the filter will come right out with it. Put the new filter in. Make sure the filter canister is empty, and then put it back into the canister and tighten it up.
6. Put your oil plug back in and fill it up Once it’s finished draining, put your oil plug back in and tighten it. Now that your filter is in and your oil plug is in, your next step is to put your new oil in the engine. This is where the funnel comes in handy.
7. Start it up and check for leaks Once you have filled your car with the proper amount of oil you need to start it up and make sure it isn’t leaking or dripping from the oil plug or from the filter canister. If everything is tight you shouldn’t have a problem.
8. Reset your computer As soon as your oil is changed you need to reset your computer. Read the manual on your Cobalt to figure it out… it is easy.
9. Clean-up Once you are finished you need to take your used oil to a place that accepts old oil. Do not dump it! Oil contaminates the soil and the water supply so you need to dispose of it properly.
This should be about it. It will only take you about 15 to 20 minutes to complete the whole process.
The next step is resetting your computer. If you need to know how to do that you can view my detailed description: “How To Reset The Computer On Your Chevrolet Cobalt”
UPDATE: Here is an added note by Thomas Witt who e-mailed me some inside info. I haven’t tried this myself since I sold my Cobalt a while back, but you can give it try:
“I found that if you turn your key to ACC (without turning the engine over) you can press the “”"I”"”" button to see the oil setting % and then press the gas pedal three times. This will set the oil setting back to 100%. This info comes from the dealership. They forgot to reset mine so I called them. They told me how they reset Chevy cars which works on most of the later models.”
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