Hey, how often do you need to changed your oil filter in a car..?

i have an vauxhall astra 1.6 2001 x reg petrol. Thing is i know its crazy but with me being a woman i dont know much about cars. The oil light flashed up yesterday. Shall i get the filter and oil changed. I had my last service end of december 2008. Also if its just the oil that needs changing which one shall i use..



im really sorry im clueless..



regards..Hey, how often do you need to changed your oil filter in a car..?This is the sole reason why i refuse to buy a used car EVER



Special chemicals in your oil breka down over time and when subjuected to the operating temps of yoru engine, without the additives, the oil does not maintain the correct viscosity, and can even boil in some parts of the engine, its meant to lubricate, and flow in tiny crevices, not be a thick gelatinous mass, or a vapor inside your engine, in addition, you will form the presence of sulfuric acid in your oil once its past its service life, you really dont wnat sulphuric acid in your engine.



Its cost 30 bucks to change your oil and filter, and about 12 if you do it yourself, you do it every 3000-6000 miles depending on the type of driving you do, its a tiny investment that will prevent you from making thousands of dollars in repairs from spinning bearings, seizing up piston rods, and replacing oil pumps.Hey, how often do you need to changed your oil filter in a car..?the oil light comes on before you start the car anyway, if it comes on whilst driving then take the car to a garage you may have an oil leak, you only need to do an oil change once a yrHey, how often do you need to changed your oil filter in a car..?Every 10,000 miles. Oil is like the blood in your veins. If you leave it and leave it, your engine will conk out!

Any garage can do it, or try it yourself. Undo the nut on the oil sump with a bowl and catch the old oil. Do it back up and refill with new. It's as easy as that!Hey, how often do you need to changed your oil filter in a car..?You oil filter should get changed around once a year or once every 12000 miles. It should have been done when you got your car serviced, and you should have had a complete oil change too. Not sure if Halfords would pour it in for you, you could call them and ask. But your oil'll definatly need topping up. I wouldn't drive it anywhere until it has been.Hey, how often do you need to changed your oil filter in a car..?You are supposed to have your oil and oil filter changed ever 3000 miles with regular oil. If your oil light is coming on it is usually extremely low on oil with is very bad for the engine and could cause you to damage the motor to the point where it needs to be replaced (usually very expensive)Hey, how often do you need to changed your oil filter in a car..?you need to change your filter evey time you change your oil me i like change my oil every 3000 milesHey, how often do you need to changed your oil filter in a car..?Change your oil and filter once a year unless you do very high mileage.Take it to a garage and they will do it for you.It shouldn't cost you a fortuneHey, how often do you need to changed your oil filter in a car..?Every 10000 kilometers and if your oil light flashed it means your oil is far too low in the engine . Get it changed at a mechanics workshop and the oil filter keep in mind its the cheapest repair getting this done regularly ~~Hey, how often do you need to changed your oil filter in a car..?oil change 1 time a year or every 5000-10000Miles or so. The filter should be changed when new oil is put in the car. There is no pioint putting new oil through a dirty filter. Halfords will put the oil in for you if you ak them. If you are really clueless like you say, i advise just to put your car in a garage and they will do verything for you and it wont cost too much..hope i could helpHey, how often do you need to changed your oil filter in a car..?If you had the car serviced in December, unless you have done more than 6000 miles since then. And the service was done properly, it should not need the oil and filter changing yet. The warning light might have come on because the level as dropped to low on the dip stick,or the oil pressure as dropped too low. Have it checked to see you have not got an oil leak or some other problem.Hey, how often do you need to changed your oil filter in a car..?usually between 3000 and 6000 miles depending on the type of driving you do. if it is city 3000 miles/5000km expressway 6000 miles/10,000 km. this info is in your owners manual in the maint. section. the filter should be changed with the oil every time.Hey, how often do you need to changed your oil filter in a car..?the light flashed because it is it is low on oil Change the oil when it tells you on the maintanece book by mileage and the filter when you have the oil change. No halfords only sell motor parts unless they have a maintance department but putting oil in lift the bonnet up look for a metel stick at the front off the engine pull it out wipe then put it back in pull it out again there are marks on the end of the stick about 1 inch apart the oil should be at the top mark if not put the oil in the oil filler that is at the top of the engine it should have oil printed on the top off the cap only put in enough to bring the oil to the top off the mark best just under the mark only about 1 pint should bring it from the bottom mark to the top mark good luckHey, how often do you need to changed your oil filter in a car..?Car lubrication and oil addatives have come long way in latter years. you need only change your oil filter when you have an oil change. about once every year or about 10,000 miles.



If you ask nicely, HALFORDS will probably do the 'top up' for you.



If you take out the 'dip stick', (look for a small coloured grip/handle and just pull it straight up) at the bottom of the stick you will find a gauge which is about a litre of oil from top to bottom of the mark. Wipe the gauge to read it. Put it (the dipstick) back in then take it out aain to read it. DO THIS ON LEVEL GROUND AND AFTER THE ENGINE HAS STOPPED FOR A FEW MINUTES.Therefore if it's half way down the mark, only put in about half a litre of oil.



The filler is at the top of your engine. It may have a screw or just a baynet lock to turn. (Be carefull not to spill the oil down onto the engine Use a funnel or hold a piece or rag around the filler hole). Be careful not to drop anything else into the filler hole.



Type of oil is probably 10w 30. The 10w refers to a winter viscosity (oiliness) The 30 refers to the oil after it has warmed up. In HALFORDS they usally have booklets by the lubrcation sections where you can look up a spesific lubrcant/oil for any car.



If your oil warning light comes on when driving normally (don't worry if it lights while your engine is only ticking over, eg. when waiting at traffic lights) I should get it checked out AT ONCE. It may or may not be an expensive repair. You don't say how your car has been used or how many miles it had done. Or if it's diesel...



NEVER undo the radiator cap when the engine is warm. You'll scold yourself...Only top up with hot water in a hot engine...Hey, how often do you need to changed your oil filter in a car..?Oil and a filter should have been done in your last service. If your oil light comes on while driving it is telling you that the pressure is low. That means you need to put some more in, not get it or the filter changed.. Park your car on the level and then leave it with the engine turned off for about ten minutes. That will give the oil chance to run back down into the sump. That is where the bottom end of the dip stick sits. Get some oil, i don't know the correct grade, but any engine oil is better than no oil! Look for the dipstick which will be a thin rod sticking out of the side of the engine. It may have a little symbal of an oil can on it, or just be a bent piece of metal forming a handel for your fingers. Pull it out and wipe it with a cloth. Now look at the end and you should see two lines. They may even be labeled Min and Max. in at the bottom, and max at the top. They will only be about 12mm or half an inch apart. Put the dipstick back in the whole and take it out agin. You should now clearly see where the oil has come up to on the stick. I suspect yours will be below the min line. Bad girl!

At the top of the engine there will be a cap with oil written on it or a symbal of an oil can. It should be oily on the inside. Pour some oil in there. Pour in about half a pint, leave it for a minute, and then remove the dipstick, wipe it again, replace, take out and check the level again. If you are still below the max, do it again. If it has only moved a little, pour more in. But you don't want to over fill it. Don't put too much in. If you are not sure, either go to somewhere like Halfords and buy a Haynes Service and Repair Manual for your model of car and have a look through the frontat the weekly, monthly and so on checks. There are lots of simple jobs that should be done to keep your car going and reliable. Or, ask any male friends you have. To us it is like second nature, unless we are rich and pay for somebody else to do it:) But you need to top it up as soon as possible. You will cause damage to the engine if you keep running it low on oil.Hey, how often do you need to changed your oil filter in a car..?Some of the answers you are getting here can sevearly shorten your car's lifespan. I change mine every 3,000 miles, or about 3 times a year (oil %26amp; filter). I have driven millions of miles and never had a major engine failure. Clean oil is a cheap insurance policy against major failure. Car manufacturers suggest much higher change intravals, but they don't want your car to last forever. They want to sell you a new one. While 5-30 or 10-30 are usually recomended, I use 10-40 wt. oil.Hey, how often do you need to changed your oil filter in a car..?3000miles when u change your oil or every 3 months wutever comes firstHey, how often do you need to changed your oil filter in a car..?You explained that it has just been serviced it should have had an oil and filter changed and your light is coming on in not even 4 months, it does not sound good. You also need to find out if your oil light is also your oil pressure warning light, as you could have serious problems. If your oil is low on the dipstick then your car could be either burning it or headgasket problems or a bad leak, but if your oil on the dipstick is ok get it checked out asap as it could be serious.

If you use a good quality oil, you should not need to change the oil and filter for 10000 miles or 12 months whichever comes sooner. Do you have a service book that came with the car, it should mention in there the service frequency. Cars made after 1998 they came with better engines (your car falls into this) and some cars did not need to be serviced til 20000 miles.

I used to have a 2003 '53' Astra 1.6 SXI and my car was serviced every 10000 miles or 12 months.

Always change the filter when changing the oil, for the sake of 7 its piece of mind, what if you forgotten when the filter was last changed, at least if it's done at every oil change you know when it was last done.

Its also a good tip to use engine flush prior to an oil change as it gets all the thick deposits out when the old oil is drained off.

Halfords don't normally put oil in for you but it is easy to do yourselfHey, how often do you need to changed your oil filter in a car..?i change my filter every time i change my oil. they don,t cost that much and besides if you don,t then all your doing is keeping some dirty oil in it along with dirt. they say to change the filter every other time but i like clean oil in my engine.Hey, how often do you need to changed your oil filter in a car..?http://www.hydromake.com/Hey, how often do you need to changed your oil filter in a car..?I change my oil and oil filter after every 6,000 miles or 6 months