How to Change the Oil in a 1993 Ford Escort GT
Ford recommends that you change the oil filter in your 1993 Escort GT whenever you change the oil--in other words, every 5,000 miles or six months. Ford recommends 3,000 miles and three months for heavier-duty schedules, such as dusty or mountainous terrain, towing and extensive idling. Change the oil and filter yourself not only to save labor costs but also to make sure it’s done right, with no overflowing and adequate drainage time. In exchange for no longer paying labor costs, you’ll have to make a one-time purchase of an oil filter wrench and perhaps two jack stands.
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Things You'll Need
- Drain pan
- Crescent wrench
- Oil filter wrench
- New drain bolt washer
- Socket wrench
- Rag
- Oil filter
- Oil
- Funnel
Instructions
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Changing the Oil
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1
Start the Escort and idle the engine until the oil temperature gauge on the dashboard starts registering. This thins the oil so it will drain out more completely.
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2
Unscrew the engine oil fill cap by hand. The oil fill cap is on top of the engine, to the right, on the side closest to the battery. Letting in air makes the oil drain smoother and faster.
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3
Slide under the engine and find the engine oil drain bolt. It will be at about the lowest place on the engine. Don’t confuse it with the transmission fluid drain plug. The difference between the two is that the metal around the engine oil drain bolt will still be hot.
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4
Loosen the drain bolt using an ordinary crescent wrench. Turn counterclockwise. If it won’t budge, use a closed-end wrench for a better grip.
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5
Slide a drain pan under the loosened drain bolt. Unscrew the drain bolt all the way.
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6
Locate the oil filter nearby. It’s a baseball-size cylinder about as wide as it is tall.
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7
Set the oil filter wrench to grasp when twisted counterclockwise. Put the oil filter wrench on the filter. Twist it with a crescent wrench to loosen it (though a socket wrench will work better), with the male part of the socket wrench fitting in the female part of the oil filter wrench.
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8
Unscrew manually the filter the rest of the way. Don’t put your face under it; the oil filter is full of oil. Take a break. Most oil will drain out in two minutes, but let it pour out for 20 minutes--or an hour if you have the time. This is one way you can do a better job than a garage, since the garage must do this be faster.
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9
Screw the drain bolt on. Use a new washer, as recommended by Edmunds, since washers are compressible and therefore wear faster than the bolt. If using a torque wrench, tighten the drain bolt to 29 ft.-pounds.
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10
Remove the seal (rubber O-ring) that fits between the engine and oil filter. Wipe the seal’s contact area on the engine clean with a rag.
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11
Reverse the direction of the oil filter so that it tightens when you turn it clockwise.
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12
Coat the seal that came with the new filter with oil. Hold it in place while screwing on the filter manually. Once you feel resistance, tighten it 2/3 of a turn with the oil filter wrench. Tightening further may compromise the seal.
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13
Pour 4 qts. of oil into a 3.8-liter engine or 4.5 qts. into a 4.25-liter engine. (The sedan and wagon are 3.8 liter, and the ZX2 is 4.25.) Pour the oil in where you unscrewed the oil refill cap, using a funnel. Check the dipstick to make sure you don’t overfill, which can impair mileage. Screw the oil refill cap back in.
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14
Start the car and idle the engine in neutral until the oil temperature gauge starts rising. See if the oil filter or drain bolt are leaking.
Used Oil
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15
Wash used motor oil from your skin with soap and water. It’s not only a skin irritant but also can be carcinogenic.
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16
Put the oil in a sealed container, using a funnel. Leave it with a gas station or recycling center, preferably one that won’t charge you for it. Dumping it on or in the ground or in the track can affect landfill chemistry and maybe even the water supply. As Edmunds points out, it’s also illegal.
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17
Turn the empty oil canisters and used oil filter open-end-down in the drain pan. Throw them out in the regular trash the next time you change the oil; by then they will be fully drained.
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1
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
