To experience firsthand the technology students today use to engage in their own learning, I have decided to learn how to change the oil in my car through information obtained solely through the internet for my Networked Learning Project (NLP).
An initial Google search for “changing the oil in my 2013 Subaru Outback” returned instant results: three youtube videos, one video from carcarekiosk.com, and two pages of help forum posts on www.subaruoutback.org on the topic.
The three youtube videos were all about the same, demonstrating tools and the process of changing the oil. However, for a complete newbie, there were some key pieces of missing information:
- How am I supposed to jack the car up?
- How do I dispose of the oil?
carcarekiosk.com, thankfully, answered those questions:
- Wheel chocks, jack, and jack lifts keep the car elevated (Diamond Jim, n.d.).
- Pour oil from the oil drip pan into a disposable container and drop it off at an auto parts store for recycling (Braeger Ford, n.d.).
Aside from how, just as importantly, I also had to ask: will changing my own oil be cost effective?
Here is what I discovered:
- The required consumables, 5.1 quarts of full synthetic oil, oil filter, oil drain plug gasket: $40 total (NAPA, 2019).
- Additional tools, drain pan, wheel chocks, jack stands, torque wrench, floor jack: $285 total (NAPA, 2019).
I would have to do 4 oil changes to recoup the cost. Not horrible, but more than I initially thought I would need to spend. I was deflated, until I thought to ask one more question: is there any way to simply squeeze under the car without having to jack it up?
Oh! There is another option!
Next time: the oil change pump!
References
From Computer Programmer to CS Teacher 