Changing the oil in your car is quick and easy, but if this is your first time doing it yourself, it’s important to take all necessary precautions so as not to damage or hurt any of the components under the hood or inside of the vehicle itself.
The best way to maintain your 2012 Chevy Equinox is by learning how to change the oil yourself. Not only will this save you money, but it can also be a fun and rewarding experience. This guide will provide step-by-step instructions on how to do just that in no time!
2012 Chevy Equinox Oil Change Guide [hide]
2012 Chevy Equinox Oil Type
Before changing oil in your 2012 Chevy Equinox read the owner’s manual first. Doing so will provide you with all the information you need to know about your vehicle’s oil requirements. If you don’t have an owner’s manual, check online or at a local library for one that covers your car or truck.
Take into consideration to make before changing your oil is to purchase the correct type of oil and the correct type of oil filter. Many oil change locations have a shop supply section, which allows you to buy the exact amount of engine oil for your 2012 Chevy Equinox without having to purchase an entire quart or gallon. Most shops offer conventional, high mileage and synthetic blend oils, so depending on where you are, the selection may be limited.
VISCOSITY GRADE
The 2012 Chevrolet Equinox uses only engine oil licensed to the dexos1 specification, or equivalent, of the proper SAE viscosity grade of 5W-30. ACDelco dexos1 Synthetic Blend is recommended.
CAPACITY
2012 Chevrolet Trucks EQUINOX 2.4L 4 -cyl take 5 qt of oil.
SPECIFICATION OF OIL
It is not required but recommended to use the Mobil 1 motor oil or The Dexos certificated oil brands which are full synthetic oil that can be used in engines from Chevy. These oils designed for miles of driving on the road, so you won’t have to worry about engine ages with this stuff.
HIGH MILEAGE OIL FOR 2012 Chevy Equinox
Castrol – EDGE High Mileage 5W-30 Full Synthetic Motor Oil is specially formulated for vehicles with over 75,000 miles and the natural choice for consumers who want to extend maximum engine performance.
2012 Chevy Equinox Oil Change Intervals
In order to keep your Chevy Equinox running smoothly, it’s important that you change the oil and filter every 3000-5000 miles for conventional oils or 7500-10000 with synthetic fluids. It is important to keep the inside of your engine clean in order to maintain efficiency. If you want to save money, there are steps you can take to change the oil by yourself.
Best Oil for 2012 Chevy Equinox
Choosing the right oil for 2012 Chevy Equinox oil changes is important to get the job done. Here are some tips about oil selection, especially if you do it by yourself.
Oil (by manufacturer) – Chevy recommends using ACDelco Original Equipment dexos1 5W-30 Full Synthetic Motor Oil. Synthetic oil will improve the protection provided to the engine by the lubricant.
Oil (our choice) – Mobil 1 5W-30 Synthetic Motor Oil for 2012 Chevy Equinox is safe to use. It can provide better gas mileage, engine protection and performance for your 2012 Chevy Equinox engine.
Oil filter (by manufecturer) – If you are looking for which oil filter is perfect for your 2012 Chevy Equinox then check out this K&N Premium Oil Filter.
How to Change Oil by Yourself – Step by Step
We’ll show you just how easy it can be with my step-by-step guide on changing your 2012 Chevy Equinox oil. It doesn’t matter whether this is your first time doing it, or if you’re a pro who has been changing their own cars’ oils for decades – we’re going to make sure everyone knows how simple it really is.
Step 1.
Let’s get started! We’ve got the car jacked up, oil pan, and a 15 millimeter socket for the drain plug.
Go ahead and remove the grain plug under the car using the socket. Don’t forget the pan. Let the oil spill out.
Step 2.
Filter is under the hood and it’s kind of hard to get it off. So, what you need to use for it is a very long extinction with a wobbler attachment on it. Try a 32 or a one in one quarter inch socket, pretty big socket to pull that off. There are different tools you can use to get those off.
See the gasket right here. There’s a little tab down here and we just pull that rubber off. There’s a little groove where you’ll set that new gasket and literally just sits right into place pretty simple. Your new filter snaps on little tug make sure it’s on your filter set it in and just kind of start hand tighten, and then so you can’t really can’t tighten it anymore and you’ll take the tool you’re using. Tighten that on it doesn’t need to be super tight. Go ahead and just clean that.
Step 3.
Drop back into the car, tighten that plug down and you’re ready to fill up with some oil. We want to be sure and check the dipstick.
Step 4.
And one other thing you do want to do. So you don’t get annoyed by this monitoring system is you can go ahead and you push the menu button and your remaining oil life will show up and you just hit this select Clear button.
Yes, select clear again and that will change to 100%. So your slick clear buttons here to toggle between yes and no on these two buttons and you are all set.
That’s all you do for changing the oil.
