, including oil changes. If you’d like to save money by performing these oil changes at home, you’ll need to know your engine oil capacity—which is 3.6 quarts.

Drivers who are able to keep their little cars running for 20+ years are clearly doing something right—and being budget-conscious doesn’t hurt, either!

At-home

oil changes

are a great way to save some money, but you’ll need a bit of knowledge before you can roll up your sleeves and dive in. We’ll go over your Echo’s oil capacity and some tips for changing your oil.

MORE:

How to lower your Toyota Echo insurance costs

2002 Toyota Echo engine oil capacity

The first thing you’ll need to know is your engine oil capacity—which is basically how much oil you’ll need! The 2002 Toyota Echo is powered by a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that has an oil capacity of 3.6 quarts or about 3.4 liters.

Don’t confuse your engine oil capacity with your engine’s displacement—the 1.5-liter volume that its cylinders take up. Oil capacity tells you the amount of oil required for each change, and the two numbers are in no way interchangeable.

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What kind of oil does a 2002 Toyota Echo need?

Unfortunately, you can’t go off and purchase any old oil. Instead, you must buy 5W-30 conventional high mileage oil.

“5W-30” is the oil’s grade. “W” means winter and the numbers before and after refer to the engine oil’s viscosity. The first number “5” is the oil’s viscosity in cold temperatures, while the second number “30” is the oil’s viscosity in warm temperatures.

It’s also important that you choose conventional oil. Good news—it’s likely the cheapest option on the shelf.

Newer car owners should (generally) opt for the more expensive full-synthetic oil. However, conventional oil is more suitable for older engines with lots of mileage.

In fact, you should also try to purchase oil specifically designed for high-mileage vehicles (assuming your 2002 Echo has some history).

MORE:

Ultimate FRAM oil filter guide

How often to change the oil on a 2002 Toyota Echo

So when is it time to change the oil in your Toyota Echo?

Experts recommend that you perform an oil change every 3,000 to 5,000 miles. But that’s a big range! Make sure to regularly check your oil levels. It’s great to get in the habit of doing so on a monthly basis, or every other time you fill up your tank.

Any of these are big signs that your oil needs immediate changing:

Motor oil that needs changing is dark brown or black (like a cup of soda. Clean oil is more amber-colored, like tea)

Motor oil feels coarse or gritty

Unfamiliar noises coming from the engine

New smells, especially anything that

smells like oil

, smoke, or burning

Changes in your vehicle’s performance

MORE: How long do Toyotas last?

How to change your oil and oil filter

To change your oil, you’ll obviously need a new oil filter, as well as a bottle that will cover the 3.6 quarts of 5W-30 oil you’ll use. You’ll also need a socket wrench, a drain pan, and a filter wrench designed to remove the old oil filter.

Start by running your engine, so that it reaches normal operating temperature. This takes a few minutes in warm weather, but you might need to be more patient if it’s particularly cold out. Once everything’s warmed up, turn your engine off and get started:

Take off the oil fill cap

Remove the oil drain bolt and washer from underneath the vehicle, draining the old oil into the drain pan

Take out the old oil filter while the oil drains

Replace the filter

Tighten the oil drain bolt with a new washer (to 29 lb-ft)

Once everything is tightened and in place, fill the engine with your new oil and replace the fill cap

When finished, start your car again and let it warm up for about 30 seconds—this will allow the new oil to fill the filter. Use your dipstick to ensure that you’ve added enough oil to the engine, and top it off if necessary.

Once you’re done, run the vehicle for a few minutes and watch for any leaks. If you’ve done everything right, your dashboard’s

oil pressure light

should turn off.

The last step: clean up. Don’t dump the dirty oil out on the ground or put it in your garbage bin. Instead, place it in a sealed container and bring it to a local recycling center.

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