Damn it! My little brother cusses annoyingly as Essays - Chemistry

"Damn it!" My little brother cusses annoyingly as hot oil spurts out from the engine, misses the pan, and runs down his left arm. The scene is a mess. His 1989 Honda Accord is jacked up dangerously at an odd angle. Dirty rags and newspapers are scattered everywhere. A black toolbox is resting on its side, while big and small sockets are rolling all over the place. Oil from the spill is now drawing long dark streaks on the brand new driveway (he just had his driveway resurfaced a few weeks ago). My little brother has limited knowledge about automotive repair, but because he wants to save $20, the average cost to have the oil change done by a mechanic, he decides to tackle the task himself. However, if he had paid attention to see how his mechanic did it on his last visit to the shop, he would not be in such a mess as he is now. A passenger car needs oil change once every 3000 miles or so in order to keep the engine running smoothly. Mechanics do this task with ease, not only because t hey are better equipped, but also because they are well-trained automotive professionals. I personally think that he should just spend the $20 for this service at the shop, for it will be done the mechanics way - the only way. The getting ready stage is quick and painless for an experienced mechanic. He drives the car up the hydraulic ramps. After setting the parking brake, he climbs out and sets the four wooden blocks against the four tires. Although this is not a necessary step, a good mechanic will do it anyway to ensure the safety of his co-workers, himself, and his customers, who may be standing close by to watch. Next, he opens up the hood, undoes the oil cap (air pressure will help the oil to drain out more easily), then raises the car to where it is a few inches above the top of his head. This way, he won't have to stoop too low or reach too high to work. The next step is to gather the tools he will need to do this particular task. He walks over to his toolbox. With one dip of his hand into a drawer of what seems to be hundreds of different sized sockets, he was able to pick out the exact socket for the draining bolt of the car. Not forgetting to pick up a ratchet and a filter wrench, he leaves his toolbox and walks over to the "oil catcher". This oil catcher is a red cylindrical container about two feet in diameter, which can be moved around with the four small wheels at the bottom. Sitting on top of the container is a large, rather funny looking shallow funnel with a long snout. After dragging everything he has collected over to the waiting car, the mechanic is now ready to tackle the business of changing the oil. The next stage involves draining the used oil from the engine. Every mechanic knows the oil should be drained while the engine is still warm. It will be hot, but that is good; it will flow better and can be drained completely from the engine. After putting on a pair of latex gloves to protect his hands from the oil, he picks up the socket and positions the oil container to where the stream of hot oil will be coming down. He fits the socket onto the draining bolt then uses the ratchet to turn the bolt counter-clockwise to loosen it, after which he unfastens it the rest of the way with his hand. As the bolt rotates through the last thread and falls down to the oil catcher, dark burnt used oil from the engine squirts out from the opening, only to disappear down the large funnel into the container below. While the oil catcher is patiently collecting the last dripping of the dirty black ooze from the engine, the mechanic moves on to the next stage of the process: changing the oil filter. The oil filter is used to filter out debris while the oil is being cycled through a running engine. Without