The decision of whether or not to turn your own wrench basically comes down to how comfortable you feel underneath a car. You can typically save a few bucks by doing it yourself, but there are almost always deals and coupons that make the price difference negligible. Purchasing just oil and a filter can cost $20 at a parts store. A shop down the street with a $19.95 oil change saves you the additional hassle of putting your car up on jacks or ramps and getting dirty.

Then again, if you like to get dirty and take pride in doing your own work -- or simply don't want just anyone working on your car -- an oil change is one of the easier do-it-yourself maintenance procedures. If done incorrectly, it can be a costly afternoon in the garage: forgetting to add oil, using the wrong filter or stripping the oil pan drain plug are all potential hazards. Newbies looking to change their own oil should look for a tutorial or guide to see if it's within their wrench-turning capability. Our friends at Car Talk even have a guide available.

A typical oil change includes draining and replacing the old oil and replacing the oil filter. Not a lot has changed over the years when it comes to oil changes, so even if you haven't done an oil change since high school auto shop, you should still be in good shape with most new cars. There are a few types of oil filters. One of the most common filters is a metal canister that spins on and off of the engine; the filtration material is inside the canister. Another type is an internally mounted filter. These sit inside a container under the hood or under the engine and the filtration element alone is replaceable. Always consult your owner's or shop manual for the correct filter location, type of filter, oil capacity and torque specifications.