It's a good idea to change the oil in a 2004 Ford Taurus every 3,000 miles. However, if you don't do a lot of stop-and-go driving you may be able to extend the time between oil changes. A tip when changing the oil is to do so immediately after driving when the oil is hot because the old oil and contaminants drain easier. Of course, you will need gloves and other protective clothing because you will be dealing with hot oil which can cause severe burns.
Raise the car using the floor jack and support it on jack stands. Place the oil drain pan under the car's oil pan.
The pan is near the middle of the car's front end and is surrounded by the transmission pan and catalytic converter. Using a wrench, unscrew and remove the drain plug which located at the rear of the pan. Put the drain plug in a safe place so it doesn't get lost.
Wait for all the oil to drain into the drain pan. Eventually it will slow to a trickle and then stop. Reconnect the drain plug once all the oil is drained.
Remove the old oil filter, located at the front end of the oil pan, using a filter wrench to loosen it.
Install the replacement filter, tightening it in place by hand. Once it is snug, use the filter wrench to tighten it about a half turn more. Never over-tighten.
Lower the car off the jack stands.
Take the oil filler cap off and put in four quarts of API engine oil using the aid of a funnel in the filler pipe. The oil filler cap is near the front end of the engine in the middle.
