A Ford Excursion is a solidly built SUV that Ford manufactured in the early 2000s to great acclaim, before SUV sales dropped significantly and the vehicle was discontinued. If you own an Excursion, one of the best things that you can do to help maintain this vehicle is to change the oil regularly. Keeping the oil fresh every 3000 miles or so is a great way to keep the engine properly lubricated and to avoid potential overheating, melting and other serious damage to the internal workings of your SUV. Additionally, changing the oil at home and by yourself is cheaper and more efficient than taking the car in to a service station to have this done there. Read on for a few tips on how to change the oil in your Ford Excursion.

Step 1 -- Gather the Necessary materials

You'll need the following materials before you begin this oil changing process:

• New oil filter
• New packages of oil (several quarts)
• Jack stand set
• Oil drain pan
• New gasket system (optional)
• Wrench set
• Newspapers, funnel and paper towels

Step 2 -- Prepare the Vehicle

You may or may not need to mount the Excursion up on a jack stand in order to properly reach the base of the car. Check before you begin to see if this is necessary. Otherwise, lay out a set of newspaper sheets below the front of the vehicle and prepare to change the oil by opening up the hood at the front of the vehicle. Keep it propped open if possible. Be sure to wait for a few hours after the engine was last running so that the oil and other components will be cool.

Step 3 -- Drain the Old Oil

Locate the drain plug at the base of the oil container. Place the oil collection pan beneath it and then unscrew it by hand. As soon as it loosens, the oil will begin to drip out. Keep the pan there until all of the oil has fully drained from the collection pan. Once this is done, wipe down the whole area until it's clean by using paper towels.

Step 4 -- Check and Change the Filter

Unscrew the oil filter using a wrench and allow it to drain into the pan as well. Then check on the status of the filter. Look for signs of corrosion and other damage, and pay particular attention to the filter mechanism itself. If you think that the filter requires replacement, dispose of the old filter properly and install a new one in its place. Otherwise, attach the old filter back onto the vehicle. You can do the same with the gasket system, if you wish.

Step 5 -- Replace the Oil

Close up the drain plug and insert the funnel into the top of the oil container. Pour in as many quarts of new oil as are required for your style of driving, and then allow several minutes for them to drain into the container completely. Next, close up the container and the hood and remove the vehicle from the jack stand if it was mounted up.

Before you start operating the Excursion once again, however, it's important that you double check on the oil levels. Use a dipstick to take a reading and adjust the oil level as you need. If you have to drain out a little bit of oil or add a bit more in order to get a perfect level, do so before you drive the car once again.

If you have any questions about how to go about changing the oil in your Ford Excursion, how to recognize when the filter needs replacement, what kind of oil to choose or any other topic that's related, ask a mechanic in your area for additional advice and assistance. The tools required for this project are found at a hardware store.