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WilD
WilD Reader
3/17/09 9:53 a.m.

When I was younger, I lived in the country and did my own oil changes. There was a low spot in the yard and I could even squeeze under my corvette enough to change the oil if I parked over it. The car was mostly level and I had always assumed it is best to drain the oil while the vehicle is level.

After some years, I own my own home in the suburbs and would like to start changing my own oil again. Now, I find it difficult to get far enough under my cars to drain the oil when they are parked on my cement covered driveway. Is it possible/adviseable to drive the car up on ramps to drain the oil and complete the oil change?

I realize this is an incredibly basic question, but I haven't changed my own oil for quite a few years now and want to avoid any potential problems when I go back to doing it myself.

914Driver
914Driver Dork
3/17/09 10:01 a.m.

If at an angle ALL of the oil isn't drained out, but say one half to one pint gets left in the car; then you've successfully changed 90 - 95% of the fluid assuming a five quart capacity.

95% of new oil + filter is better than nothing, which is what usually happens to me when I don't feel like it and have to make an apointment with a local shop.

Plan B: Buy taller cars.

Dan

ClemSparks
ClemSparks SuperDork
3/17/09 10:04 a.m.

I was looking for the "How a man changes oil vs. how a woman changes oil" proceedures on the net but can't access it from work :(. Little help?

:)

Clem

mw
mw Reader
3/17/09 10:05 a.m.

I have 4 ramps that are made out of 2x8's double thick (so ~4" tall). It's easy to drive on them and gets the car high enough for an oilchange. Another option is to drive up on ramps with the front and then jack up the rear so it's level.

93celicaGT2
93celicaGT2 HalfDork
3/17/09 10:44 a.m.
ClemSparks wrote: I was looking for the "How a man changes oil vs. how a woman changes oil" proceedures on the net but can't access it from work :(. Little help? :) Clem

Oil Change instructions for Women: 1) Pull up to Jiffy Lube when the mileage reaches 3000 miles since the last oil change.

2) Drink a cup of coffee.

3) 15 minutes later, write a check and leave with a properly maintained vehicle.

Money spent:

Oil Change:

$20.00 Coffee: $1.00 Total: $21.00 ==========

Oil Change instructions forMen:

1) Wait until Saturday, drive to auto parts store and buy a case of oil, filter, kitty litter, hand cleaner and a scented tree, write a check for $50.00.

2) Stop by 7/11 and buy a case of beer, write a check for $20, drive home.

3) Open a beer and drink it.

4) Jack car up.. Spend 30 minutes looking for jack stands.

5) Find jack stands under kid's pedal car.

6) In frustration, open another beer and drink it.

7) Place drain pan under engine..

8) Look for 9/16 box end wrench.

9) Give up and use crescent wrench.

10) Unscrew drain plug..

11) Drop drain plug in pan of hot oil: splash hot oil on you in process. Cuss.

12) Crawl out from under car to wipe hot oil off of face and arms. Throw kitty litter on spilled oil.

13) Have another beer while watching oil drain.

14) Spend 30 minutes looking for oil filter wrench.

15) Give up; crawl under car and hammer a screwdriver through oil filter and twist off.

16) Crawl out from under car with dripping oil filter splashing oil everywhere from holes. Cleverly hide old oil filter among trash in trash can to avoid environmental penalties. Drink a beer.

17) Install new oil filter making sure to apply a thin coat of oil to gasket surface.

18) Dump first quart of fresh oil into engine.

19) Remember drain plug from step 11.

20) Hurry to find drain plug in drain pan.

21) Drink beer.

22) Discover that first quart of fresh oil is now on the floor. Throw kitty litter on oil spill.

23) Get drain plug back in with only a minor spill. Drink beer.

24) Crawl under car getting kitty litter into eyes.. Wipe eyes with oily rag used to clean drain plug. Slip with stupid crescent wrench tightening drain plug and bang knuckles on frame removing any excess skin between knuckles and frame.

25) Begin cussing fit.

26) Throw stupid crescent wrench.

27) Cuss for additional 5 minutes because wrench hit bowling trophy.

28) Beer.

29) Clean up hands and bandage as required to stop blood flow.

30) Beer.

31) Dump in five fresh quarts of oil.

32) Beer.

33) Lower car from jack stands.

34) Move car back to apply more kitty litter to fresh oil spilled during any missed steps.

35) Beer.

36) Test drive car.

37) Get pulled over: arrested for driving under the influence.

38) Car gets impounded.

39) Call loving wife, make bail..

40) 12 hours later, get car from impound yard.

Money spent: Parts: $50.00 DUI: $2500.00 Impound fee: $75.00 Bail: $1500.00 Beer: $20.00 Total: $4,145.00 But you know the job was done right!

SVreX
SVreX SuperDork
3/17/09 10:53 a.m.

2 wheels on the curb usually worked for me.

pinchvalve
pinchvalve SuperDork
3/17/09 11:30 a.m.

Depending upon your oil drain location, sligtly angled may be better than level anyway. As for using ramps, I see people use cheap the stamped-steel ones and then crawl under their Hummer.

I think that the front should be connected to the back to make the ramp stronger. i would never work under something that could collapse so easily.

Still Scary:

Much Better:

Pretty good option for smaller cars:

xci_ed6
xci_ed6 New Reader
3/17/09 11:31 a.m.

I don't see any problem with jacking the front of the car up to drain the oil, the plug is usually at the back, so it drains fine.

Of course, to get my jack under, I have to drive onto ramps, so typically I pay Honda to do it. I figure the oil costs me $20, filter is $6, the dealer does an inspection, washes it, and does the work all for $6 more. I can't argue with that.

WilD
WilD Reader
3/17/09 11:42 a.m.

So, it seems like the prevailing wisdom is to pay some other sucker to do it. It's what I have been doing for a while. But, I discovered that Uncle Ed's botched reinstalling the airfilter on my wife's car last time so there was a couple inch hole unfiltered air could get through. Knowing they have trouble dropping an airfilter into place without mishap really makes me skeptical of the quality of the rest of their work.

CrackMonkey
CrackMonkey Reader
3/17/09 11:46 a.m.

WilD -

A few ways to go about this... - jack + jackstands - ramps - I've never liked them - failing that, you can put one side of the car up on a curb and crawl under - my neighbor does it this way.

Don't worry about a little oil remaining in the sump. No biggie.

COLLECT AND RECYCLE THE USED OIL!!!!11!!!!eleven I think in most areas, gas stations are required to collect used oil in small volumes. Or, most counties have a recycling center.

neon4891
neon4891 SuperDork
3/17/09 11:48 a.m.
pinchvalve wrote: Pretty good option for smaller cars:

Those work for everything I do. Man it was funny when I gunned it, one wheel spun so hard it shot the ramp back and the "lip" on the fron of the ramp was behind the Pinch weld. Ahhh, youth and stupidity

spitfirebill
spitfirebill HalfDork
3/17/09 12:59 p.m.

I can actually change the oil in all my vehicles without getting the front end up in the air. The two Hondas we once had were a bear, as you all know.

I started changing my own oil after 2-3 trips where they screwed it up. Most of the oil change places used a cheap filter and usually a lower quality oil. If the dealership had had an express lube service, i would have kept using them.

SVreX
SVreX SuperDork
3/17/09 1:03 p.m.
xci_ed6 wrote: I don't see any problem with jacking the front of the car up to drain the oil, the plug is usually at the back, so it drains fine.

I couldn't disagree more. NEVER CRAWL UNDER A CAR HELD UP BY A JACK!!

Lift it, then use jackstands.

SVreX
SVreX SuperDork
3/17/09 1:06 p.m.

Ramps (used properly) are SIGNIFICANTLY safer than a jack.

Even a big floor jack has a smaller overall footprint than the ramps. I've rolled over even a nice industrial quality floor jack and dropped the car.

maroon92
maroon92 SuperDork
3/17/09 1:11 p.m.

I paid someone to change my oil only once.....never again. 50 dollars is unecesarily high for a crappy oil change. I can usually do my own for about 25 bucks in about 10 minutes. as a matter of fact I once changed the oil, plugs and wires in my crown victoria in under half an hour. it was great.

Jack + Jackstands is my favorite.

by the way Instruction #29 is not needed... I never bandage busted knukles

slantvaliant
slantvaliant Reader
3/17/09 2:46 p.m.
  1. Know where your drain plug is, and try to get it even with or lower than the rest of the pan. Yeah, I sometimes have to look.
  2. Ramps are great, if they fit under the air dams and such, if they don't slide on the concrete, and if you don't overshoot.
  3. Curbs almost never fail, but it means that you're working in the street. Man, I hate that feeling.
  4. One of the closer parts stores takes used oil with minimal hassle. That gets them a little more business from me. I sometimes even buy oil from them.
  5. If you or the wife use a quick oil change place, check their work before you go anywhere. Loose or stripped drain plugs and overfills are common.
  6. Some of the oil change places won't change your oil if your engine/undercarriage is dirty. Not that I would know, of course ...
mad_machine
mad_machine SuperDork
3/17/09 2:58 p.m.

won;t change your oil if the engine or undercarriage is dirty.... define dirty

DILYSI Dave
DILYSI Dave SuperDork
3/17/09 3:00 p.m.
pinchvalve wrote: I think that the front should be connected to the back to make the ramp stronger. i would never work under something that could collapse so easily.

Ever used them? While you are correct that a brace would make them stronger, they are ridiculously strong as is.

iceracer
iceracer Reader
3/17/09 6:19 p.m.

I have a set similar to those. Foregot how old they are. They hold my Liberty fine let alone the ZX2.

Rick
Rick New Reader
3/17/09 6:55 p.m.

Someone told me about putting a wheel under the side of the car if you are only using a jack. If the jack fails the car will fall on the wheel. It will probably ruin the wheel but thats better than you head. This of course assumes you have one wheel off or an extra wheel. For example replacing your drivers side axle on your Neon when your drag strip "paddock" is in the sand.

benzbaron
benzbaron Reader
3/17/09 7:09 p.m.

I would bring the benz in but 6qts of oil and a filter would cost 25 bucks, then some goof ball makes a mess b/c he has never used a canister style filter. For the 40$ I buy good german motor oil MoS2, a good german filter hengst, and get covered oil. I'm actually alright at it now that I lost my dignity!

stuart in mn
stuart in mn Dork
3/17/09 7:30 p.m.

You didn't mention what car...on some you can reach the oil plug and filter without jacking them up (at least if you have long arms. :) )

Toyman01
Toyman01 Reader
3/17/09 7:48 p.m.
pinchvalve wrote: Pretty good option for smaller cars:

I use these on the van. The set I have is rated at 12000#.

gjz30075
gjz30075 New Reader
3/18/09 7:02 a.m.

Always change it myself. Some years ago, I let the dealer change the oil in my Camry. 1k miles later, I check the oil and it's down a quart. Hmmm, that's funny because this car has never used oil like that. So, the next oil change I do myself. 1k later, I check the oil and it's right on top. Those d*&^m bas&^%ds shorted me a quart and who knows how many other poor guys/women got shorted. Nice money making scheme: Pay for 'x' quarts and get 'x-1' back.

skierd
skierd Dork
3/18/09 10:49 a.m.

Yeah, there's no way the kid changing your oil forgot a quart, they were definitely trying to rip you off. Get a grip.

I used to do all my own oil changes, etc. but stopped when I got the Tacoma. It costs about as much to have Toyota do it as it would for me to do it, usually it takes them less time to do it, and I don't have to worry about disposing of the old oil.

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