Best way to do an oil change?

[bigfella2]

Every PD and VE TDI I have owned has took 4.5 litres. The vw quantum oil comes in five litres and when you have done it leaves you half a litre to top up if needed.

[twosmoke300]

Doubting myself now , do seem to do more pisswets and a4/6's these days tho

[forddeliveryboy]

Ensure the oil drain container is bigger than the sump capacity. Sounds obvious, but plenty have assumed a gallon or 5 litre container will do, when it won't.

 

Also, avoid windy days unless the drive needs covering in (more) drips.

[mrbenn]

I know most will have seen this before but it always makes me smile

 

[Crispian_J_Hotson]

I would never use a flushing oil unless you know the car from new and it’s always been done. They can dislodge all sorts of shite and cause big problems.

 

 

Totally agreed. My old mate done this on his cained MG metro which had a savage little engine. 2 days later it was knocking like a bag of coconuts being thrown down a flight of wooden stairs. It didn't last much longer before shutting down for life with the ignition lights of doom appearing at 30mph.

I recall seeing the engine spun over on the key and watching the bonnet get hit from within. Carnage.

[Maurice Marina]

£7!

Mini roffle!!

[Exiled_Tat_Gatherer]

Or as I have said before, fill the engine with water. The oil floats to the top so you can easily skim it off. Then remove the sump nut to let the water out.

 

Easy!

 

You jest - but I had an ex thinking she'd 'help' with the car and check it over whilst on holiday at her folks in Scotland-shire. It was only because the old garage owner noticed her back and forth to the forecourt tap on a 4yr old Astra GSI - that she didn't hydro-lock the engine. Oil cap on the inner wing - engine filled to the brim with H2O - luckily a flush and couple of swift changes and no damage done.

I had to decide between extreme colour coding of the underbonnet area - or aralditing every single fucking thing so she couldn't do similar again. Airfix Paints won the day…………

[Dead_E23]

I use a 'tuff spot' under my oil collecting tray in case of spills. I got it from Wickes for about a tenner; it's a square tray about a couple of inches deep and a yard square and has averted driveway disasters more than once.

 

On the occasions it doesn't, I scatter bio washing powder over the stain as a distraction. Doesn't seem to remove it, but I convince myself it's doing something.

[oldcars]

When i did the Rialtos it went like this.

 

Run up to temp.

Burn hand on hot exhaust.

Swear.

Undo sump plug slowly as to not drop it in basin collecting oil.

Drop plug into basin.

Oil misses basin & old shower curtain on the drive.

Swear.

Move basin and mop mess.

Remove oil filter in small space.

Fit new oil filier

Put new sump plug on after drained.

Fill oil.

Notice i forgot the copper washer on sump plug.

Swear.

Whip out new plug quick.

Make massive mess.

Swear.

Refit plug and washer.

Check level.

Top up.

Move car and spend an hour cleaning the drive.

 

On second thoughts don't follow me.

[Wingz123]

Do I stick oil flush in my Prius? Changing the oil tomorrow on it as well as all filters. Keeping the engine revving has its own knack too as I would have to put the car into ‘maintenance mode’ whereby I can freely rev the petrol engine without it cutting off....

 

Or do I just drain it as normal and no engine flush? I have all genuine oil and filters etc. The whole lot was £57 from Gemca Toyota in Reading. Thought that was pretty good considering the oil on its own is £76.88 for 5 litres..... it is 0w20 and looks very thin! Designed for Hybrid Technology

[SierraMikeHotel]

 

 

Ensure the oil drain container is bigger than the sump capacity. Sounds obvious, but plenty have assumed a gallon or 5 litre container will do, when it won't.

I have found this out the hard way when draining a petrol tank. I thought it was nearly empty: it wasn't.

[Junkman]

 

3. Depends on the location of the sump plug.

 

4. I find letting the sump keep draining while swapping the filter is plenty long enough for the last dregs to drip out.

 

5. I never bother & they never leak as I've not overtightened & damaged them previously.

 

6. I wish most people knew this rather than doing them up with a 15ft breaker bar.

 

7. I'm a man, I don't read instructions.

 

3. It does not.

 

4. If the filter swap is not taking longer than ten minutes, fine.

 

5. Do not play the lotto then.

 

6. Agreed.

 

7. That's fine with me. I don't own a car previously owned by you.

[Guest Hooli]

3. If it's at the back of the sump then jacking the car up still gets all the oil out. If it's at the front then jacking is a bad idea.

 

Unless you have a handy 2 poster ramp of course.

[myglaren]

When i did the Rialtos it went like this.

 

Run up to temp.

Burn hand on hot exhaust.

Swear.

Undo sump plug slowly as to not drop it in basin collecting oil.

Drop plug into basin.

Oil misses basin & old shower curtain on the drive.

Swear.

Move basin and mop mess.

Remove oil filter in small space.

Fit new oil filier

Put new sump plug on after drained.

Fill oil.

Notice i forgot the copper washer on sump plug.

Swear.

Whip out new plug quick.

Make massive mess.

Swear.

Refit plug and washer.

Check level.

Top up.

Move car and spend an hour cleaning the drive.

 

On second thoughts don't follow me.

 

A couple of changes ago I refilled with fresh oil and was tipping the old oil into a 25L drum when the new copper washer dropped into the funnel

 

Never leaked

The sump plug is a bit buggered too, I keep meaning to get a new one, usually when I am removing the existing one.*

 

The Xantia was deadly simple to do - the oil was hot when I got home from work, make tea, suspension on high, dive under and release the sump plug (into an old washing-up bowl).

Change the filter.  Stick the sump plug back, bung fresh oil in.

Start engine, drop to normal height.

Drink tea then check oil level.

 

Took 15 minutes start to finish.  Was doing a lot of miles so done every four-six weeks.

 

C5 doesn't go quite high enough for that so suspension up, jack up offside,remove offside wheel, drain plug out, lower the jack so the car is level, change filter while it drains, jack up and refit plug, chuck fresh oil in, wheel back on, lower the car, check oil level and sling more in (never needs it) if low.

 

Start engine, lower suspension, make tea then check oil level and tidy all the mess away.

 

Also change the air and diesel filters at the same time, a bit over half an hour as the diesel filter is a pain in the bum.

 

Every six months/6,000 miles - don't use this thing as much as the Xantia.

 

Never had a real disaster but a bit messy one windy day.

 

*Discovered a Citroen dealer a mile from home so will get one from there tomorrow - possibly

 

[Maurice Marina]

I use a 'tuff spot' under my oil collecting tray in case of spills. I got it from Wickes for about a tenner; it's a square tray about a couple of inches deep and a yard square and has averted driveway disasters more than once.

On the occasions it doesn't, I scatter bio washing powder over the stain as a distraction. Doesn't seem to remove it, but I convince myself it's doing something.

Put a puppy pad under the bowl before draining

[Dead_E23]

Draining the oil is usually fine.  The trouble starts when I'm pouring the waste oil into an old container and do it slightly too fast so the weight of the funnel topples it over. 

 

What's worse is that I don't learn, and I must have had the exact same accident about 5 times over the years. 

[Squire_Dawson]

On some of my chod I change the oil filter every other time. So sometimes it is literally the oil that’s changed.

As I generally change at least the oil every 3000 miles that’s half the specified mileage for a filter change. This helps when good quality oil filters are hard to obtain, if easy to obtain they get changed along with the oil.

In any case there’s no way, ordinarily, an oil filter will be clogged in 6000 miles.

[puddlethumper]

I run my heap down to my friendly mechanic and costs me £40 

for oil and filter. At 65 I don't go under vehicles anymore.

Gets done every 6 months/5000 miles. In the 8 years I've 

had this engine, 94 Xantia, I've never had to add any.

It still goes as good as it did 8 years ago and is now on about 160,000.

 

Does oil have a use by date? as I've still got 4.5 litres from 2009. Lol.

[Wingz123]

Funny you should say that re best before date on oil lol - this oil I bought from Toyota today says to use within 5 years!

[Squire_Dawson]

Any ‘old’ oil you don’t want to pour in engine - save for general duties in the oil can.

[Alusilber]

Speaking of driveway oil stains, when I had a small oil leak on my (monoblock) driveway, I sprinkled some diatomaceous earth (previously bought for insecticidal purposes) on it, left it for a week or two, and it seemed to do the trick.

[myglaren]

Speaking of driveway oil stains, when I had a small oil leak on my (monoblock) driveway, I sprinkled some diatomaceous earth (previously bought for insecticidal purposes) on it, left it for a week or two, and it seemed to do the trick.

Cat litter reputedly does the trick - it is diatomaceous earth, or so I'm told.

[Jmac]

A blowtorch works well on concrete blocks, seems to sweat the oil out and burn it/ dry it off . Justin .

[Talbot]

1. An oil change is always done on a warm engine. Always.

 

2. When the oil is changed, the filter is changed. There is no exception to this rule.

 

3. Do not put your car on ramps, or jack it up. The car should be level.

 

4. Do your oil change swiftly. Do not walk away and 'have a brew' to let the oil drain. Always try to be finished with your oil change within ten minutes, all in. More oil pumps than not are not self priming. By letting the system bleed beyond the big gush you risk the oil pump running empty. A bit of old oil remaining in the sump makes no difference when diluted with SIX FUCKING LITRES of fresh oil.

 

5. Replace the seal ring of the oil drain plug with a new one. Never ever reuse the old one. There is no exception to this rule.

 

6. Do not tighten the oil drain plug beyond the specified torque.

 

7. Always heed manufacturer's instructions outlined in the manual. You will be surprised how they differ from car to car.

1. Yes. Very.

 

2. Meh. I've heard of people not changing their oil for 50k miles. The oil was buggered, but the filter wasn't blocked. Missing a filter change won't hurt, it's not like a used filter doesn't filter as well. If anything, a used filter filters better than a new clean one.

 

3. Depends where the drain is. Some vehicles are helped by being at a bit of an angle. Others might not be. (refer to your point 7 that vehicles can be very different)

 

4. Disagre. All oil pumps are self-priming. How do you think the engine was first started in the factory? No way do they prime them manually. Engine is built, oil is added, engine is started. The only possible exception to this being a Rover V8 and their need for vaseline, and even they will prime eventually if spun over for 30 seconds on the starter. I often leave engines to drain overnight if I can, as it does get a remarkable amount more oil out, and the clean oil stays cleaner for longer. Oil pressure lamp goes out just as fast as normal.

 

5. Meh. change it if it's knackered. Re-used plenty. Never had a leak.

 

6. Yes. Very much so. 300lb-ft is NOT NEEDED on a sump plug!!

 

7. Worth having a look to see if there's anything out of the ordinary.

[forddeliveryboy]

And remember to replace the sump plug before pouring in the new. Sounds so obvious, but when chatting to a mate then answering the phone, I made a fool of myself. In front of mate, who said something daft like, "I thought you knew about cars".

[twosmoke300]

I once did that on a combine with a remote drain pipe down the side of the frame. 20 litres wasted , luckily the drain can was still under and caught most of it . Not so lucky was the farmer that saw me do it . Convinced him it was a flush !

[Maurice Marina]

Every car or bike thread has a change the oil section.

 

Every thread has a self appointed expert.

 

It’s part of the natural law of the interweb.

[DodgeRover]

Do I stick oil flush in my Prius? Changing the oil tomorrow on it as well as all filters. Keeping the engine revving has its own knack too as I would have to put the car into ‘maintenance mode’ whereby I can freely rev the petrol engine without it cutting off....

 

Or do I just drain it as normal and no engine flush? I have all genuine oil and filters etc. The whole lot was £57 from Gemca Toyota in Reading. Thought that was pretty good considering the oil on its own is £76.88 for 5 litres..... it is 0w20 and looks very thin! Designed for Hybrid Technology

Personally I would put the flush in and drive it in a manner that its running on petrol for 15 minutes or so then immediately drop the oil.

 

I tend to use flushes on pretty much every car they comes through my hands, maybe I have been lucky but I haven't had any blockage related problems.

 

If you want to flush but are worried run on the Diesel engine version of your oil (if available in correct spec) which contains high levels of detergents and will clean the engine in a more gentle manner.

[DodgeRover]

If y'all love them so much, anyone's welcome to make an offer for my used never Pela 6000. I bought it for my Paedo Bus because I hate climbing underneath it (even jacked, chocked and on axle stands) but it wouldn't pass go through the dipstick, so I bought some 'Man the fuck UP' tablets and do it properly*

 

*Properly, because the sump plug was considered, designed and installed for the removal of engine oil. In the absence of a sump plug, then a pump is the proper way.

Has this been bought yet? If not how much would you like, it would be handy for a atf change on the wife's car with no drain plug

[drewd]

Draining the oil is usually fine.  The trouble starts when I'm pouring the waste oil into an old container and do it slightly too fast so the weight of the funnel topples it over. 

 

What's worse is that I don't learn, and I must have had the exact same accident about 5 times over the years. 

I always used to make a mess when transferring the waste oil from the drain pan into an empty oil container. I bought a drain pan with a "pouring spout", but it was tiny and always got overwhelmed when tilting the pan at a greater angle to get the last litre or so of oil out.

 

I bought an oil syringe like this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-380451-Oil-Suction-500cc/dp/B004BS70FK/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1547803539&sr=8-7&keywords=oil+extractor+syringe

 

I use it to transfer the waste oil from the pan to a container, and it works really well. No more mess. It takes a bit longer, but I'd rather that than having to clean used engine oil off the floor, tools, shoes, passing cats etc.