I'm glad I change my own oil

  • Thread starter Thread starter Boz Mon
  • 52 comments
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Well, if there's one thing the put in the right place on my DSM it's the oil filter. It's remote-mounted on the driver's side of the engine, above a suspension cross-member. Wide open access, and it can drain straight into the catchpan. Good enough access that I don't even have to use a filter wrench - The filter stays clean enough that I can just wrap both hands around it and twist.
 
Slicks
Well, if there's one thing the put in the right place on my DSM it's the oil filter. It's remote-mounted on the driver's side of the engine, above a suspension cross-member. Wide open access, and it can drain straight into the catchpan. Good enough access that I don't even have to use a filter wrench - The filter stays clean enough that I can just wrap both hands around it and twist.
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Awsome. How hard do you put them on? I only put it on hand tight. It only takes one hand to get it off, still tight just not tight enough for two hands.
 
Another reason why I always change my own oil, every time. I usually maintain the entire family's cars too and one time we had to take my mom's car to the dealership to get the intake manifold gasket replaced and they had to change the oil in the process. When it came time to change the oil again, I found that they put the drain plug on so tight I had to use a pipe wrench to get it off, destroying the plug in the process and having to buy a new one.
 
When I was young I used to change my own oil.
My T-bird got an oil and filter change every 3000 miles whether it needed it or not.

My Sentra cured me of doing it myself ever again.
It took me forever to find the damn filter, then I couldn't get at it from any normal angle.

Then there's the environmental component. We used to have a hole in the yard that we poured old oil into. 25-30 years ago that's how it was done.

Now if you change your own, you have to take the old oil to the oil change place to have it disposed of. If I gotta take the old oil to be disposed of, they might as well take it out of the car in the first place.
Plus, the oil change places used to be a pain about taking oil you brought in cause it might have something besides oil or mixed with the oil.

But still, if I'm driving over there anyway...
 
What's nice is near my house, (we change our own oil) there's a place that you can bring recyclables, scrap metal, and old oil, and you don't have to pay to get rid of it either (do you have to pay at the oil change places?).
 
buickgnx88
What's nice is near my house, (we change our own oil) there's a place that you can bring recyclables, scrap metal, and old oil, and you don't have to pay to get rid of it either (do you have to pay at the oil change places?).
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I don't have to. I wonder if the oil recycle places will take my mixture of 40 year old oil, new oil, WD-40, and PB Blaster.:lol:
 
Haha not sure, though they wouldn't know since at the one by us you just walk up to this little building with a metal grate on a counter and just pour it in yourself.
 
Funny you should complain about changing the oil on your Sentra, Gil. I still remember how much of a pain my friend's B12 was -- the filter was tucked low on the backside of the engine next to the firewall.

buickgnx88
Haha not sure, though they wouldn't know since at the one by us you just walk up to this little building with a metal grate on a counter and just pour it in yourself.
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Yeah, we have a tank with a grated pan on top for the oil, a container for the filters, and designated trash cans for anything else (oil jugs/bottles, the box the filter came in, etc). It's within walking distance of my house, though I just drive/ride there as a shakedown run after changing the oil on either of my vehicles (a backpack and a ziploc bag for the filter suffice when on the Ninja).
 
The worst oil filter location I've seen is on a Kia Sephia. In order to get to it, you have to touch the catalytic converter (which can be very hot, obviously) and fully extend your arm to get to it. Even then, it's a chore finding the threads to get it back on, once you get your arm all the way up there. On my Integra it's easy as pie, it's just right above the left CV axle and easily accessible and visible. On the Daewoo I maintain, it's a vertical filter right next to the oil pan, the easiest of the bunch. The Malibu I maintain, you have to remove the front splash shield to get to it and the wingnuts can get stuck and rusty, which makes it a lot tougher than the job needs to be. I really do enjoy changing oil though:
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Thirdeye
The worst oil filter location I've seen is on a Kia Sephia. In order to get to it, you have to touch the catalytic converter (which can be very hot, obviously) and fully extend your arm to get to it. Even then, it's a chore finding the threads to get it back on, once you get your arm all the way up there. On my Integra it's easy as pie, it's just right above the left CV axle and easily accessible and visible. On the Daewoo I maintain, it's a vertical filter right next to the oil pan, the easiest of the bunch. The Malibu I maintain, you have to remove the front splash shield to get to it and the wingnuts can get stuck and rusty, which makes it a lot tougher than the job needs to be. I really do enjoy changing oil though:
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this is why I go to guys to get things done instead of changing or fixing things myself. there are people out there that love to do these repairs, and finding them is a blessing.

i took a hint from the guy with all the pinhole leaks revealed by synthetic, and grabbed a couple quarts of synth to see if it would de-sludge me. bloody 6 bucks a quart.

hey, thirdeye, ever had to deal with an UPRIGHT oil filter?
 
About the getting rid of the oil. I just fill the bottles back up that had the good oil in them. Usually a 1 gallon just will get most of it. Then I just take it to the dump, they a big 'ole container you dump your used oil in there.
 
xXSilencerXx
About the getting rid of the oil. I just fill the bottles back up that had the good oil in them. Usually a 1 gallon just will get most of it. Then I just take it to the dump, they a big 'ole container you dump your used oil in there.
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Which is all well and good, but like I said, If I have to transport the used oil anyway, Somebody else can risk getting burned taking it out of the car.

I used to enjoy getting greasy under the hood of a car.
But it boggle the mind that everything that needed maintaining in my old T-bird could be gotten at fairly easily.
In my dad's old straight-6 Mustang, you could open the hood and practically climb in with the engine and have plenty of room to work.

Nowdays, you're doing good if you can see the dipstick in full daylight.
Getting it out is usually simple. Putting it back...usually requires a flashlight and some level of double-jointedness.
 
Gil
Which is all well and good, but like I said, If I have to transport the used oil anyway, Somebody else can risk getting burned taking it out of the car.

I used to enjoy getting greasy under the hood of a car.
But it boggle the mind that everything that needed maintaining in my old T-bird could be gotten at fairly easily.
In my dad's old straight-6 Mustang, you could open the hood and practically climb in with the engine and have plenty of room to work.

Nowdays, you're doing good if you can see the dipstick in full daylight.
Getting it out is usually simple. Putting it back...usually requires a flashlight and some level of double-jointedness.
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That's why I wait till it's cooled off:sly:. Yea I guess in the end I enjoy it and I like saving the money. Those are the main reasons for me doing it myself. I don't bash people for not doing it themselves tho, it can get very frustrating, and my pinky figer is still purple from the last oil change.


:lol: Yea maybe it's just a small car or newer car thing. My Trans Am is very easy to work on for regular maintenance. Only hard thing was changing the plugs, 6 hours for that becuase of how tight it was and my first time.

I know my dad's truck is easy, and my mom's Equinox is easy. But my sister's Cobalt SS S/C is a pain in the butt. So I guess it's probably much harder on most of the smaller cars than I thought.
 
I've heard nothing but complaints from older drivers about the lack of easy maintenence on anything designed after the mid eighties. my personal gripe is with FoMoCo. how the bleep are you supposed to put a 6 inch long headlight bulb in a composite headlight with no bloody room to get the retaining ring off that holds the socket in place?
 
My old Ford was motor from wheelwell to wheelwell, and firewall to radiator.
I could get at all but the rear plug on the right with ease.
getting at the points was easy, and getting at the oil pan wasn't too hard with the ramps.

As for changing cold oil. I was taught to warm up the car so the oil would be thinner, and carrrying more gunk out of the engine.
I used to do it to save money, but if you shop around you can get an oil change for 30 minutes time and less than $25.
With four to five quarts going for $16-20, I can justify the other $5-10 for someone else to do it. And for 5 bucks more get the tires rotated.
 
If you start it up before you change it, it would maybe be thinner and carry out the gunk, but it would also throw it all around the engine. If you change it cold, then not only is the oil cool but it all drains out at once and the gunk in the oil would still come with it. (well that's how I learned it :p)
 
Well...I warm up the car, let it sit and cool down while I get the various things I need to perform the oil change, and then change it. Thus, it's warmer and thinner, but has settled to the oil pan and doesn't burn my hand when it inevitably splashes out as I'm removing the drain plug.
 
My mom had to take her 2000 Lexus RX300 in for expected xxxxxx mileage service and they were suppose to do certain things... ? She got it back and it started smoking. My dad and I proceeded to check the oil. Turns out they skipped checking the dipstick and put in more oil (I don't remember how much), but it was to where you were suppose to drain it first. xD

Someone got fired there, my mom... being the typical Chinese probably single handedly wrecked the image of that Lexus service shop. :scared:
 
*applauds Viper's mom*
had the same problem with a Taurus I have floating around. had all the other repairs done, and had specifically TOLD the worker to look at the brake lines. he didn't, and when my stepfather went to move it into the garage to look himself, he went through the garage door!

they also put a ball joint on my current vehicle, and told me I would have to go somewhere and have it aligned, because they knew they hadn't got it exactly where the original was. when I told my stepdad this, he mumbled something about "stupid" and said he uses a ruler and counts the hreads to make sure he got it in the same position. this is the same garage that wouldn't work on my Blazer 'cause it isn't a Carborated engine!
 
Boz Mon
This morning before I left for school, I checked the oil in the Prelude. Needless to say it was half a quart down. I looked for some oil (I usually have some laying around) there was none. No biggie, theres a Valvoline store on my way to the train station, I decided to stop there on my way home.

The end of the day rolled around and I go there and this is what happened. I pull into the lot to be greeted before I get out of my car by what seemed to be the guy in charge.

Him: Hi can I help you
Me: Yea, I wanted to buy a quart of 10-30
Him: Let me see what I got

He walks over to the shelf and tells me that they dont have one but he can have one of his techs top it off for me if I just drive my car into one of the bays. The guy takes forever to open my hood, pulls the dipstick out, looks at it and tells me that it is full. I told him I wanted to see, so he dipped it back in and pulled it out. The level was CLEARLY between the 2 holes in the dipstick, which is 1 half quart down. I told him the top mark is full, and the bottom is down a quart, and just to humor me and please put half a quart in. He looks at me and says "The engine only holds 4 quarts." At this point I was ready to walk out but I needed oil somewhere. I told him it held 5, and he looked at me funny. He finally grabs the hose and before he puts any in I double check if its 10-30, he looks at me and goes "you want 10-30?" I just shake my head. This all cost me $1.21. I dont know how some of these places stay in business. I'm no mechanic but I know a fair amount about cars. I just wanted to say, "Whats the top mark on the dipstick for then, dipstick?"
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This is a perfect example of why I dont trust anyone with any of my vehicles. :crazy:
 
Yea, I never didnt trust anyone to do work on my car, I just did everything because getting it done at a shop is so expensive, but now, I just dont know anymore.
 

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