Oil change experience

[JOHNNIE36]

For the record, I'm not knocking changing your own oil. Having it done by a car repair place you can trust is just an option. My new Honda will go to the dealer for service when needed. My golf course car, a 1998 Ford Escort with 179,650 miles, doesn't warrant anything better than the $20 job. I really wish I had the physical ability to change my own oil. Even then, don't think I would do it. Some things are best left to others.

 

[KingB]

This is why I do it myself.

Work is something you do to get enough $ so you don't have to....Me.

 

[eytonxav]

I have actually heard of problems going the other route, you run your car on dino oil for thousands of miles and then switch to synthetic only to find it leaks out the seals.

 

[73ss454]

I have actually heard of problems going the other route, you run your car on dino oil for thousands of miles and then switch to synthetic only to find it leaks out the seals.

I changed the gear lube my old chevelle's 4 speed transmission to synthetic. In no time I had synthetic gear lube coming out of every seal of the transmission.

 

[nafddur1]

I changed the gear lube my old chevelle's 4 speed transmission to synthetic. In no time I had synthetic gear lube coming out of every seal of the transmission.

That's a GMC for you. I put Redline (MT-90) synthetic gear oil in my Maxima at 207K a couple years ago, and it's been perfect (nary a leak) ever since. It felt great to get the Dino transmission oil out and switch to synthetic, even though it did take some searching to find GL4 rated oil.

As for engines prone to seal problems, that's all the more reason to get synthetic in them as soon as possible - before the damage starts. And some synthetics these days have additives in them to make them compatible with higher mileage engines.

 

[Bestwifeever]

...More importantly, doing it yourself avoids the horror stories (wrong fluids put in, under/over filling, stripped drain plugs, other car damage, etc.) that result so often when someone else does such a simple job for you.....

I'm pretty sure all of the above happened the one and only time DH and I decided to change our own oil to save $5.

 

[M Paquette]

Ask to see the torque wrench they'll use for tightening the drain plug, and what torque they'll apply.

A quizzical expression or attempt to BS is a cue to leave...

 

[REWahoo]

That's a GMC for you.

Yep, those damn [-]American[/-], [-]Japanese[/-], [-]German[/-], [-]Korean[/-], [-]British[/-], cars are just trash...

 

[eytonxav]

That's a GMC for you. I put Redline (MT-90) synthetic gear oil in my Maxima at 207K a couple years ago, and it's been perfect (nary a leak) ever since. It felt great to get the Dino transmission oil out and switch to synthetic, even though it did take some searching to find GL4 rated oil.

As for engines prone to seal problems, that's all the more reason to get synthetic in them as soon as possible - before the damage starts. And some synthetics these days have additives in them to make them compatible with higher mileage engines.

I like the most of Redlines oils, both engine and transmission. Used it exclusively in my Vette which had a 475 HP stroker motor in it.

I definitely agree with changing your oil yourself, aside from $ saving, you can avoid the shop under/over filling or not tighening your drain plug (have experienced all of those problems over the years).

73ss454, I have a big soft spot in my heart for chevy's, especially my 67 which was preped by Motion Performance. I ate goats for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

 

[73ss454]

I like the most of Redlines oils, both engine and transmission. Used it exclusively in my Vette which had a 475 HP stroker motor in it.

I definitely agree with changing your oil yourself, aside from $ saving, you can avoid the shop under/over filling or not tighening your drain plug (have experienced all of those problems over the years).

73ss454, I have a big soft spot in my heart for chevy's, especially my 67 which was preped by Motion Performance. I ate goats for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I grew up on LI about 8 miles from Motion Performance and knew Joel Rosen during the day. I once had my 66 Chevelle dyno tuned there. Still have my Holley 3 barrel in the garage that I bought from Motion in 1968.

 

[eytonxav]

I grew up on LI about 8 miles from Motion Performance and knew Joel Rosen during the day. I once had my 66 Chevelle dyno tuned there. Still have my Holley 3 barrel in the garage that I bought from Motion in 1968.

I grew up in Westchester County. I think Joel is reviving the biz again. Remember National Speedway? Did you get the gear drive put on the 3 barrel to eliminate the vacuum?

 

[nafddur1]

I definitely agree with changing your oil yourself, aside from $ saving, you can avoid the shop under/over filling or not tighening your drain plug (have experienced all of those problems over the years).

Believe me, I realize that these kinds of problems (plus, probably others I've never even thought about) can happen when one changes his/her own oil. But chances are if you are careful, no problems will occur. And I'd still rather shoulder the responsibility when it comes to something as simple as changing my car's oil and filter. Plus I save time to boot.

 

[M Paquette]

Believe me, I realize that these kinds of problems (plus, probably others I've never even thought about) can happen when one changes his/her own oil. But chances are if you are careful, no problems will occur. And I'd still rather shoulder the responsibility when it comes to something as simple as changing my car's oil and filter. Plus I save time to boot.

As any of us ex-nukes will attest, doing your own oil change properly is a simple procedure, involving having the appropriate checklist and materials on hand, and having a buddy and DW on hand to double check and sign off on O-ring and crush washer installation, proper torque, and so on.

Here's a suitable checklist:

1. Go to O’Reilly auto parts and write a check for $50 dollars for oil, filter, kitty litter, hand cleaner and scented tree.
2. Discover that the used oil container is full. Instead of taking it back to O’Reilly to recycle, dump in hole in back yard.
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; get hot oil on you in process.
12. Clean up.
13. Have another beer while oil is draining.
14. Look for oil filter wrench.
15. Give up; poke oil filter with screwdriver and twist it off.
16. Beer.
17. Buddy shows up; finish case with him. Finish oil change tomorrow.
18. Next day, drag pan full of old oil out from underneath car.
19. Throw kitty litter on oil spilled during step 18.
20. Beer. No, drank it all yesterday.
21. Walk to 7-11; buy beer.
22. Install new oil filter making sure to apply thin coat of clean oil to gasket first.
23. Dump first quart of fresh oil into engine.
24. Remember drain plug from step 11.
25. Hurry to find drain plug in drain pan.
26. Hurry to replace drain plug before the whole quart of fresh oil drains onto floor.
27. Slip with wrench and bang knuckles on frame.
28. Bang head on floor board in reaction.
29. Begin cussing fit.
30. Throw wrench.
31. Cuss and complain.
32. Clean up; apply Band-Aid to knuckle.
33. Beer.
34. Beer.
35. Dump in additional 4 quarts of oil.
36. Beer.
37. Lower car from jack stands
38. Accidentally crush one of the jack stands
39. Move car back to apply more kitty litter to fresh oil spilled during step 23.
40. Test drive car
41. Get pulled over; arrested for driving under the influence.
42. Car gets impounded.
43. Make bail; get car from impound yard.


Money Spent:
$50 parts
$42 beer
$75 replacement set of jack stands; hey the colors have to match!
$1000 Bail
$200 Impound and towing fee


Total: $1367

 

[73ss454]

I grew up in Westchester County. I think Joel is reviving the biz again. Remember National Speedway? Did you get the gear drive put on the 3 barrel to eliminate the vacuum?

I have many pictures of me and my car on the track at NY National Speedway. I was there most every weekend.

Yes I have the gear on my 3 barrel along with the squirter kit that made it a 1050. I was young and had no idea that it would flood the crap out of my engine so I took it off after one week and put it on the shelf for the last 43 years. 850 double pumper was more than enough, I think I should've had a 780 as I bogged out of the hole on every run.

 

[73ss454]

Oh yeah, about 2 years ago Joel, along with a few other guys started building 69 Camaro's with a much wider body. I don't know what happened with that, maybe you can Google him.

 

[73ss454]

M Paquette, you forgot to mention, accidentlly kick oil drain pan while draining and have oil all over the floor. Then spend an hour cleaning it up with brake cleaner to get the oil off the floor.

 

[eytonxav]

Oh yeah, about 2 years ago Joel, along with a few other guys started building 69 Camaro's with a much wider body. I don't know what happened with that, maybe you can Google him.

Check this out: Baldwin-Motion - The Return Of The Great American Supercar!

I can't believe you still have that 3 bl, thats a nice collectors item in itself. That coupled with a 4.56 rear, and high lift cam got me about 3 mi/gal. Of course Sunoco 260 was ~$.20/gal

 

[Nords]

All of you talking about changing your own oil crack me up. You have to be physically able to do that sort of thing, have the right tools and knowhow, have the ability to get under the car or jack it up, live in a area where car maintenance in the driveway is allowed and lastly, like to change oil. I get mine done when the local Goodyear tire dealer is running a special for $19.95 that includes the oil, filter, free tire rotation and top off all fluids. For $20 I wouldn't even think of doing it myself.

I am capable of changing my own oil, but have no interest in doing so. I have been taking my vehicles to my mechanic for years and the regular oil changes he does are also an opportunity for him to spot any problems that have developed that I might not notice.

I have a couple of 8" tall ramps that I can drive the car up, and I do it in the garage so that I can stay out of the sun. I can lay down on the floor and work underneath in comfort. I used to use a socket set to remove the oil pan drain plug until I bought a SureDrain... now I use my fingers. I also use my knuckle-dragger's grip on the oil filter, although I admit to using a $2 filter wrench on the Prius' itty-bitty filter.

While I'm under the car I can tell what's torn or leaking or doesn't look right, and take it to a real mechanic for a second opinion.

Start to finish, about 30 minutes. I can resume my day. If my daughter's around then it's quality [-]training[/-] family time.

It takes me longer than 30 minutes to make the round-trip drive to any gas station or oil-change business that I'd trust, plus time in the waiting room. Plus the upselling pressure, along with the inevitable feeling that I'm going to have to crawl under the chassis anyhow to see whether they cross-threaded the plug on the drain pan again.

I change my own oil because [-]my daughter's away at college[/-] it's the most cost-effective use of my time, not because I'm cheap.

Is that a benefit of living in Hawaii? We had been putting close to 20K miles a year on the Highlander, changing the wipers 2x year on average.

Like Al says, wipe 'em with a rag once in a while. In dry climates like San Diego they crack, but around here they seem to last forever. Unfortunately most Hawaii residents are terrified of driving in the rain and proceed at about 20 MPH with frequent random braking for rogue raindrops.

Another benefit of living in Hawaii is that I don't even bother with the windshield-washing detergent. I just fill up the reservoirs with tap water, which in our water-conditioner house is nearly mineral-free. A downside is that every few years the ants will find this free water source, which really confounds the driver trying to spray their windshield.

A temperate climate is a wonderful thing. Back in 1989-1993 I drove a 1980 Plymouth Champ. The automatic choke died some horrible corrosion death and of course the replacement had to be hand-carved from a block of gold-plated titanium. Instead I removed the choke and drove the car for over two years without it. It ran a tad rough at startup in January but otherwise was just fine.

Ask to see the torque wrench they'll use for tightening the drain plug, and what torque they'll apply.
A quizzical expression or attempt to BS is a cue to leave...

That might fly among those overpaid nukes with their fancy tools but hell, I couldn't even be confident that I would get a good answer to that question in the Torpedo Room.

As any of us ex-nukes will attest, doing your own oil change properly is a simple procedure, involving having the appropriate checklist and materials on hand, and having a buddy and DW on hand to double check and sign off on O-ring and crush washer installation, proper torque, and so on.
Here's a suitable checklist:
10. Unscrew drain plug.

IIRC, right about here you could insert the 17-step checklist for operating a primary valve. And don't forget the foreign-material exclusion plugs to keep dust from blowing into the oil-filling hole!

I usually give the completed work package and tagout to spouse for her to file for the duration that the car is in commission, but modesty prevents me from reciting exactly where she tells me I should put them. The good news is that now my daughter is old enough to qualify as a QA Inspector...

 

[TromboneAl]

NY National Speedway

Was this the one with the radio ads that said:

"Sunday, SUNDAY, SUNDAY!"

I've attached my oil change checklist. This makes it very hard for even me to make a mistake.

P.S. The checklist says to tighten the oil filter an additional half turn after finger tight. I no longer tighten it more than finger tight, and I buy the filters that have a non-skid surface.

 

[73ss454]

Was this the one with the radio ads that said:

"Sunday, SUNDAY, SUNDAY!"

I've attached my oil change checklist. This makes it very hard for even me to make a mistake.

P.S. The checklist says to tighten the oil filter an additional half turn after finger tight. I no longer tighten it more than finger tight, and I buy the filters that have a non-skid surface.

Yup! that's the commercial. So down about 3/4 of the page and look for the little tag on the left side. NY nat.ZIP or something like that. Then you can hear it.

http://www.doverdragstrip.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=671&start=0

 

[Sarah in SC]

I've attached my oil change checklist. This makes it very hard for even me to make a mistake.

P.S. The checklist says to tighten the oil filter an additional half turn after finger tight. I no longer tighten it more than finger tight, and I buy the filters that have a non-skid surface.

Someday, you are going to have to start running a week-long camp for men out there, Al. I'll send my DH to the very first one, I promise!

 

[nafddur1]

Someday, you are going to have to start running a week-long camp for men out there, Al. I'll send my DH to the very first one, I promise!

Camp for MEN? That step-by-step to change your oil is for women!

 

[Gumby]

I've attached my oil change checklist. This makes it very hard for even me to make a mistake.

The ziploc bag for the filter is a great idea. Thanks.

 

[travelover]

These nitrile gloves are great, too, to keep your hands clean. Otherwise the carbon in the oil goes right into your pores and your hands look like a mechanic's for a week.

Large Nitrile Gloves - Pack of 100

 

[frank]

I get my oil changed at the toyota dealer, I live about 15 miles from town. I asked the dealer when I started to go there if they used a quality oil or some cheaper brand. I was told it is the same oil they put in their new camry and prius. If I make an appointment it only takes about 20 minutes and they run it through the car wash to boot. it costs 24. If I am in a hurry or they don't have any appointments open they will give me a loaner and I just leave my car for the day. they seem to be pretty conscientious about my business, it is what they do for a living and I am sure they are good at it. for 24. I will not change my own oil. you might save 5. but you will spend time to find the parts and oil, and get rid of the used oil, plus making sure everything stays clean, including your clothes. if your time is worth anything, find a dealer or mechanic you trust and use him.