How to change your own oil, redneck style.

How to change your own oil, redneck style.

by Liv | Published on October 30th, 2009, 7:21 pm | Sports

So your sick of Wal-Mart screwing you over. The last three times I took a car in they put the wrong oil in. I was tired of waiting 2 hours only to find out they broke the oil cap gasket or charged me insane amounts of money.
It goes back to that old adage. If you want it done right, do it yourself... So I will...

1) Find a car. Luckily I happened to find one in my drive-way.

2) Find some ramps, or jack it up with the trunk scissor jack if your skinny enough not to get crushed when the car comes flying off it or if you just like taking risks.

3) Buy an air filter, oil filter, and some beautiful full synthetic Mobil 1 Oil. Luckily mine came in a nice 5qt bottle which I can reuse for home-made orange juice.

5) Locate drain plug. Remove. As oil gushes out, realize you skipped #4, find & ready drain pan.

6) Black gold, Texas tea.... This is when you lay on your back and stare up through the engine bay in awe of the massive 3.0 Vulcan engine and all its wonder.

7) After moments of admiring the human marvel of late model front wheel drive technology, this is when you will locate the oil filter. Remove it. Lefty loosey, righty tighty. Oh and make sure you feel for the mating surface at the block to confirm the gasket was removed as well.

8) Take the new oil filter and verify its size and likeness to the old one. Pour some of the fresh new oil onto the rubber gasket and spread with your fingers. Reinstall the filter to hand tightness. Unless your hand is overly weak, or strong in which case.... phone a friend. It's also a good time to re-install the drain plug on the oil pan. This is where many people have screwed up, exclaimed "It's Miller time" and poured the new oil in only to realize it came out the bottom.

9) Locate oil cap (top of engine) and remove. Pour approximately 4 qts of oil in and then check your dipstick. Add more if necessary.

10) Look how pretty that oil is.

11) Transfer old oil back to orange juice jug for recycling at your local auto parts store.

12) Locate air-box. You may need to loosen the hose clamp. Release clips open lid and remove and replace the old air filter, then tighten air-box and clamps again.

13) Finally, check all fluids, double check all tools have been removed, lower car from ramps and put back where found. Double check for leaks, and fluid level if need be on level surface and enjoy your next 3,000 miles of driving.

Great tutorial Liv. For step two though, I use the ramps and a set of jackstands. Maybe I'm a wuss, but no matter how well the ramps are engineered, they're still made of heavy duty sheet metal. I just don't trust them.

Ramps are perfectly safe by themselves.

But I would recommend wearing nitrile gloves - or putting your hand inside a plastic bag when removing the filter, that way you can empty the oil out, and turn the bag inside out and your old filter is in the bag and your hands are clean.

Old engine oil gets under fingernails and soaks into the pores. It's bad for your skin and unless your partner likes mechanics hands it's ugly and unhealthy.

I'd also recommend using a socket set - a crescent wrench will round off the plug and you'll slip and make some bigger holes in your hands for the oil to get in

A Person wrote:I'd also recommend using a socket set - a crescent wrench will round off the plug and you'll slip and make some bigger holes in your hands for the oil to get in

Yeah, I would... except for I broke all 3 of mine on the other Taurus... you know the one that's lived it's life on the U.S/Canada border and every bolt is rusted solid?

So like I'm in the market for a new rachet.... Apparently lifetime guarantee doesn't mean taurus proof.

Back in 2004 when I lived in the U.S and had a Ford Focus I was told by Ford that the oil needed changing every 6000 miles.
I found this a little strange, as the same engine in Europe has a change at 12000 miles. Is this just a money spinner for the U.S motor industry?

Returning to the U.K in 2005, I bought a car that only needed a service every 18000 miles.

What is the situation now?

You know... it's one of those things which will never satisfy everyone's personal opinion. 3,000 miles is what I try to stick to, though I freak out less using synthetic when it get's closer to 5,000 than having in the past used traditional oil... if I'm procrastinating.

Some people wait till 7,500 miles.

A lot of it comes down to your driving techniques and where you live. Harsher climates, and inner city driving is obviously going to be more difficult on your motor oil.

IMHO opinion, I've seen on the track what the right oil can do. Down to .10th of a second. You've got to weigh it all in, based on your budget, car, and all that... but I'm a fond of Mobil 1 synthetic every 3000 miles. If I do it myself it's $30.00 and I feel that's a small price to pay for guaranteeing the greatest fuel mileage and longevity of the engine block.

There's no doubt we change oil far more often than we really need to. But there's also no doubt about the effect it has on engine life.

Some jurisdictions have mandated that vehicles sold there must have minimum intervals between minor and major services. The car manufactuers don't change the cars in those areas, they just change the service intervals. For example, in most states the tiiming belt should be changed every 60K miles. But in California, Massachusetts and Connecticut it's 100k miles. Same part number, same car. The reason is that thosee states mandated that major service intervals must not be less than 100K miles. Similarly in Eurpoe theay have started specifying longer intervals between minor services.

Subaru specify an oil change every 5,000 km in America, 12,500 km in Australia and 15,000 in Europe. Go figure.

The 60k versus 100k on the timing belt, as I've always understood it, was primarily the difference of the block being an interference head or not.

Meaning 60K is a bit early, but it's better than the valves slapping into the pistons.... whereas the 100k service was a matter of "you better do it so you don't get stranded, but if you don't oh well...." that, and they finally switched to platinum tipped plugs that would allow a car to go that long before servicing.

No it has nothing to do with that. The same engine, same belt part #

Camshaft Timing Belt2.2L: Inspect every 30,000 miles; replace every 105,000 miles on California vehicles; 60,000 miles
on all others.

It's not that the belts they sell in California are any better either. Same part #

All Subaru engines are free running

I wonder how many oil filters are sold in the States and can't stop thinking that someone is making a wad of cash out of the situation.

smiler125 wrote:I wonder how many oil filters are sold in the States and can't stop thinking that someone is making a wad of cash out of the situation.

Now, there's some ambiguity in this thread, and it's been bugging me..... Engine Service, and Routine maintenance are actually separate things.....

I think most anyone will agree to changing your oil and filter at least 7,500 miles where ever you live in the world.

Engine Service, such as plugs, belts, hoses, (the big one) timing belt, tire rotation will be on different intervals.

A few years back here in the states they advertised many cars with 100K between servicing, and that was because of the advent of platinum tipped plugs....

So basically, the question is... (or maybe I'm reading this wrong).... How long has it been since you've changed the oil in your car over there Smiler?

Liv wrote:I think most anyone will agree to changing your oil and filter at least 7,500 miles where ever you live in the world.

No, Honda UK don't:

Legend/S2000 Every 9,000 miles / 12 months
CRV/FRV/Civic/Hybrid Every 12,500 miles / 12 months
Jazz/Accord Variable servicing

Volkswagen VW is extending its service intervals next year for cars sold in Germany but not the UK.

TEXT: German customers are to get major service intervals of up to two years during which petrol versions can be driven 18,600 miles and diesel models 31,000 miles. A VW spokesman said UK customers would not see these changes because of engine differences to comply with "different emission restrictions and cost implications". He said: "To get a longer service interval, a higher grade of oil must be used." German models will be using a top spec synthetic oil. "In the UK, the cost of that oil is about four times the cost of standard multigrade oil," he said. "In Germany the price difference is nowhere near that much. It is this price differential that makes all the difference." VW's technical department in Milton Keynes is examining how and what systems could be introduced into Britain. The car maker may offer customers an alternative to the standard servicing intervals in 2001. "Customers may prefer to stick with service intervals using current engine oils in which whole life costs can be accurately predicted," he said. "Alternatively, variable and extended service intervals that necessitate the use of higher grade oil might be of benefit to lower mileage, private owners." The extended service intervals in Germany will apply to the Bora, Golf, New Beetle and Passat. Other car makers have also extended service intervals. Last year Peugeot doubled its service intervals to 20,000 miles or two years. BMW began offering extended service intervals this year. It offers an average of 15,000 miles service intervals on petrol models and 13,500 miles for diesels. Citroen raised service intervals from 9,000 miles to 12,000 miles on petrol models and 6,000 to 10,000 miles on diesel models earlier this year by changing to a semi-synthetic oil. Also this year Toyota raised service intervals to 20,000 miles with the sale of its Yaris series without changing its recommended oil. Toyota plans to roll out 20,000 mile major service intervals on most, if not all, its Lexus and Toyota vehicles. Daihatsu has followed the trend and increased service intervals from 6,000 to 12,000 miles."

It is impossible to pick a figure out of the air, there are just too many variables. Oil analysis is the only sure way to know.

I think that having onboard oil analysis is the way things will go, bt for some reason it doesn't seem important to change things in the US.

Okay, so I'm guessing it's because of the new high mileage oils, like the full synthetic 0W-30 I've been using.... a lot of the new Honda's call for it....

...though I was unaware they were upping the oil services that high.....

You could, as I, switch a traditional 10w-30 vehicle to the newer oils and expect similar results... I'm getting about 40 miles per tank more than when I used 5w-30, cooler running, and have seen no downsides to it.

I've got to admit though... I'm not sure I could go 12,000 miles before an oil change to be honest....

Knowing that fuel vapors, moisture, and carbon builds up in the fluid despite it's friction benefits would still make me want to not exceed 7500 miles. Especially since it's so cheap.

My oil gets changed upto 18000 miles as per the manufacturers service schedules. I change my car every 2-3 years and as long as the servicing schedule is followed the warranty stays intact for the 3 years.

I wonder if it some of it is that we're stricter on our emissions laws here... (which seems unlikely to me since I've been there, and lived here...) Wonder if there is less recycling of emission gasses through the crankcase, causing less contamination?????

Well I just did both of mine, not a lot to add although I was glad I was wearing gloves

I do it when the engine is hot so it drains quicker and flushes better.

One comment on filters.

8) Take the new oil filter and verify it's size and likeness to the old one.

Nope. You can't tell anything from either of those - unless it's the same brand and you can check for the part number. I don't know who made the factory oil filter on my car, but it was shorter and wider than the Bosch I replaced it with. I checked the specs to confirm. I don't buy filters from the dealer ever since my first new car when I dutifully went along to the Toyota dealer, paid 3x the price and when I got home noticed that it was a FRAM filter painted red.

So while we're at it - what filter to buy?

Anything but FRAM!

A few years back I cut open a used Fram (no photos sorry) and the cardboard end caps had come apart internally and I'm not sure it was doing anything.

There have been several people who have cut open filters to find out how they are constructed,
http://www.300cforums.com/forums/genera ... ected.html
http://minimopar.knizefamily.net/oilfil ... tml#w51515

Fram (Honeywell) are the worst constructed, followed by the new 'Encore' Champion ones. Champion make filters for several brands and it is very difficult to know who actually makes what.

I prefer buying Purolator - who are now owned by Bosch and manufacture for Bosch in the US - or NAPA/WIX. Those are the easiest to find. I bought a box of 24 Bosch filters online since the same part number (3300) fits all of my Subes and I get through about 10 a year. It worked out much cheaper than buying a crap filter retail

My new car has a small diameter filter tucked away and surrounded by hot exhaust. I bought a filter wrench specifically to fit the case of filters and I don't regret it for an instant. I had a generic wrench, like this

but the plastic one holds the filter for removal and intalling.

Before you buy look at the filter in the store. Some people will swap an expensive filter into a cheap box, so make sure it's what it's supposed to be. Do not buy a filter that had been dented in any way - the relief and back-flow valves use springs against the case and if the case is dented they may fail - effectively disabling the filter. And don't buy a dirty filter.

A Person wrote: Some people will swap an expensive filter into a cheap box, so make sure it's what it's supposed to be.

It's funny you say that, the first one I picked up at Wal-Mart, somebody had done that... I ended up going with the "normal" filter rather than the premium anyways... but thought that was hilarious, especially knowing how security enabled Wal-Mart is against theft.... major stupidity....

Back on the 5 liter Fords you could get "extra capacity" oil filters that were different sizes. I don't keep up automotively enough to know if the Taurus has a similar product available, but I'm sure there is some variance in capacity, but as long as the mounting flange and gasket are the right size and it threads appropriately is should be ok.