Changing your own oil

[CarCrazyRDM]

Super easy, just did it yesterday in mine. Took me maybe 30 minutes. Just make sure to buy the oil when it is on sale and you'll easily get out spending less than $50.

And come to think of it, I don't think I've ever let anyone change the oil on any of my vehicles. Don't care if it even costs the same... piece of mind and pride of doing it myself.

Have at it and good luck.

[Naldo]

to me that's one of the things I love doing, it's kinda relaxing so I just take my time, usually takes me about 2 hours just because I start draining and then add kicks in and start doing something else like drinking a beer then somehow netflix turn itself on hehe, but I feel better when I do it myself cause I know it's done right... (and yeah she could've said that, but I never heard it)

[Rose City GC SRT8]

I do my own oil changes. I like the hands on experience.

That being said, I had a bad experience from a dealer oil change.

I recently got a free oil change for my Nissan Armada from the dealer. Couldn't pass up a free deal. Later on, while on a trip to the grocery store, my wife calls and tells me there is a puddle of oil where the rig was parked. I still had oil and pressure, so I limped home with one eye on the oil pressure gauge.

I crawl under the car to find the oil pan bolt loose and dripping. Called the dealer immediately, who told me to bring it in.

"Do you want me to bring it in as is?", I said. "Yes", was the reply. "Will you give me a new short block when I dump all my oil and it seizes?" Silence.

Sure, I could've cinched down the bolt and made sure it had enough oil, but I was pissed. I took pictures to prove my case, drove down to the dealer in my other car and marched into the service manager's office. They ended up sending a technician with the service manager to my house to make sure the pan wasn't stripped, the oil was topped and the mess was cleaned up.

Moral of the story: DIY. You are much less likely to f**k it up than the dealer or oil change franchise.

[Mike05V]

Slight misinformation somewhere above. Mobile 1 filter spec is hand tight plus 3/4 of a turn with your wrench as printed on the side of the filter. Some other filters are plus 1 turn. Not saying its going to spin off I only hand tight but that's the spec.


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[Naldo]

so... man tightened instead of hand tightened... I can never get my filters off and have to use some violence in the removal process, even tho I hand tightend it put it on...it don't listen, I get angry and it dies and gruesome death, they usually come out looking like a t-rex played with it lol

easiest oil filter changes I've ever accomplished are on the cobalts it has a cap that looks like the head of a bolt off to the side of the motor from the top kinda looks like a power steering reservoir but it's part of the block, I put a socket on it screw it off and change the filter cartridge...it's sooo nice lol, I wish all vehicles where like that!

[Mike05V]

Lol, yea Bubba tight always works too. They probably have that spec because there are some real *****es out there who can only get it so tight by hand and it might back off enough to leak.

I think K&N filters have that little nut on the bottom too. For the mobile 1 filter I use one of those socket type filter wrenches that grabs it from the bottom. On the Jeep it's very accessible so it works like a charm. Just need a short extension on your ratchet.

Nothing beats the old 4.0L straight six in the ZJ. Reach in the engine bay from the top and change the filter.

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[Naldo]

right now I feel like a victim of nonconsensual intercourse...first time changing the oil on a k1 srt and it made me it's ***** ...that filter does not wanna start, so I'll take back what I said...screw doing it myself next time , I'm taking it somewhere next time unless anyone know of a good relocation kit...


anyone ...?

[SPEEDDEMON]

I do my own fluid changes as well including oil. I used to work at a dealership and they had an unwritten don't ask, don't tell policy LOL It's pretty much just like Jack said in terms of changing the oil, but I always like to put some reserve in the filter, never fill it to the top because it can get messy if you fiddle with getting the filter back on. The other reason to do that change yourself is you get to see what is going on under your ride and can prevent major problems from happening instead of relying on the dealership to doing it for you.

[Slopbox]

Nobody mentioned this. Never fails that my oil drains in the exact location of my jack stand. I do so much prep and can never get the drain pan in the exact location it needs to be.

[Slopbox]

I dont know if anyone deals with this problem but i have a hard time finding a jack that fits under my ground effects. I built block out of plywood i drive up then jack my car up.