Recommend Changing my own oil?- never done it before...wonder why you all do?
07-25-2003, 10:31 AM
#21
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I change oil in my S myself. It is easy specially after I installed PRM intake. Now I dont even have to jack up my car cause not having air box in the bay makes oil filter and drain plug accessible from the top. I dont know how much I save doing this, but K-N oil filter and 5 L of Castrol GTX cost me $17. On top of that I love to do it and feel somehow safer cause I dont have someone who doesn't care for other people property mess with my car!
07-25-2003, 10:51 AM
#22
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Originally posted by LostWaffle
The part that worries me is that I don't know what a gasket is, let alone what a stuck one might look like.
The part that worries me is that I don't know what a gasket is, let alone what a stuck one might look like.
07-25-2003, 11:03 AM
#23
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How important is it to torque the nuts people are referring to to the proper tightnness? hehe : )
Would it be okay if I just used my gut sensor to make it "tight enough"?
I dont't want to buy a torque wrench unless necessary.
Would it be okay if I just used my gut sensor to make it "tight enough"?
I dont't want to buy a torque wrench unless necessary.
07-25-2003, 11:31 AM
#25
XViper also did a great writeup on changing your own oil:
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.php?...?threadid=70348
But here is my procedure:
Run the car until it's fully warmed, more than one minute.
Jack up the car and put a drip pan under the oil bolt and remove it. Drop the car to completely drain the pan.
Remove the filter, be sure that the gasket comes off (it looks like a thick rubber band.)
Open the oil cap to also aid the draining process.
Once fully drained, replace the crush washer with a new one, and put the drain plug back on. Tighten to spec.
Open a quart of oil, and fill the new filter with oil.
Then dip your finger in the oil bottle, and spread a thin layer of oil on the rubber gasket of the new filter.
Now fully prepped, put the new filter on hand tight. Take extra precautions on NOT cross threading the filter.
Fill the crank case with the proper ammount of oll. 4.5, 5, 5.5 I can't remember off the top of my head, just check the oil level with the dipstick, and make sure it is full, without being over-full.
Replace the oil cap.
Start the car and let it run for 20 -30 secs. Check for any leaks.
People call it Mobil 1, because that's the name of the product.
Don't switch to Synthetic Oil until you have about 10,000mi on the car. The car burns oil until the cylander sleeves are completely broken in. Dyno oil aids this process. I reccomend Castrol GTX 10w-30
This is all my opinion. Take it for what it's worth.
https://www.s2ki.com/forums/showthread.php?...?threadid=70348
But here is my procedure:
Run the car until it's fully warmed, more than one minute.
Jack up the car and put a drip pan under the oil bolt and remove it. Drop the car to completely drain the pan.
Remove the filter, be sure that the gasket comes off (it looks like a thick rubber band.)
Open the oil cap to also aid the draining process.
Once fully drained, replace the crush washer with a new one, and put the drain plug back on. Tighten to spec.
Open a quart of oil, and fill the new filter with oil.
Then dip your finger in the oil bottle, and spread a thin layer of oil on the rubber gasket of the new filter.
Now fully prepped, put the new filter on hand tight. Take extra precautions on NOT cross threading the filter.
Fill the crank case with the proper ammount of oll. 4.5, 5, 5.5 I can't remember off the top of my head, just check the oil level with the dipstick, and make sure it is full, without being over-full.
Replace the oil cap.
Start the car and let it run for 20 -30 secs. Check for any leaks.
People call it Mobil 1, because that's the name of the product.
Don't switch to Synthetic Oil until you have about 10,000mi on the car. The car burns oil until the cylander sleeves are completely broken in. Dyno oil aids this process. I reccomend Castrol GTX 10w-30
This is all my opinion. Take it for what it's worth.
07-25-2003, 11:35 AM
#26
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the "simple" act of changing the engine's oil is fraught with opportunities to F it up.
here's my take:
using the wrong oil filter
using the wrong oil
failure to replace/inspect the crush washer on the drain bolt
failure to adequately tighten the drain bolt
failure to lube the filter's gasket
over/under tightening on the filter
over/under filling with new oil
failure to replace oil cap
failure to adequately tighten oil cap
most of these, if given enough time/miles, WILL result in oil loss. the S is an EASY car to perform this basic maintenance.
i make every attempt to do it myself (on all our cars), but sometimes it just isn't the most practical alternative. if someone else does change the oil, i absolutely review their work and check for leaks afterward.
here's my take:
using the wrong oil filter
using the wrong oil
failure to replace/inspect the crush washer on the drain bolt
failure to adequately tighten the drain bolt
failure to lube the filter's gasket
over/under tightening on the filter
over/under filling with new oil
failure to replace oil cap
failure to adequately tighten oil cap
most of these, if given enough time/miles, WILL result in oil loss. the S is an EASY car to perform this basic maintenance.
i make every attempt to do it myself (on all our cars), but sometimes it just isn't the most practical alternative. if someone else does change the oil, i absolutely review their work and check for leaks afterward.
07-25-2003, 11:40 AM
#28
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Do you have an aftermarket intake? if so, you can do your oil change from above!
do a search on the "Fumoto valve" I highly recommend this product and Ricks is now selling them! it will make quick work of an oil change!
Nick
do a search on the "Fumoto valve" I highly recommend this product and Ricks is now selling them! it will make quick work of an oil change!
Nick
07-25-2003, 11:48 AM
#30
Registered User
The problem with "gut sense" is that the oil drain bolt is about an arm's length away from you unless you have the car on a lift. If you are pulling on your wrench with your arm fully extended, then you are using the big muscles in your back, legs and torso to pull the wrench, not the muscles you use for finer control normally, like your hands, wrist and maybe elbow. You will certainly tighten the bolt, but you can't reliably get repeatable results. The type of torque wrench which you should get is calibrated to give only the torque that you dial in, then it gives when that value is exceeded. If it's a decent quality wrench, you should get the same result every time.