New initiate to OIL CHANGE CLUB

One thing that works really well when you need an extra funnel, quick and cheap: an empty 2L soda bottle. With scissors, cut into the middle of the bottle (pinching the bottle a bit helps), then cut your way up to the cap part, cutting round until you have a nice little funnel. Careful not to cut yourself on the sharp plastic (it IS sharp).

Wipe your funnel clean first before you use it for oil though. You don't want sugar water mixed with your oil.

We just moved, the car needed an oil change, and I couldn't find my funnels anywhere... soda bottle it is... the orifice is bigger than the bottom hole in my regular funnels, so oil pours faster... plus there's no pointy tip, so it fits better.

Michael

Reply to
mrdarrett
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I use an X-Acto or a box cutter. Again, SHARP! But works quite well.

Reply to
Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B

'91 Grand Marquis '94 Acclaim

Reply to
clifto

My '94 LHS was easy!

Reply to
Hachiroku $B%O%A%m%/(B

So on Friday night just after I started the car, the "Maintenance Required" light comes on and blinks 6 times, then turns off. It happened every time I started the car. 6 blinks, then off. I'm thinking I musta broke my 'yoter somehow when I changed the oil a week ago, and it took 7 days to show up. Unfortunately there's no 'puter around to search the newsgroups since I'm at a gas station in St. Louis 125 miles from home.

All the fluids look fine, so I ask a fella what it could mean. He says the "Maintenance Required" light came on because the oxygen sensor probably broke its porcelain piece when I hit a bump or something. Couple hundred dollars in labor and parts, he says. Luckily the '06 is still under factory warranty.

The next day, while still in St. Louis, I take the car to Seeger Toyota, the dealership that sold me the car 2 years ago. When I explain what's been happening, the friendly and very helpful Chad in the service department says the "Maintenance Required" light only comes on when it's time for an oil change--only then and never else.

I tell'em I changed the oil myself a week ago--my first time doing it myself. He said I just needed to reset the Camry's

5,000-mile oil interval count back to zero by holding the odometer button in, then turning the key to the on position (not start), and waiting a few seconds until the ODO display turns to dashes, then zeroes. Then release the odometer button.

Well, that was easy enough! I didn't break my 'yoter after all!

My only thought is the warning light should say something like "Change Oil," not "Maintenance Required" since maintenance could mean anything from low coolant, break fluid, transmission problem, etc. Chad says "Maintenance Required" only comes on for one reason and one reason only: It's close to 5,000 miles since your last oil change, so change it again. (I had changed the oil after 4,000.)

Can't wait to rotate and torque the wheels soon with my trusty Craftsman torque wrench!

Reply to
Built_Well

The Acclaim is easy, but the arm comes out oily. Barely have to raise the Acclaim to do the job.

Reply to
clifto

Chad's interpretation was not quite correct. The "maintenance required" light comes on every 5,000 miles because 5,000 miles have elapsed on the odometer since the light was last reset and not because the oil was changed

5,000 miles ago. The system was designed that way because the oil should be changed every 5,000 miles. It says "maintenance required" and not "change oil" because at some 5,000 mile intervals, there are other things to be maintained or checked, like inspect brakes (not "break"), replace air filter, replace coolant, etc. If the light merely said "change oil," people might neglect the other maintenance items at some intervals.
Reply to
Ray O

When I started the car on Friday, the "Maintenance Required" light must have come on at about 4,500 miles. I mentioned it blinks 6 times, then turns off, but I forgot to mention that Chad says it will stay on permanently at 5,000 miles until you reset it, hopefully after an oil change, of course.

Reply to
Built_Well

Well, yeah. ;-) Most of the rest of the required maintenance and safety checks can be done by a DIY'er with a few basic tools (like a grease gun and the right grease) and a repair manual.

Ramps help a lot, and a lube pit or two-post lift would be a godsend. I'm looking for a good excuse to raise the garage roof three or four feet to clear a lift...

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Reply to
Bruce L. Bergman

Ray O, I think you're right and like your interpretation of the "Maintenance Required" light, but would you believe the 2006 _Scheduled Maintenace Guide_ refers to it as the "oil replacement reminder light."

Here's the exact quote found in the footnotes of almost every other page in the Guide:

"Reset the oil replacement reminder ("MAINT REQD") light after replacing engine oil, if vehicle is equipped with this light."

Bruce, I've been wondering about grease issues since reading a couple days ago a brochure from an Advance Auto store called _Chassis Care: Why You Should Inspect and Lube Your Chassis Every 6 Months_.

In the brochure, it says to "Use a grease gun to lubricate the Ball-joints and Tie-rod ends. Some manufacturers do not provide grease fittings on OEM Tie-rod ends since they are pre-lubricated, sealed units from the factory. A flexible hose helps in tight spots. Apply until grease oozes from the seal. Wipe off extra grease."[End Quote]

Does anyone know if the '06 Camry is one of those cars that has pre-lubed sealed units that don't require greasing? Are there other spots in the chassis and suspension that require lubing?

Reply to
Built_Well

I need to change the oil in my old green cap.I wonder where the filter is? cuhulin

Reply to
cuhulin

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I would think there is very little, perhaps nothing, under the chassis of the '06 Camry that requires lubing, but maybe I'm wrong.

Reply to
Built_Well

FWIW,

I used to think lubed for life OEM parts weren't any good, but my wife's Beretta had the original tie rods last 15 years and 220,000km.

I consider that to be more than adequate. I'd be willing to bet that there are quite a few cars made in the last 15 years going to the junkyard with OEM lubed for life balljoints and front end parts on them.

I much prefer that to the truck I own, which has about 3 bazillion (okay it's only 8) places to lube on the front steering.

Ray

Reply to
ray

I just checked the Amsoil site. They say for the '06 Camry, there are zero fittings and zero plugs for chassis lubrication. So I guess no lubing under the chassis is necessary. Thank you Toyota.

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Reply to
Built_Well

Since the maintenance guide also lists everything that should be done at various mileage intervals, the writers probably thought it was safe to call it the "oil replacement reminder light." There are lots of drivers who never open the owner's manual so on the dashboard, someone probably decided to have it display "maintenance required" so drivers might get the hint that something other than an oil change might be needed.

Your Camry does not require periodic chassis lubrication and uses sealed joints.

Reply to
Ray O

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Ray O, I was surprised to learn this, but Amsoil does apparently carry 2 lines of API-*certified* oil: one gasoline line and one diesel line, according to the Wikipedia entry on AMSOIL.

The gasoline engine line of API-certified products begins with XL. The 5w-30 viscosity would be XLF.

Some of the Wiki entry:

"Another common misconception is that motor oils must be API certified in order to meet warranty requirements. The fact is, lubricants are not required to be certified by the API, only meet or exceed API specifications. An API license indicates that a specific motor oil formulation has passed the minimum performance standards as defined by a series of laboratory bench tests that include physical, chemical and engine tests.

"API licensing was originally developed for mineral-based oils. Petroleum motor oil companies can take advantage of the convenience and flexibility associated with base stock interchange, which allows them to buy petroleum base stocks from any number of suppliers without being required to re-test and re-certify their products. This ensures adequate supply and competitive pricing. Most synthetic base stocks, on the other hand, are supplier specific and base stock interchange is not allowed. If, for instance, if AMSOIL wanted to blend an API-approved motor oil using the same type of base stock from a different supplier, the oil would have to be re-tested and re-certified."

Reply to
Built_Well

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8 years? According to Edmunds.com: "Emissions equipment is required by Federal law to be covered for five years or 50,000 miles."

Are you saying Toyota warrants emissions equipment for

3 years longer than federal law requires? That would be great if it's the case.

Well, I had been considering using Amsoil's XLF next time since it is API-certified, but I really want to use the ASL (which is also 5w-30 like XLF), but has a higher TBN value, meaning more zinc and other good stuff.

You don't think using ASL for 6 or 12 months is going to hose a catalytic converter, do ya? I just wanna hear how my engine sounds and feel how the car runs with the ASL in it. Once I experience that, I'll probably go back to Pennzoil Platinum, or put in the API-certified Amsoil XLF.

Reply to
Built_Well

I do see the 8 years mentioned at the EPA site. I suppose EPA is more reliable than Edmunds ;-) Here's the link to the Edmunds quote about 5 years or 50,000 miles:

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The following quote is found at the end of the second paragraph on that page:

"Emissions equipment is required by Federal law to be covered for five years or 50,000 miles."

Well, you never know. I might detect a difference in engine sound and performance between Pennzoil Platinum and Amsoil ASL. I did hear a change in engine sound (same sound volume, different sound frequency), when I switched from Mobil 1 to Pennzoil Platinum, but of course, the biggest difference was switching from conventional to synthetic (much quieter).

They're all very good oils. It'll be fun to try Amsoil ASL or XLF.

Who knows I might even gain an extra 1 or 1.5 miles per gallon with Amsoil. Folks are raving about the new Amsoil 0w-30, but I will stick with 5w-30 in case Toyota were to give me grief about the viscosity change if I ever had to use their 5-year drive train warranty, which I know we all doubt.

Reply to
Built_Well

About a two years ago, the check engine light came on for my 1998 Camry V6. At that time car was just under 8 years old and had 63,000 miles.

Dealer told me it was a bad charcoal canister, and they replaced it for free under the emissions warranty.

Reply to
Mark A

As I mentioned before, IMO, AMSOIL's web site is a little disingenuous in that their oil is recommended (but they don't say who is making the recommendation - I assume it is AMSOIL) if a particular API standard is required by the automaker. AMSOIL does not say that their oil meets API standards. That is a big difference when it comes to warranty coverage.

Toyota states that you should use oil that meets API specifications, not "oil that the oil supplier says it OK to use if a particular API specification is called for." I'll say this again: if you want Toyota to warrant your engine, use oil that meets the proper API specifications and has the API star on the package. If you are not concerned with your factory warranty and are comfortable with using a product that the product's makers have to use word games to get people to use it and are confident that the oil maker will warrant your engine, then go ahead and use the other product. BTW, during my 15 years working for the automaker, I have never seen an oil supplier, API certified or not, replace an engine for a customer under their warranty. For MY personal vehicles, I stick with oil that meets API specifications.

Reply to
Ray O

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