I did my first Engine Oil change today!! Found out not that difficult with proper tools. [Actually this is second time oil change since last time about a week ago I could not get the oil filer out with strap type wrench] This time I got cup type wrench from toyota dealer and removing is a breeze.
However, I have a question: I filled about 3.5 qt PENNZOIL 5W30 and fitted oil cap on engine and started and kept on idle for 3min. Then I checked the level and level is perfect at FULL but I found that there are bubbles in the oil on dipstick!! After driving the afternoon and ckecked again there are NO bubbles. Why are there bubbles on dipstick? Car drives ok though.
I hope you've been taking your Camry to Jiffy Lube or some other place every 5000 miles, and that this is not the first oil change you've ever done for your car... !!!
I like those Rhino Ramps from Pep Boys to get under the car - I'm a big guy. YMMV, of course.
I've had bubbles too. Not sure. Dunno.
Same here.
When's the last time you changed your transmission oil? :) And radiator coolant?
Actually, I have been taking the car to dealer for oil change so far, every 5000 miles. What prompted me to change oil myself is - When I checked OIL level some 2 weeks ago(oil change interval nearing), I did not see any oil on the dipstick, it is completely dry, not a trace of oil. Then I got a Quart bottle 5w30 and poured the whole thing. After this when I checked the level it is barely touching the dipstick. Then I got another quart and poured whole amount. Now this caused the level to go up above FUL mark , about 0.5" more. I took the car to delaer and explained the story and the guy checked the oil and said 0.5" above FUL mark is safe to drive. But then I thought why can't I attempt the oil change myslef and glad I did that. Since the car has 110K miles and
7.5y old I will watch more carefully now.
Yeah, I will try Xmission oil change- the dealer charges about $90 for this. Where are the drain plugs for transmision for trans AND differential?
How to change radiator coolant? simple drain and refill?
Well thanks for the story. Didn't know the dealer could mess up that badly.
Tranny drain is on the other side of the car as the oil pan, it's a six-sided 10mm hex nut. Best to go to Pep Boys, get a 10mm socket (about $3.50), and a 9-inch flex handle to drive it with (about $10 - the shorter handled ones might not get the nut off, it's on tight). Drain into a waste oil pan, pour the old oil into an old milk jug to get an estimate of how much fluid came out (I got out about 1/2 a gallon when I changed dad's tranny fluid this afternoon), and re-fill through the top tranny dipstick (best to get a special tapered funnel for this) with Dexron-III or whatever your Camry manual recommends (do check with your manual though, there are different kinds of tranny fluids).
Checking the fluid level is harder though than it is for oil - you have to start up the car, run it from P all the way down to L (go thru R, N, D, 2, to L) and back to P, and check the dipstick while the engine is running.
Differential is lots harder (at least for me - I took it to Pep Boys for $40) to change. If you've got a V6, it's possible the tranny and diff oil share the same reservoir, and there won't be a separate diff oil - double check by doing some research.
Something like that. Never done it myself yet, will probably try it next week. Recommend you do use Toyota coolant, yes it's more expensive, but hey it's your car. :)
If you're changing the engine oil and transmission fluid at the same time, and the oil bottles have measurements on the side, empty the used transmission fluid into those so you can measure precisely the correct amount to re fill - but check the trans. fluid hot first - after driving 10 miles, - often the level isn't quite right to start. According to the manual, if you've been idling in city traffic with the A/C on, or driving at high speed, the level cannot be checked. So it's ten miles of normal diriving.
Planning to keep it for awhile? Want to make the oil change even easier? Want to lessen the chance of stripping the threads on the pan. Don't want to hassle with the plug gasket. You might consider getting an oil drain valve. Fumoto makes a good one.
I have them on all my cars now and it speeds up the process considerably, plus, I now don't worry about whether "loosey lefty and righty tighty" still applies in the same way when I am lying on my back. :>0
Depends on the car. Fumoto addresses it pretty well on their Web site, since, as you may guess, it is everyone's first question. My only advice would be if in doubt, don't get it.
I've used them for about six years.
I have one installed on my low-down '87 corolla (The car I have to jack up to crawl underneath), my '97 Nissan Quest and my '03 Camry. I also had one on my '84 Tercel. I run a couple of miles of poor dirt/gravel roads each day before I reach pavement and have never had a problem.
We just got an '98 Mustang, I haven't actually investigated putting one on it yet, as it isn't time for it's first oil change yet -- if any car may be too low, it may be the pony, but if it is possible, it'll get one on it too.
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