Oil and filter change

In message , Krycek writes

Don't forget to put the red triangle out so that when the inevitable police and ambulance screech to a halt they don't run over your protruding legs.

But you then have to guess/calculate how much to refill it, because you can't rely on the dipstick.

Theo

You can't anyway immediately after an oil change. Just put in slightly less than the book says, then get the car on level ground and check it properly.

Forget the dipstick. Just refit the sump bolt and put in the amount that your owner's manual says for a refill after a filter change (for example my manual says 3.75 litres for my Astra).

IIRC a lot of the VW/Audi oil filters have non return valves which close off the filters when the engine is off and the oil pressure is zero, so it's always best to get a genuine filter in this case.

If you have problems, hammer a screwdriver through the old filter. Nearer the outside end as you wont damage anything you don't want to.

Big snag with ramps is if used for non driven wheels - they tend to get pushed rather than climbed. They're also much larger to store. Decent quality folding axles stands take up virtually no room - and are perfectly safe. And useful where you need to work on the car with wheels removed - unlike ramps.

I find that most cars of the last decade or two are too low at the front to allow ramps to be used. They are also useless for cars with a long rear overhang, like estates.

Chris

You can get ramps with a more gentle slope - but they're even larger to store. You can also get ones which jack up.

Bloke at work kindly offered me a pair of ramps that he didn't use any more and was fed up with the space they were taking up. He carried them out of his shed separately. I fitted one into the other to put in my car and his jaw dropped. "Oh, I didn't know they did that!" I almost had to give them back.

Heh heh. I've glued some heavy duty rubber matting to mine which stops them being pushed by the car - and stops them stacking.