New initiate to OIL CHANGE CLUB

I just changed oil in my 89 Trooper II, the oil and filter cost $19 and some change. Later, I seen an ad and coupon for an oil change, local Amoco, $19 plus some change.

I'm all done changing my own oil, not worth the trouble anymore.

I have to agree, at least based on my experience. It costs me about $24 with tax for oil, filter and "other" lube at my independent mechanic's shop. But, my 4WD Tacoma has a couple of other lube points whose names I don't recall, and the mechanic attends to those. He also checks & lubes the e-brake fittings, which always seem to get gummed up, sometimes to the point where they're inoperable. That matters to me since my truck visits steep boat launch ramps on a regular basis, so the e-brake MUST work smoothly. Other stuff gets poked & inspected while we're under the car. "Start thinking front brakes in about 6 months, or 2 months if your son's driving the truck." $24 is worth it to me.

I used to use my ramps but I now use a pair of boards. Stack a two foot long and an eighteen inch long 2x12's on top of each other. Screw the boards together. Screw a 2x4 across the top, for a stop. Position the the boards a few inches in front of the tires and drive up upon them until you reach the stop. Place a big piece of card board on the floor. Place drain pan on card board and slide it into position. Using a 14mm wrench or socket, remove drain plug. I strongly suggest using nitril gloves to protect hands. Do not loose the drain plug seal washer. It is always a good idea to have a new one on hand, just in case. Some people change the washer every time but I can get many oil changes out of the same washer. The filter on a 1999 V-6 Camry is located under the exhaust header. Wear a pair of leather gloves to protect you hands from getting burnt on the hot header. Position some disposable towels (rags) under the oil filter. This will help capture some of the oil which will leak out of the filter during removal. Wipe the area around the filter before loosening the filter. This will help keep dirt from falling into the filter mount when the filter is removed. Use a CLEAN rag to wipe the filter mounting face on the engine. Remove the filter from the box and coat the o-ring seal on the oil filter with a thin film of clean motor oil. Install the filter and tighten up as directed by the directions. I like to place a mark on the filter top so I can tell how far it has been tightened. Most filters are tightened 3/4 turn after the filter makes contact with the base. Do not forget to install the drain plug. If you are a perfectionist, use a torque wrench. If you are the shade tree variety, a good snugging will be sufficient. Do not over do it. You do not want strip the threads. Wipe the area around the oil fill before removing the cap. If you use a funnel (highly recommended) make sure that it is absolutely CLEAN!!!!!! Keep the funnel in a closed container for the next oil change. Add the proper grade and amount of good quality motor oil to you engine. Re-install the oil fill cap. Wipe up any spilled oil. Record the mileage. Remove drain pan. Give everything a good check over. Coolant, transmission, windshield washer, brake fluid, tire pressures (don't forget to check the spare tire), battery (distilled water only) and clean the windows. Start engine and check for leaks at filter and drain plug.

My 1979 Celica requires me to raise the car a few inches to access the filter. My '95 avalon's filter is accessable from under the hood (although it leaves a mess when removed). I had a 1970 Chevelle (307 v8) that didn't have to be raised to get the filter.

Very few vehicles require ramps or jackstands in order to change the oil. The problem with those oil change places is that they often do a very poor job, and they use the worst quality parts they can buy.

The three Toyotas I've had have all been very easy to change the oil on, with the Camry being the easiest to get to the filter.

The place I used to go for oil changes, a local independent shop, was not only about $10 less expensive than Jiffy Lube, they did a better job, and used better parts for their regular customers (they had OEM filters as well as jobber filters).

Like stripping the pan nut, leaving a second gasket on the filter flange, draining the differential and overfilling the trans on a FWD with a barrier...

How often do people get out the door for only the $19.95 basic service? They're out there aggressively pushing radiator flushes, transmission flushes, cabin air filters and AC evaporator cleanings...

All the big chains have a corporate policy to try and get $60 to $75 minimum on every ticket, they track it by employee code, and they enforce it by firing the employees that do not make the add-on sales. You have to pitch them to the -s-u-c-k-e-r-s- customers at every opportunity, if a manager hears you not even trying you are gone.

I hate standing there saying No... No... No... Goodbye. See, I have a three No limit for stupid shit that an amoeba wouldn't buy. I warn them after the first No, then after the third I simply walk away.

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I agree, and so does this video footage of Jiffy Lube crooks hard at work:

But, there are alternatives in between doing it yourself and taking the car to a chain for service.

I own 1995 camry with 4-cyl engine and there is no need to rise vehicle for this job. The oil pan fits under the car with plenty of room for your hand to remove the drain plug. I loosen it with a wrench then put the pan underneath and complete remove the plug. The oil filter is right there looking at you when you open the hood. Very easy to do and rising vehicle would add unnecesary hassle to the job.

I don't know how you can get far enough under the car to unscrew the drain plug, unless your arms are about five feet long....and the oil receptacle must be pretty shallow to fit underneath the car. Another reason for not changing your own oil is that, unless you want to pour a gallon of used oil on your back yard, just taking the used oil back to an auto parts store to a recycling vat will cost you at least a half gallon of gas for the round trip, which at today's gasoline price will add another two bucks to your total expense. As for getting suckered into changing other fluids at an oil change place, I find that it's very effective to simply smile at the mechanic who offers these services and use the time-honored phrase "No, thanks."

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I bring my used oil in when purchasing oil and filter for my next change. There is no particular hurry to recycle it. Steve

Well, I can asure you that my arms are not five feet long and I can do it :-) Oil pan is right behind the car radiator in the front. The drain plug is in the 2/3 to the back of the oil pan. Really no problem to feel it with your extended hand when you lay on your back on the floor/creeper...

My oil receptacle is a very simple, standard oil pan like this one:

Good point, but you should not have to make a separate trip to do this!

In my case, the closest place I can return used oil for recycling is Pep Boys. It is located at the street mall together with Sam's Club, Walmart, Kohls, Target, Office Max, Petco, my Bank and several other stores. I just pour oil back into the bottles and put it into the trunk. Next time I go to any of these stores I drop the oil at the Pep Boys at no additional cost or fuel wasted.

Find a similarly located place for your oil recycle needs.

Please note also, that saving money is not the main reason for doing oil changes yourself. In my case I do it for convenience (I can do it any time, even Sunday when all stores are closed) and to be sure it is done right. I know what oil I used, I know what level is there after the job (how often do they overfill the car?) and that my plug is not cross-threaded. My friend got recently a dispute with a store where they cross-threaded his drain plug and he had to get a new oil pan and pay for labor for exchanging it. There was no way to prove who did it unless you pay $$$ for attorney... I had a similar case when I got tempted with low price tire rotation. I got a coupon for $9.99 job and I got lazy - next time I got a flat tire it turned out TWO studs where cross-threaded and I had to tow the vehicle. This turned out to be a very expensive tire-rotation job! Never again I would get tempted - lesson learned the hard way.

Agree. The most common upsale item is the air filter, also easy to do yourself.

Oh, I see...you are in the Camry group?

I'm stuck over here in Toyota. My Mom's Camry rarely has a problem! ;)

Welcome to the club of not being satisfied with understanding cars just from a user standpoint. Work safe, learn more every chance you get, and keep at it.

And don't forget to nose around down there with a flashlight when changing the oil and look for trouble that hasn't happened yet. That's the main reason I change my own oil, aside from knowing the work was done right; I can see little problems in the comfort of my own driveway before they turn into big expensive trip-interrupting ones. Look around and just absorb what things are supposed to look like on your particular ca, and as you go on, take notice of changes and ask yourself what they mean.

Best of luck,

--Joe

But like one poster mentioned, it give you the opportunity to poke around and maybe catch something before it goes bad. I do this all the time, and it's especially helpful looking for torn boots that can lead to an axle/CV joint replacement.

One option to lifting the car up, and the mess it creates when the drain plug is removed, is an oil extractor which sucks the oil out of where the dipstick goes. A tube is placed inside the dipstick well. Some manufacturers such as Mercedes recommend oil extractors instead of using the drain plug for oil changes.

You can get a fluid extractor for $50-$100. Here is one that uses an existing air compressor to create suction:

ones with hand pumps are not very good in my experience. Any small air compressor will work with the above unit, such as those sold for tire inflation. They also work great on transmission fluid and some other fluids found on cars.

Some cars cannot use an oil extractor because of where the dipstick is positioned (the tube that is inserted will not reach to the bottom of the oil pan), but I don't think Toyota has that problem. Amazingly enough, many people report that they remove more oil with an extractor than with a drain plug, although it depends on the car and the person doing the change.

Of course, with many Toyotas, the removal of the oil filter still makes a mess, but it can be done from the top of car without lifting it up.

One thing I noticed when the oil had finished dripping into the

15-quart drain pan is a lot of grit in the oil.

The drain pan is the kind that is round and covered with a permanently closed lid that has a small hole in the lid's middle where the oil can fall into the pan. The lid has a downwardly sloping surface that leads to the hole.

Almost all of the oil went down the hole, but a thin layer remained on the round lid. Within the thin layer of oil was something that kind of felt like grit. Each particle was probably about the size of a grain of sand, or smaller. I'd say there were about 4 particles of grit per square inch. What do you think that was?

See if it sticks to a magnet...

4 quarts of API certified oil costs about $8. A genuine Toyota filter costs about $4, and a drain plug gasket costs $1. So it's really $13 to do it yoursel. Also, Jiffy Lube around here is higher than $20, even with a coupon. Of course you should never let Jiffy Lube touch any vehicle that you care about.

You mean you don't let them do a Bilstein Wallet Flush and change the air in your tires?