Diy oil change?
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Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2008
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Diy oil change?
Im trying to do my oil change on my 04 TL Aspec...Can someone refer me or tell me DIY steps with pictures? I dont think i can get under it either...i dont have anything but the oil and the filter...what am i missing?
You need a pan to collect the oil and one jack stand. Jack the car up on the front drivers side to just enough to get the jackstand under there. Get under the car in the passenger front side with a 17mm wrench drain the oil then take the filter off that is next to the tire.
AZ Community Team
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 32,488
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From: N35°03'16.75", W 080°51'0.9"
3G Garage:
https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-2004-2008-93/3g-tl-garage-faq-3g-tl-newbies-553554/ - Bookmark this link!!
C-004: DIY: Oil Change Checklist with Service Manual Scan
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80273
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=139528 with pictures
https://acurazine.com/forums/3g-tl-2004-2008-93/3g-tl-garage-faq-3g-tl-newbies-553554/ - Bookmark this link!!
C-004: DIY: Oil Change Checklist with Service Manual Scan
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=80273
https://acurazine.com/forums/showthread.php?t=139528 with pictures
Registered Member
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 8,342
Likes: 163
From: Suburb of Manassas, VA
An excellent example of this is previous discussions (borderline arguments) as to whether or not you should use a torque wrench for the drain bolt. The best answer to this one is this. The bolt and the oil pan are made from two different metals (steel and aluminum) so the potential exists to strip the threads in the pan by running the bolt down too tight. This is not unual for newbies doing their first oil changes. So learn the right way to do things off the bat and you'll be better off in the long run.
Basically you'll need ramps, an oil drain pan, a ratchet/socket set of tools, an oil filter wrench, a torque wrench, funnel, drain bolt washer, thin latex kitchen glove, 1-gallon heavy duty freezer ZipLock bag, 5 quarts of oil, oil filter.
o Drive the car around your neighborhood until the temperature starts to come up some (not too hot).
o Put the ramps up to the front wheels and drive up on them (careful doing this).
o Put a tarp or heavy painter's cloth under the engine bay and position the drain pan under the oil pan.
o Remove the oil filler cap on top of the engine.
o With a latex glove on your strong hand, remove the drain plug (bolt) loosening it out by hand so that it doesn't fall into the drain pan.
o Let the oil drain until it drips.
o Clean the drain plug (bolt) and install a new aluminum washer on it.
o Thread the plug into the oil pan and tighten by hand.
o Remove the glove.
o With a torque wrench, finish tightening the plug to 29 ft/lbs (or 360 in/lbs).
o Move the drain pan over to a position under the oil filter which is on the passenger side of the engine.
o With your filter wrench, loosen the filter just enough to where you can continue to remove it by hand.
o Slip the 1-gallon ZipLock bag completely over the filter and a little above the pickup arm (this keeps residual oil from getting all over suspension parts, your driveway or garage, and you).
o Continue to remove the filter by hand, being careful to let it fall gently into the bag when it comes off.
o Examine the filter gasket mating surface on the pickup arm to make sure the old filter gasket did not pull off of the filter and stick to the pickup surface.
o Rub a light coat of engine oil onto the new filter gasket, then thread the filter onto the pickup.
o Tighten the new filter 3/4's of a turn AFTER contact with the pickup.
o Insert the funnel into the oil fill receptacle at the top of the engine and poor in 4.5 U.S. quarts of your fresh oil.
o Put the fill cap back on.
o Start the engine and when the oil icon light goes out, run the engine up to
around 2500 RPM for about 10 seconds.
o Go back down under the car and carefully check for any leaks around the drain plug and especially around the filter.
Congratulations, you're done.
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Your phone list has nothing to do with the MID. The shop just made a mistake.
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 33,535
Likes: 1,142
using your strong hand remove the bolt--
you must have amazing grip strength
I have to use a wrench~
noobs often undertorque the bolt- meaning its loose and can work itself all the way to leak or falling out
Quickie shops do the opposite- with a guy standing under the car and a 2 foot long wrench or worse, an air gun, and puts 50-60 foot pounds of torque on a 29 lb spec bolt
Have fun getting the oil filter off if a shop did it last time too
Putting too much pressure on a rubber seal squishes it out-= leak
Used oil can be taken in 1 gallon plastic jugs to any parts store, oil change place and many shops, all accept free of charge- parts stores and quickie places are required to accept it as part of their license
I like to put some new oil in the filter before install, to soak the media, it lessens the time to fill the filter and develope oil pressure on startup
Put some oil on the rubber seal and the threads as well
Wipe the surface on the engine side free of old oil and confirm the rubber oring is removed--2 orings on each other= leak
you must have amazing grip strength
I have to use a wrench~
noobs often undertorque the bolt- meaning its loose and can work itself all the way to leak or falling out
Quickie shops do the opposite- with a guy standing under the car and a 2 foot long wrench or worse, an air gun, and puts 50-60 foot pounds of torque on a 29 lb spec bolt
Have fun getting the oil filter off if a shop did it last time too
Putting too much pressure on a rubber seal squishes it out-= leak
Used oil can be taken in 1 gallon plastic jugs to any parts store, oil change place and many shops, all accept free of charge- parts stores and quickie places are required to accept it as part of their license
I like to put some new oil in the filter before install, to soak the media, it lessens the time to fill the filter and develope oil pressure on startup
Put some oil on the rubber seal and the threads as well
Wipe the surface on the engine side free of old oil and confirm the rubber oring is removed--2 orings on each other= leak
Registered Member
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 8,342
Likes: 163
From: Suburb of Manassas, VA
using your strong hand remove the bolt--
you must have amazing grip strength
I have to use a wrench~
noobs often undertorque the bolt- meaning its loose and can work itself all the way to leak or falling out
Quickie shops do the opposite- with a guy standing under the car and a 2 foot long wrench or worse, an air gun, and puts 50-60 foot pounds of torque on a 29 lb spec bolt
Have fun getting the oil filter off if a shop did it last time too
Putting too much pressure on a rubber seal squishes it out-= leak
Used oil can be taken in 1 gallon plastic jugs to any parts store, oil change place and many shops, all accept free of charge- parts stores and quickie places are required to accept it as part of their license
I like to put some new oil in the filter before install, to soak the media, it lessens the time to fill the filter and develope oil pressure on startup
Put some oil on the rubber seal and the threads as well
Wipe the surface on the engine side free of old oil and confirm the rubber oring is removed--2 orings on each other= leak
you must have amazing grip strength
I have to use a wrench~
noobs often undertorque the bolt- meaning its loose and can work itself all the way to leak or falling out
Quickie shops do the opposite- with a guy standing under the car and a 2 foot long wrench or worse, an air gun, and puts 50-60 foot pounds of torque on a 29 lb spec bolt
Have fun getting the oil filter off if a shop did it last time too
Putting too much pressure on a rubber seal squishes it out-= leak
Used oil can be taken in 1 gallon plastic jugs to any parts store, oil change place and many shops, all accept free of charge- parts stores and quickie places are required to accept it as part of their license
I like to put some new oil in the filter before install, to soak the media, it lessens the time to fill the filter and develope oil pressure on startup
Put some oil on the rubber seal and the threads as well
Wipe the surface on the engine side free of old oil and confirm the rubber oring is removed--2 orings on each other= leak
Thanks.. good catch.
Registered Member
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 8,342
Likes: 163
From: Suburb of Manassas, VA
This is why I do two things. I use a latex glove on my right hand to remove and replace the drain plug, and I use a 1-gallon ZipLock bag to remove the filter into. Both of these things keep the mess to a minimum with no oil spilled in the process.
Team Nighthawk Mambo King
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,089
Likes: 2
From: Westfield, MA
I'm not about your State, but here in MA all Advance Auto Stores are willing to take any amount back and some gas stations like the Mobil in the town over takes up to 4 gallons.
The town has also a recycle facility that will take your oil for a flat fee of $5, but why pay as I mentioned above that others are willing to take it off your hands for free....
That reminds me that I have (5) 5qt. jugs filled with dirty oil sitting in my garage...thanks Acurazine for reminding me...
The town has also a recycle facility that will take your oil for a flat fee of $5, but why pay as I mentioned above that others are willing to take it off your hands for free....
That reminds me that I have (5) 5qt. jugs filled with dirty oil sitting in my garage...thanks Acurazine for reminding me...
Team Owner
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 33,535
Likes: 1,142
places that sell oil are required by law to take a reasonable amount back from you,
buy 5 qts- take 5 back..not 10 gallons~
Even with gloves on,its possible for oil to run up your arm- I'm thinking of those new to the task and how to keep things clean.
I keep grease sweep on hand and use a large tray under the oil catch pan
the ziplock for the filter is a great trick
buy 5 qts- take 5 back..not 10 gallons~
Even with gloves on,its possible for oil to run up your arm- I'm thinking of those new to the task and how to keep things clean.
I keep grease sweep on hand and use a large tray under the oil catch pan
the ziplock for the filter is a great trick
Registered Member
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 8,342
Likes: 163
From: Suburb of Manassas, VA
I have to 5-gallon gas cans that I pour the used oil into and when they're full, I take them to one of the heavily wooded areas close to where I live and just dump the oil in a hole. No muss, no fuss.
Seriously, there is a county reclamation center not far from where I live and that's where I take my used oil.. 5 gallons at a time.
Seriously, there is a county reclamation center not far from where I live and that's where I take my used oil.. 5 gallons at a time.
do you have autozone??...i buy the 5qt container of mobil 1 from walmart, then after my oil change, i dump the remaining 1/2qt in the wifes car or the lawnmower, then dump the old stuff back into the 5qt container and take it to autozone where they take it back for free....
Instructor
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 179
Likes: 1
From: Bolton, MA
Since it's clear you're new to doing something like this, I strongly advise you to search the postings first before attempting to do this. The reason is there are a lot of good points and advice and some not so good. You'll get a feel for which ones are the good ones and soon you'll learn enough to do the job.
An excellent example of this is previous discussions (borderline arguments) as to whether or not you should use a torque wrench for the drain bolt. The best answer to this one is this. The bolt and the oil pan are made from two different metals (steel and aluminum) so the potential exists to strip the threads in the pan by running the bolt down too tight. This is not unual for newbies doing their first oil changes. So learn the right way to do things off the bat and you'll be better off in the long run.
Basically you'll need ramps, an oil drain pan, a ratchet/socket set of tools, an oil filter wrench, a torque wrench, funnel, drain bolt washer, thin latex kitchen glove, 1-gallon heavy duty freezer ZipLock bag, 5 quarts of oil, oil filter.
o Drive the car around your neighborhood until the temperature starts to come up some (not too hot).
o Put the ramps up to the front wheels and drive up on them (careful doing this).
o Put a tarp or heavy painter's cloth under the engine bay and position the drain pan under the oil pan.
o Remove the oil filler cap on top of the engine.
o With a latex glove on your strong hand, remove the drain plug (bolt) loosening it out by hand so that it doesn't fall into the drain pan.
o Let the oil drain until it drips.
o Clean the drain plug (bolt) and install a new aluminum washer on it.
o Thread the plug into the oil pan and tighten by hand.
o Remove the glove.
o With a torque wrench, finish tightening the plug to 29 ft/lbs (or 360 in/lbs).
o Move the drain pan over to a position under the oil filter which is on the passenger side of the engine.
o With your filter wrench, loosen the filter just enough to where you can continue to remove it by hand.
o Slip the 1-gallon ZipLock bag completely over the filter and a little above the pickup arm (this keeps residual oil from getting all over suspension parts, your driveway or garage, and you).
o Continue to remove the filter by hand, being careful to let it fall gently into the bag when it comes off.
o Examine the filter gasket mating surface on the pickup arm to make sure the old filter gasket did not pull off of the filter and stick to the pickup surface.
o Rub a light coat of engine oil onto the new filter gasket, then thread the filter onto the pickup.
o Tighten the new filter 3/4's of a turn AFTER contact with the pickup.
o Insert the funnel into the oil fill receptacle at the top of the engine and poor in 4.5 U.S. quarts of your fresh oil.
o Put the fill cap back on.
o Start the engine and when the oil icon light goes out, run the engine up to
around 2500 RPM for about 10 seconds.
o Go back down under the car and carefully check for any leaks around the drain plug and especially around the filter.
Congratulations, you're done.
An excellent example of this is previous discussions (borderline arguments) as to whether or not you should use a torque wrench for the drain bolt. The best answer to this one is this. The bolt and the oil pan are made from two different metals (steel and aluminum) so the potential exists to strip the threads in the pan by running the bolt down too tight. This is not unual for newbies doing their first oil changes. So learn the right way to do things off the bat and you'll be better off in the long run.
Basically you'll need ramps, an oil drain pan, a ratchet/socket set of tools, an oil filter wrench, a torque wrench, funnel, drain bolt washer, thin latex kitchen glove, 1-gallon heavy duty freezer ZipLock bag, 5 quarts of oil, oil filter.
o Drive the car around your neighborhood until the temperature starts to come up some (not too hot).
o Put the ramps up to the front wheels and drive up on them (careful doing this).
o Put a tarp or heavy painter's cloth under the engine bay and position the drain pan under the oil pan.
o Remove the oil filler cap on top of the engine.
o With a latex glove on your strong hand, remove the drain plug (bolt) loosening it out by hand so that it doesn't fall into the drain pan.
o Let the oil drain until it drips.
o Clean the drain plug (bolt) and install a new aluminum washer on it.
o Thread the plug into the oil pan and tighten by hand.
o Remove the glove.
o With a torque wrench, finish tightening the plug to 29 ft/lbs (or 360 in/lbs).
o Move the drain pan over to a position under the oil filter which is on the passenger side of the engine.
o With your filter wrench, loosen the filter just enough to where you can continue to remove it by hand.
o Slip the 1-gallon ZipLock bag completely over the filter and a little above the pickup arm (this keeps residual oil from getting all over suspension parts, your driveway or garage, and you).
o Continue to remove the filter by hand, being careful to let it fall gently into the bag when it comes off.
o Examine the filter gasket mating surface on the pickup arm to make sure the old filter gasket did not pull off of the filter and stick to the pickup surface.
o Rub a light coat of engine oil onto the new filter gasket, then thread the filter onto the pickup.
o Tighten the new filter 3/4's of a turn AFTER contact with the pickup.
o Insert the funnel into the oil fill receptacle at the top of the engine and poor in 4.5 U.S. quarts of your fresh oil.
o Put the fill cap back on.
o Start the engine and when the oil icon light goes out, run the engine up to
around 2500 RPM for about 10 seconds.
o Go back down under the car and carefully check for any leaks around the drain plug and especially around the filter.
Congratulations, you're done.
After putting in the oil, should I check the dipstick then? Or should I let the car run for a minute or two and then check the dipstick?
Thanks!
Registered Member
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 8,342
Likes: 163
From: Suburb of Manassas, VA
Great write up. The only question I have is when to check the oil level after just putting in the 4.5 quarts? I get the 5qt jug and eyeball based on how much is left in the jug on what 4.5 quarts is. I want to make sure I don't need to top it off.
After putting in the oil, should I check the dipstick then? Or should I let the car run for a minute or two and then check the dipstick?
Thanks!
After putting in the oil, should I check the dipstick then? Or should I let the car run for a minute or two and then check the dipstick?
Thanks!
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