Just wondering, how many of you change your own oil or pay someone to do..
I use to change it myself but after hearing horror stories of people not tightening their oil filter etc. and blowing out their engine... but if you get it done at a shop at least they are liable...
also I heard its dangerous as well you can get crushed underneath the car.. I mean I use the stands and everything but there's still a chance that you can get crushed.. Is it worth it? and how hard is it for the TL? my old integra was a breeze to change..

 

this will be easier than the integra because of the filter location. i do all my own work. i guess it really depends on if you have the tools/area/time to do it. most who do take care of it themselves

 

I dont trust ANYONE else to do anything on my cars or bikes, from a wash to a motor rebuild.

Most people pay to have things done, but I would have to be paid to let someone screw up my stuff.

Brett

 

My husband does all the oil changes on our cars. I hate taking my car to someone else for anything as I never get it back in the same condition. I usually have to spend a few hours cleaning up the interior.

 

DO IT YOURSELF
they will screw something up sooner or later

 

I take it to the dealer. I'm one of those people that always tries to do well, but makes it worse. I'm not very mechanically inclined, so I have no illusion. I've learned the hard way more than once.

Joe

 

do it yourself. With regards to the car falling, just use Rhinoramps.

 

when i started to notice oil in the driveway. i had Acura check the leak & they showed me that the 1st 4 treads in pan were stripped and they were about to charge me over $730 for a new pan plus labor & tax. i didnt go 4 it, so the schmuck said ok, i'll just put in a longer bolt so u can make it home. i had a mechanic check it the next day & the bolt solved the whole problem. I think someone dropped my drain bolt in the oil & lost it, then just stuck some other bolt in. i've done every oil change myself since

 

well thanks to the info on this site i changed my oil myself for the first time ever and it only took me about 45-50 min which i think isnt bad for a first time

 

This is good info as I also just got a new TL and plan on doing my own oil changes. Is the oil filter on the drivers or passengers side and near front or back. Haven't been under the car yet - it really sits low to the ground. I plan on doing the second change since the first one is free at my dealer. Also do you use the "loop strap type" of filter remover or the rounded one that attaches with a ratchet on the grooves at the bottom of the filter. Thanks for your time. Steve

 

I just got my 02 TLP 2 weeks ago and I just changed my own oil, it was so easy to do it, I don't trust someone else to do it, I've heard so many horror stories. The filter is on the passenger side. I cut 4 pieces of 2x6 of wood and nailed 2 pieces together and use them as the ramp. I let the oil drain and go inside and have lunch and watch TV for 1/2 an hour, I use 5 quarts of Mobil1 5W20 as recommended, I don't use a wrench to tighten the filter, only hand tightened, do not over tightened the filter.

 

i got my TL about a 2 months ago...i was wondering when you guys would recommend a first oil change im at about 2600 miles...some people say 2500 to let all the metal fillings out the oil...im plannin to let acura do the first oil change then ima do it myself....

 

The oil filter is on the passengers side, by the suspension. Its not hard to get at.
I changed my oil at 2500 miles using havoline 5w20 as it closely matched the factory fill as far as the additives in it, per what people who had it analized reported here. Havoline has changed the formulation though, the new oil is less dark (less additives?).

The oil filters that work are mobil 1 M104 or M110, or the purolater pure 1 PL14610. The one mobil filter is short and squat, the other is tall and thin, both fit and likely have the same surface area inside.

I put the filters on by hand, after filling them with oil, and I dont put them on hand tight, just hand snug, as they have big soft gaskets that do not need to be tight. I can remove it by hand (2 hands usualy) and dont get any leaks.
Oil filters get tighter over time, even though I put them on just snug, it takes both hands and a lot of force to get it off.

I have changed the oil 4 or 5 times and still have the original drain plug washer with no leaks. I may try fitting a metal washer with a built in O ring, as they seal better with much less force on the drain plug, and also tend to hold things snug.
The all metal washer needs to be fairly tight to stay in place and seal up, and on an alloy pan that can cause problems.

Brett

 

That Michael Wan... I knew he had a thing for oil, but damn.

 

From what I've heard, if you just got a brand new car, do not change the oil too soon before the recommended mileage because the oil they put in at the factory has special additives for breaking in purpose.

 

That may be true, or not, depending on the maker of the engine.
Many places use engine assembly lube that has additives in a grease like substance to prevent wear on some parts before the oil gets there, like cam shafts, big end bearings, etc.

There are oils that closely match the initial fill oil, or are close enough, so you
could change it to get the wear metals and dirt out without problems.

Another consideration is how you want to break an engine in.

Hard use with poor oil can seat the rings and wear things in so well that the rings seal almost 100%, no blowby.
I had a link to a site that builds racing and other motors, and they had pictures of many pistons out of various motors, some were broken in hard, others the typical way, and the hard broke in ones looked surprisingly new and clean after many miles.
The standard break in pistons looked typical...
(I lost the link)

But there are other parts besides pistons and rings... crank bearings, trans parts and bearings, that would likely do worse with a hard break in.

Really, unless you plan on going over 300,000 miles, I doubt it makes much difference when you change the oil, how you break it in, what brand oil you use, as long as you change the oil around the recomended intervals...

That does not hold with turbo engines, engines with small sumps, engines with hot spots that can coke the oil...

Brett

 

I change my own oil. I use a 17mm socket for the drain plug and the Honda filter wrench. A plastic baggie to remove the filter and caught the dripping oil. Plus 5 quarts of Havoline 5w-20, a new Honda filter and drain plug washer. And a couple of 2x6's under the front wheels so I can crawl under the car. I think that's it.

 

Do it yourself and learn about your car, it's the most rewarding experience in the long run to know that you can do a better job than most "Jiffy Lubes" and at 1/2 the cost, not to mention how easy it is...

My wife just yesterday was bragging to her co-worker that just got an Ody like hers that she has never brought her van back to the dealer since she bought it, all thanks to me and with that I may have another van to service in the near future... ,

 

I used to do my own, got bored with it really, I just take it to Mobil one express and watch their every move...

 

I'm not mechanically gifted, but changing the oil is easy enough for me to do alone.

 

I've been changing my own oil for years and am still around to talk about it.

The big thing is to make sure the vehicle is properly supported on ramps or a good set of jack stands, etc. NEVER use a jack alone to support a vehicle if you plan to work under it. That's when most of the accidents occur with people getting squashed under the vehicle.

The big thing is, are you comfortable doing this sort of thing yourself and do you have the right tools for the job? If not, then it's probably best to take the vehicle to a reliable shop to have the oil change done.

 

It depends...usually whatever is closer to me. I probably use the filter pliers the most just because it gets the best angle on the filter the quickest. I'm lucky enough to have access to the lifts at the garage I used to work at so the car goes up in the air every time. If you are doing it in your driveway just take off the passenger side wheel. Makes it easy to get to the filter and you can also take a look at the brakes to monitor their life.

 

I tighten the oil filter by hand. as tight as I can get it with two hands is plenty as long as it doesn't leak

I use a torque wrench on the oil pan. This is to keep from stripping the plug.

After changing, I always start and check for leaks (at filter and plug) before backing of ramps or removing jack/stands.

The oil filter tends to get tighter with time (heat cycles) so tightening it with a wrench just makes it hard to get off. As long as it doesn't leak, it should be fine.

The stories you heard about oil filter's blowing off were most likely from failed bypass valves and too much oil pressure in/on the filter.

I couldn't find a standard (loop-strap) oil filter wrench small enough for the TL filter diameter, so I bought a socket-type. Made life much easier, but I only needed it the first time to get the original factory installed filter off.

 

^-factory oil filters suck. i hated when cars would come in for their first service, especially if they were a pain in the ass to get to such as the first gen Lexus RX

 

I'm going to be changing my oil myself as well but am not at the miles yet. I noticed a couple of posts here mentioning using 5 quarts. Are you guys just rounding it off or do you actually use all of the 5 quarts? I'm asking because the manual mentions 4.5 quarts. Either way I'm going to check it with the stick, so this is just for curiousity.

 

Put in 4 1/2 quarts. I've done this 4 times now and it has always been right on the line when I was done. Easier to add a little than try to get a little out.

Five quarts will be over the line and won't really hurt, but they put that line there for a reason so you might as well use it.