denwhat

nice write up. its really simple to change your own oil and you can save money by buying when its on sale and stocking it up. I usually get the 5q jug of Mobil 1 for low $20s and a filter from the dealer to bring it to under $30 in total.

Also I highly do not recommend a filter wrench. they suck ass cuz they slip and are hard to use. get one of these:
they snap on to your wrench and makes it extremely easy to remove. make sure you get a metal one too cuz the plastic ones slip.

t33h00

Hi!
do I really need the Oil Catch Can in order to do the oil change?

PyroDave

you just need any container that will catch the oil for you, keeping in mind that it should have high walls due to splash/splatter. correct me if im wrong. i just got one of those foil things you broil chicken in for a buck

dallison

When i changed my oil for the first time on my used 09, i put some grease on the bolts holding up the plastic protector. The bolts seem like they had a tiny bit of rust and this should keep them from seizing.

ddcd

I was surprised also. 75% of that is Texas highway miles since it takes an hour to get anywhere. I never really drive it hard unless I get into road-rage mode, which doesn't happen very often.

5thTo2nd

umm that's kinda like asking if you really need a toilet to take a piss or crap

MrOtocinclus

Confirmed, it's now screws as opposed to bolts.

PyroDave

i wont bother explaining why it took me 2+ hours to change my oil today... all i gotta say is FUCK YOU ACURA DEALERSHIP AND YOUR IMPACT WRENCH FOR EVERYTHING. i ended up using the side of a wrench to hammer into the filter, then use a philips screwdriver as a drill to make a hole in the side of the filter, and use that as leverage to take off the filter. thanks BenBen for the help on the phone. PS, im an idiot and forgot about the drain bolt and thought that taking off the filter = draining oil. needless to say, when i couldn't figure out where to put the new crush washer, i realized that i hadn't actually drained much oil...

MrOtocinclus

I know exactly what you mean... the first time I did my oil change my drain bolt wouldn't budge. I was under the car with my bucket next to my head. I pulled really hard and broke the bolt loose, but the handle of my wrench smashed into the bucket and cracked it, spilling oil all over the place. THANK YOU ACURA INDEED.

PyroDave

i punched the underside of my car while trying to get that drainbolt, and then it shot out alot further than i thought it would(shut up, yes, she did say that). the filter was the real problem though. i tried fitting a wrench to it, but it kept slipping, so i really secured it after measuring on the new filter, and still it slipped on the old filter, like the notches were stripped. i recommend that metal cup that denwhat posted, just make sure to get the right size

MrOtocinclus

Here's the part number for the filter wrench: 07AAA-PLCA100. It worked for my filter as well as my wife's Accord. I'm guessing it's universal Honda.

PyroDave

little known fact, ALL acura's have exactly the same oil filter. i assume all honda's do as well. makes it easier for service having a universal filter.

denwhat

LOL thats mostly due to the filter wrench dude. Get the cap and you can get the filter off no matter how tight it is.

PyroDave

i agree cap maybe woulda helped, but i used a legit pipe wrench, not an oil filter wrench

robpp

iTrader: (2)

FYI

i went to autozone today and they sold me 5 qts 0w-20 Mobil 1 for the sale price $32.95 with a Mobil 1 filter.

i bought a filter from the stealer so I just got another filter for my old jeep/

cheers!

MrOtocinclus

Wow, that is a pretty good price. Thanks for the heads up.

Professor

Ehh. for $29 at the dealership of my new Acura, they provide the oil, labor, carwash, and I sip their coffee, eat their donuts, read the paper, surf, etc.

robpp

iTrader: (2)

thats great. i dont use dino/

my dealer wants 70+ for a synthetic change/

PyroDave

yea it costs about 30-40 to do it yourself with synt, or 30 at the dealer for regular, i said fuck it and did it myself and let my car have some synth oil for now

harold1108

I went to auto zone and wasnt sure what type of washers i needed. Is it the 1/2 ?

robpp

iTrader: (2)

its 14mm on my 12 4cyl.

http://acura.bernardiparts.com/Depar...2011-2012.aspx

MrOtocinclus

IMHO, I do my own oil change not necessarily because it's cheaper, but because I find it enjoyable. I find it enjoyable to jack up my car, enjoyable to drain every last drop of oil out, enjoyable to know that I torqued my oil filter correctly and didn't leave out any bolts or screws. Plus, it happens maybe once or twice a year, so it's not like it's a huge waste of time.

Looking at it from a 100% efficiency time vs. money thing, having it done at the dealer is a no-brainer. But we're humans, not robots, and not everything is done for economy or efficiency. Do whatever makes you happy!

5thTo2nd

amen brother. I've got a few friends who work at dealerships and the stories I hear are pretty scary. If I mess it up doing it myself I know who to blame and I learn. If I get it right I know who to pat on the back.

BonusBen

Thank you. This is what I was looking for.

robpp

iTrader: (2)

i ALWAYS do a 1K mile oil change so no matter what my MINDER says I wanted to get some synthetic in there.

so i went to stealer and bought a filter and a washer for $7.xx

I went to autozone and got the oil; 5 qts of 0-20 Mobil 1.
I also TRIED their wrench and it DID SLIP BAD. so i passed.

I needed to return something to napa for my other ride so i brought my filter with me. they point me to the NAPA branded wrenches. they have the 65/67 14 flute. But it SLIPS TOO!

so i tell the guy and he says for giggles there are a few MORE wrenchs over near the oil/ i go there and its this cheaper brand "evercraft" something like that. it FITS LIKE A GLOVE/

no slip and it was like 5 bux vs. 9 for the Napa ones.




and I thought I toook more pics but.........

the 7 fasteners for the under cover are now Phillips. I used a large #3 and it worked perfect. dont use a small phillips it will tear them up. the slots go deep and the bigger head is neeeded.



after that it was all the same as above.


the ONE SURPRISE for me was that there was ZERO grief with a first time change. nothing was overtight. all went as exepcted/




the oil; i have 5 but I started with 4/

HOW DO YOU MEASURE POINT 2 to get 4.2 qts in there LOL ???????





and for ceb; chocked and jack stands.

LC2ner

Any 12'ers running 5w-20? I tend to run my car a little harder and for short intervals when running fire calls. The 12 calls for 0w-20, but that's for fuel economy...

robpp

iTrader: (2)

no expert here but my understanding is the first number relates to start up when the oil is cold. the other number, thats for the heat, when its warmed up and running.

SO again my understanding, you want the ZERO to warm up faster andf lots of cold starts with hard running. the ZERO will flow better when cold so I think the ZERO is what you want for the first number.

AND I THINK what you are asking is that you might want to UP the 20 to a 30 or more?

MrOtocinclus

Nice jack stands, I have the same ones.

PyroDave

i used the exact same oil, i just kinda guestimated, but im pretty sure its 4.4 quarts. on one of the thinner sides of the container, theres actually markings on the side, i forgot what intervals, but it helps to measure for less than half a quart

frescagod

*EDITED* correct me if i'm wrong, but while you mention that you use jack stands, one of the subsequent pics shows that you have the car up on a jack, but not on jack stands. maybe fix that so that some noobs don't make the mistake of thinking that having it on a jack is sufficient before getting underneath the car.

robpp

iTrader: (2)

Me?

In this thread?

PyroDave

he is referring to the blue thing, which looks like a bottle jack, but i assume is a jack stand

robpp

iTrader: (2)

OK. Can't help what it MIGHT look like LOL but Yes the blue and silver thing IS A JACKSTAND.

Someone else commented on having the exact same one.

MrOtocinclus

In the OP there was a pic where the right side of the car was jacked up on a scissor jack. That's probably what Charlotte and Mr. Harris were referring to.

5thTo2nd

Yeah good point. I had to use the scissor cause my regular jack wouldn't fit underneath due to the lowering springs...I know it's not ideal but I had the jack stands under the axle and front jack point just in case.

I got a low-profile jack now which I use to raise the front using the front jack point.

EzeE1o

Bump. Just did my SE's first oil change, and added a fumoto drain valve as well. The filter is in the worse location lol, oil gets all over it once you unscrew it. I wish the filter was accessed from the top like the BRZ, or at least like the k20 in the rsx, side mounted.

Anyway, thanks for the pics.

stan_t

I just did my first oil change this weekend too. Used the OEM filter and 0w20 oil from dealership, cost $55. I bought 5 quarts and the car took 4.5 quarts to be at full mark.

I'm not a fan of the Fumoto valve myself though many Subaru owners were raving about them. My reasons for not wanting one is potential leaks and possibly knocking it off in case the car bottoms out.

I was actually pleased with the way filter and drain plug are positioned in this car -- easy to access once the protective tray is off, both are close together and drain into the same container easily, not making a huge mess, and the filter goes straight up so when I bolt it back up filled with oil, nothing spills. In my Subaru, it was close to impossible to change the oil without it spilling/splashing.

Stan

EzeE1o

i got a 5 qt jug of 0w20 mobil 1 from walmart for $26, and a bosch filter for $7.

this is my 3rd fumoto valve, on my two other cars, no leaks at all. on the tsx, the protective cover pretty much negates it from being knocked off. and if you bottom out enough to affect the drain valve, you'd probably do more damage to the oil pan too

stan_t

True on bottoming out lol.

I notice the OEM filter is made by Honeywell, just like the new Subaru filters. I've used the Bosch filters in the past and they are nice. I decided to stick to dealership parts this first time, but am not opposed to saving a bit of money. Is the Acura 0w20 oil re-packaged Mobile 1?

EDIT: read that Honda/Acura 0w20 oil is manufactured by Phillips 66. Supposedly, "You will find a nearly identical product in Phillips 66's flagship oil, Kendall".

Stan

5thTo2nd

yeah i like the positioning of the drain plug and filter on this car too. My wife's car has a k20 and the side positioning of the filter by the wheel well makes for all kinds of mess both taking it off and putting it on.