OK, don't get me wrong I do know how to change my own oil, I just need to do a speech on it for school and I wanted to make sure I have everything right. these are the steps I came up with. Will somebody please correct them if they are wrong. Any suggestions, questions or comments would be greatly appreciated.

1. make sure you have all the parts (oil, filter, wrenches)
2. drive your car around for a while to get it warm
3. Pull your car up on stands
4. Locate oil plug
5. Loosen slowly until oil comes out
6. Make sure you have a container underneath and unscrew the plug all the way. Be careful because the oil is hot.
7. Let it drain for a few hours to make sure all of the oil is out of the block and the heads.
8. Locate oil filter
9. Using an oil filter wrench, take off the oil filter.
10. Put plug back in the oil pan
11. Fill oil filter up with oil and smear some around the gasket to insure a tight seal.
12. Install the oil filter. (opposite of taking it off)
13. Open hood and find oil filling cap
14. Take the cap off and put a funnel in it.
15. Pour all of the oil into the engine.
16. Close the cap
17. Take dipstick out and check to make sure that there is enough oil in the engine.
18. Start engine and watch the oil pressure gauge to make sure there is adequate oil pressure.
19. Let it run for a few minutes.
20. Shut engine off and go relax.

do you guys think this is too complicated for sophomore girls to understand? Also, is it too long?

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yellow 86 Camaro LG4
Pioneer head unit
Kenwood speakers
Infinity Beta Digital 300 amp
2 Infinity Perfect 12s

[This message has been edited by matthew (edited September 25, 2000).]

 

I get a long piece of thin fuel hose. I take off the oil filler cap..and work the hose down throgh the oil drain holes till it rests at the bottom of the pan. Then I just suck it up a mouthfull at a time..and spit it out into a nearby container. It only tastes bad for the first 2...and it saves crawling around under the car.

 

you may want to include to make sure to get the old oil filter gasket off...two on @ once=no good!

 

Don't put that installing filter is reverse of removal. You don't want to use a filter wrench to tighten it. Screw the new one on till it makes contact, then give it another 1/2 turn or so...

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"Racing is life. Everything else is just waiting." - Steve McQueen - LeMans

305 TBI, T-5. 15.4@92 mph
Member Southern California Third Gen F-Bodies

AOL IM: Andy89RS

 

Does anybody let it drain for a few hours? Once it gets to a drip I put the plug back on and spin on the new filter. It's also important to make sure you don't cross thread the filter, and that it only goes HAND tight with one hand (2 for chicks).

Overall, I think you've got too many steps for women (especially 15 year olds) to follow. They are doing good if they know which gauge is the oil pressure gauge, nevermind whether it's at an adequate pressure.

Try this one:

1. Drive until you see a "Jiffy Lube" sign.
2. Pull in and talk to big furry guy behind counter
3. Give him your keys.
4. Watch Oprah in the waiting room, being careful not to touch anything.
5. Pay
6. Get your car back and go home.

Or this one:
1. Have sex with your boyfriend and mention that you need your oil changed right before he's done.



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The IROC Homepage
<A HREF="http://www.rit.edu/~jli4307/camaro" TARGET=_blank>
View the restoration of an 85 IROC</A>
"I didn't know a bored out Ford could go so slow" -Shenandoah

 

I can see that Jim85Iroc knows women as well as cars...

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90 TBI 305 Formula
Original Owner
Auto Trans, T-Tops
Completely Stock Except:
--Flow Cooler water pump
--180 T-stat

 

I'm with you - get the car at the correct angle and everything will drain within about ten minutes if the oil is hot enough and there is no sludge present. When I see the dripping slow down, the clean plug goes back in.

The next time that happens, tell her you'll need to remove the the "dipstick" before you can complete the job, and that someone will have to "clean off" the dipstick to make sure the job is done correctly.


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Later,
Vader
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"Make Me Bad"
Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0

 

Some of those responses seem to assume you're talking to a junior high class.

I'll take your word that this is high school. No, it isn't too complicated, and could be made to be interesting. Are you allowed visual aids, such as overheads (pictures) or showing the tools needed? That could make it more interesting. Whether it is too long depends upon how much time you're allowed to use.

Only changes/additions I'd suggest (other than the serious suggestions above):
Add oil rags/paper towels, oil absorb to #1.
Wear oil-resistant gloves.
Put catch container under plug before you start loosening - that last thread can come before you expect it.
Put in 1 qt less than all of it (define "all" as the listed capacity w/filter), start and check for leaks at filter, take off stands and on level surface shut off engine, wait one minute, add enough oil to bring to full mark.
Dispose of used oil properly (check around to find out who takes it in your area).

Let your interest in the topic be your motivation, not what the girls think.

Good luck!

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82 Berlinetta, orig V-6 car. Rescued w/86 LG4/TH700R with all harnesses, sensors, ECM, etc. 2.73 open, cat-back from '91 GTA, Accel HEI SuperCoil. AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Daily driver, work-in-progress (LB9 w/ZZ3 cam, ported heads, exhaust, paint, etc.).
57 Bel Air, my 1st car. Currently 396 .030 over, Weiand Action+, Edelbrock 1901 Q-Jet, Jacobs Omnipack, 1-3/4" headers, TH400 w/TCI Sat Night Special conv & shift kit, 3.08 10-bolt, AMSOIL syn lubes bumper-to-bumper. Best 15.1 @ 5800' Bandimere. Daily driver while Camaro was being put together.

 

sophomore girls will never understand anything. most of them will never even figure out how to unlatch the hood. i'd know im a junior in auto shop and u cant teach a girl anything. no offence to any camaro chicks out there.

 

Thanks for all the responces, I am rewriting my speach now. but I need to know some facts. how many miles does the average american drive per year? How much does it cost to get your oil change at Jiffy lube? I need to know these so that I can make an argument for changing your own oil based on the cost saved.

 

you save money by doing it yourself???
thats funny!!! my girlfriend used to go to jiffy lube and spend 21 bucks or so. these days I spend about 40!!! damn expensive synthetic oil

 

12,000 to 15,000 miles annually is considered average. Jiffy lube places tend to run $25-30. The mechanic that does my father's charges $12. Considering that it costs me $8 for the cheapest **** products on the market, the $4 difference hardly seems worth the effort to do it myself...even though I still do.



------------------
The IROC Homepage
<A HREF="http://www.rit.edu/~jli4307/camaro" TARGET=_blank>
View the restoration of an 85 IROC</A>
"I didn't know a bored out Ford could go so slow" -Shenandoah

 

hey now easy on the females.. i managed to teach my ex how to change her oil, and at one point i even managed to talk her thru her own tuneup, tho i had to offer some assistance in the form of strength with the plugs.. heheh

go buy car craft magazine (i know it sucks) asnd read the article with that 18 yr old chick building that 400hp mopar motor

 

I hope you can speak better than you spell though! Good luck!

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92 Z28 L98 350
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Ported and polished heads, ported stock TPI base, ported plenum, Comp Cams XR270HR-10 cam (lift .495/.502 duration 218/224 lobe separation 110), Edelbrock TES headers, LT4 valve springs, Crane AFPR, Flowmaster catback with LT1 style tips, MSD coil & wires...

"Take that auto, drop it in first, hold the brakes, stomp the gas and grin from ear to ear! :-)

 

So if the average american drives 12000 miles per year that should be about 4 oil changes per year, if you figure that you change your oil every 3000 miles. It cost me $13 for the oil and the filter. And if Jiffy lube charges $25 to change it, thats a savings of about $12. take that times 4 changes per year and you save almost $48 per Year!! Somebody please tell me if this is wrong.

 

I do oil changes at a local texaco while I'm in college. We charge $17 for a basic oil change and $22 for a full service(check and top off all fluids, check tires, vacuum car, etc.) The more I know about other guys that do this, the more I think it is just worth it to do it yourself for the peace of mind knowing its done right. One guy at my work left a filter loose and blew a subaru motor. That's why I do it, you never know if the guy who is doing it is stoned, stupid, or sleepy. While it is an extremely simple procedure, mistakes can be disasterous. Oh yeah, I don't know if anyone else does it but I usually pour a half a quart through mine to flush out the last little bit before putting the plug back on. Anyway, good luck. As far as the girls go, if any good looking ones don't understand, offer to come over and show them in person. . .

 

Black Beauty, imagine if you bought that synthetic oil from Jiffy Lube!

Funny story- I have a friend who's seen me change my car from "good" to "totalled" to "great". We pass a Jiffy Lube, and she says, "Oh, I should bring my car there soon, I need an oil change." So I tell her "Bring it to my house, I'll do it for you, and just charge you for the oil." She looks at me and says-

"You know how to do an oil change?"

Ah, whaddya gonna do...


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards

 

Hah, ive herd a story about this guy bought his daughter a brand new cavilier or neon or somthin, and she blew it up after about 25k miles cause she never had the oil changed.

kinda funy how "most women" just drive and drive their cars, they don't even try to understand whats goin on with it.. an idiot light comes up they go into denial.. not to mention "most" have the lack of ability to drive manuals too. hah, and i know one who couldn't figure out why her firebird was runing like crap. it turned out she was out of gas! oh man, i could go on.. one thought she was leaking coolant. turned out to be the water from the a/c.

and back to the oil changing. i usually dump half a quart(left over from filling the oil filter) into the engine after its done draining to "rinse out" the crank case.

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84Z28 5.0 H.O.
litely moded up

 

OK, here is my revised speech:

1. make sure you have all the parts (oil, filter, wrenches, rags, stands, etc…)
2. drive your car around for a while to get it warm
3. Pull your car up on stands and shut engine off
4. Crawl under and locate the oil plug
5. Put a container underneath the plug. Loosen and take out the plug. Be careful because the oil is hot.
6. Let it drain for about ten minutes to make sure all of the oil is out of the block and the heads.
7. Once the oil has stopped dripping, put the plug back in and move the container of oil underneath the filter.
8. Using an oil filter wrench, take off the oil filter and throw it away.
9. Fill up the new oil filter with oil. Smear some around the gasket to insure a tight seal.
10. Install the oil filter. Only use your hand to tighten it. Then once it is tight, go another ¼ turn with the wrench.
11. Open hood and find oil filling cap.
12. Take the cap off and put a funnel in it.
13. Pour the recommended amount of oil into the engine.
14. Close the cap.
15. Start engine and back off stands. Watch engine oil pressure gauge to make sure there is adequate oil pressure.
16. Shut engine off and let it stand for a few minutes. Then open the hood again and using the dipstick, check to make sure that there is enough oil in the engine.
17. If there isn’t enough, add some more until there is enough.
18. Once everything checks out, you’re good to go.

I will elaborate on some of those steps in class. Does this sound right, I would hate to have somebody mess up there engine because of me.

 

at least the girl who thought that she had a coolant leak knew enough to pay attention to what came from her car!!!! most girls wouldnt even notice that!

Steve

 

#11: Put a funnel in the cap?
#13: Put in the recommeded amount, minus the 1/2 quart (or whatever) you put in the filter.
#14: You mean "put the cap back on", right?

Otherwise, sounds good! Good luck..


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards

 

Cool. Then for your next speech you can do 20 easy steps to blueprinting and balancing a SBC. ;-)

Todd

 

Quoted from Jim85IROC: "Or this one: 1. Have sex with your boyfriend and mention that you need your oil changed right before he's done."


So, Jim, is that what you do?


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Zepher
'86 Pontiac Trans Am WS6, 5 Speed:
Edelbrock 1406 Carb, Edelbrock Performer RPM 7101 Intake Manifold.
Edelbrock Open Element Air Cleaner: Flowmaster Exhaust, 160* Thermostat,
Grant GT Steering Wheel, MSD HEI Coil, Taylor 8mm Wires, Recaro Seats,
Alpine CD+Changer,Rockford & Soundstream Amps, Premier TS-1040C Subs, Polk Audio highs/mids.

WS6 Trans Am

 

Black Beauty/TomP,

There is probably no real economy in changing your own oil and filter, at least from a pure cost basis. The importance of changing your own oil is that, as Ryan mentioned, you are sure the job is done correctly. I also appreciate the peace of mind derived from the knowledge that every fitting has been lubed and none of the grease boots were over-inflated.

We also get to crawl under our cars under the guise of routine maintenance and get to get our hands on all the parts. For me, that's good therapy. I can concentrate on something other than all the other cares of the day and relax, hiding in the garage. We get a good look at everything, and can keep a close handle on the general condition. I'm not sure how you do it, but I seldom try to beat the "ten minute guaranteed oil change" offered by the quickies. I like to poke around at the suspension and steering, exhaust, driveshaft, differential, take a look at the underbody, brake cables, fuel lines, etc.

When I learned to do an oil change and chassis lube, my mentor would have kicked me in the seat if I only took ten minutes. He knew that the brake cables need grease, the shifting and clutch linkages need lubrication, the hinges need oil, not spray lube, the suspension bushings need silicone or glycerine, leaf springs need oil at the separators, wiper linkages and door latches are cleaned and oiled, not sprayed with WD-40, body seals get silicone, etc. "Modern" service centers seem to have forgotten all that, even though the owners manual for my 2000 Chevy still requires the maintenance.

I doubt the ten-minute lube centers have those steps in their "complete maintenance service" listing. Which is why many of us still change our own oil. It's a PITA to crawl under the car, properly dispose of the oil and filter, clean off and lube all the fittings and so-forth. However, most of us probably have vehicles that are on average in a lot better condition than what we pass every day, and our cars are a helluva lot older. I'll bet that most of us have a lot better idea of every strength and weakness of our cars at any given moment. If I ever "settle in" to an econo-sedan, I might give up the routine and just use the quickies - yeah, RIGHT! For me to POOP on!

------------------
Later,
Vader
------------------
"Make Me Bad"
Adobe Acrobat Reader 4.0

 

wow vader, that got me all teary eyed. i thought i was one of only ones who like to hang out under their car, and play with all the mechanical thingies.. bonding with it..

 

ROFL!

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92 Z28 L98 350
---------------
Ported and polished heads, ported stock TPI base, ported plenum, Comp Cams XR270HR-10 cam (lift .495/.502 duration 218/224 lobe separation 110), Edelbrock TES headers, LT4 valve springs, Crane AFPR, Flowmaster catback with LT1 style tips, MSD coil & wires...

"Take that auto, drop it in first, hold the brakes, stomp the gas and grin from ear to ear! :-)

 

if you want an A for this project,,,may I suggest the utilization of a video with the tastful display of some "Hooter" waitresses performing the said oil change.
I do have to agree with vader though. There is nothing like doing the Tim Allen thing.