Ehm... Can anybody explain me what to do and when? I know where the oil filter is and already got a new one.. Plus 10w40 oil..
Thanks

 

Warm the car up, craw underneath, put a drain pan under the oil pan to catch all the oil and loosen the drain plug, but be careful not to get aoil all over the place or burn yourself. Then once all the oil is drained you can now remove the oil filter. If it won't come off by hand then just use a filter wrench. put some oil around the seal on the new filter and tighten it down about 1/2-1 full turn after it barely contacts the block. Put drain plug back in place and fill back up with new oil. It's real simple. Anyone can do it.

 

Use a socket or a box end wrench to loosen the oil pan drain plug, don't wanna round it off your first time.

 

Warm the car up?

Am I missing something?

I've always changed the oil with the car stone cold.
I've always been told to change the oil while the engine is cold.
This way you are changing all of the old oil. Running the engine prior to changing the oil would cause the oil to go up into the heads and therefore taking the oil longer to drain back down into the pan.

Granted, you never really will be able to get "all" of the old oil out of the engine no matter if it's warmed up or cold. But it just seems quicker if all the oil has already drained down into the pan overnight.

Please elighten us with the reason for changing the oil with a warm engine.

 

Warm oil flows better. Simple. Thick oil, aka cold oil, wants to stick to things too, so by warming it up and thinning it out you will get more out that way. Ideally what you want to do is warm it up then let the car sit for a few minutes so it can drain back into the pan. Most of the oil will have drained back to the bottom of the pan without a couple minutes anyways so letting it sit over night won't do much except slow the flow of oil coming out.

 

thanks guys! now there's one last problem I encountered today, I cant crawl underneath the car when its just sitting there, and putting it on ramps will make it _slightly_ difficult to change the oil aw ***. how do you do this?

 

I'm sure your're clever enough to figure this one out...

 

*scratch head* a lift maybe? no chance on that. so..... c'mon. its early in the morning. please dont make me think

 

Just put it on ramps. If that isn't satisfactory for you then you could put all 4 corners on jack stands, but thats a little excessive for an oil change don't you think? Ramps would be your best choice I think. It's what I do and it works plenty fine for me.

 

I hate ramps. The front end on my car is too low and long. A jack and stands is a much better investment.

 

actually i cant put my car on ramps either, i have to use wood pieces to get it higher or get me some exentions for the ramps.. otherwise i'd ruin my front
where's that drainplug, btw? sorry if i'm asking dumb questions. but i'm rather doing things correctly from the first time on.

 

this is what i do, since i lowered the car.i cannot fit a jack underneath unless i use the pieces of wood. drive the car onto 2- 2x6" pieces of wood. then jack the car up using the K-member (big metal thing under car that holds the engine and front wheels) to desired height. place a jack stand underneath each a-arm. then proceed to change oil. drain plug is easily located. large bolt on the lower drivers side of pan. the only bolt on the lower part of pan. filter located right next to it. you can't miss it.

 

Here's a bit of humor that I picked up from another board.

Special Instructions for changing your own oil


Women:

1. Pull up to Jiffy Lube when the mileage reaches 3,000 since the last oil change.
2. Drink a cup of coffee.
3. 15 minutes later write a check for $20.00 and leave with a properly maintained vehicle.

Men:

1. Go to Pep Boys and write a check for $50.00 for oil, filter, oil lift (AKA kitty litter) hand cleaner and a scented tree.
2. Discover that the used oil container is full. Instead of taking back to Pep Boys to recycle, dump in hole in back yard.
3. Open a beer and drink it.
4. Jack car up. Spend 30 minutes looking for jack stands.
5. Find jack stands under kid's pedal car.
6. In frustration, open another beer and drink it.
7. Place drain pan under engine.
8. Look for 9/16 box end wrench.
9. Give up and use crescent wrench.
10. Unscrew drain plug.
11. Drop drain plug in pan of hot oil; get hot oil on you in process.
12. Clean up.
13. Have another beer while oil is draining.
14. Look for oil filter wrench.
15. Give up; poke oil filter with Phillips screwdriver and twist it off.
16. Beer.
17. Buddy shows up; finish case with him. Finish oil change tomorrow.
18. Next day, drag pan full of old oil out from underneath car.
19. Throw oil lift (AKA kitty litter) on oil spilled during step 18.
20. Beer. No, drank it all yesterday.
21. Walk to beer store; buy beer.
22. Install new oil filter making sure to apply thin coat of clean oil to gasket first.
23. Dump first quart of fresh oil into engine.
24. Remember drain plug from step 11.
25. Hurry to find drain plug in drain pan.
26. Hurry to replace drain plug before the whole quart of fresh oil drains onto floor.
27. Slip with wrench and bang knuckles on frame.
28. Bang head on floorboard in reaction.
29. Begin cussing fit.
30. Throw wrench.
31. Cuss for additional 10 minutes because wrench hit Miss December (1999) in the left boob.
32. Clean up; apply Band-Aid to knuckle.
33. Beer.
34. Beer.
35. Dump in additional 4 quarts of oil.
36. Beer.
37. Lower car from jack stands.
38. Accidentally crush one of the jack stands
39. Move car back to apply more oil lift (AKA kitty litter) to fresh oil spilled during step 23.
40. Drive car

 

you need one of these.

 

That looks like that'd work...what's a jack like that 1 called?

 

its a hydrolic rolling floor jack

 

My floor don't roll, can I still use this jack?

 

no, you havta get a rolling floor first otherwise the jack wont work.

 

May I suggest some Rhino Ramps???

I've had mine for almost two years now and I don't know how I've lived without them. This will be the best tool you have for your camaro.

These are low profile ramps and they lift the car up 8 1/2" . They are 35" long and 11" wide and weigh very litlle since they are made out of structural foam plastic.
They hold up to 12,000 lb GVW and I feel very safe under the car.

The only thing I've ever heard negative on these things is that you don't let your car sit on them for several days or they will tend to sag and this will be permanent.

You can get them almost anywhere for under $40. I think I paid $29.99 for them at autozone 2 years ago.
I hear they sell them at Walmart also.

My car is stock height and they slide right up to the front tires without touching the front spoiler. For those of you who have lowered your car, you can use the 2x6 board idea and place them along with the ramps.

When the car is on the ramps I can get all the way back to the tranny housing on a rolling creeper. (note: I'm a skinny guy)

Next time you're in the auto store look around for these and check them out. http://store4.yimg.com/I/rodi_1744_9020085

 

Oil changes don't cost 50$. I can get mobile 1 synthetic and a k&n filter and it wouldn't be 50$. Plus I get a 20% discount on mine

Thats the only good thing about working at advance...you get discounts and what not.

Oil changes are simple and Id rather do it myself.

A) You can get better oil and better filter for the price of taking it somewhere
B) I know I do it right
C) I don't trust ANYONE working on my car but me
D) I want to be able to get the oil filter off (those who have taken them in know what I mean)
E) Did I mention noone but me works on my car?

 

LMFAO thats hilarious.

Everything I would have said has already been said except a nice temp to warm it up to is 160, the mark between 100 and 220.

 

Please elighten us with the reason for changing the oil with a warm engine.

I didn't see a right answer to this, so I figured I would tell you. Besides thinning the oil, the main reason why you change it warm is so all the dirt in your engine is suspended in oil and flows out with the oil. Cold oil does not do this. If someone did mention this, sorry for the repeat.

 

yup, right. especially if you live in a country where those cars are rather unknown, and the GM techs have their problems with it. you end up doing everything by yourself, just with the help of forum guys
i can get the oil for free from my dad, he ships that stuff around. and the mechanic wanted 7 euros per liter.. thats nice

about the rhino ramps - would you just have told me earlier.. i have bought ultra ramps only a few weeks ago for 50 bux.. then i wondered why they offer that dumb extension, the car goes up fine when lifting the hind side... now i know what the extensions are for and i think i will get them.

well, this weekend is oil-time