What's new
By:
Filters

Oil Change getting under the car

36red

36red

Member
Always used to do an oil change by either leaning over the engine bay and undoing oil filter and then underneath the sump plug as they were easy to get at.
Now with my Fiesta the sumpm plug is bang in the middle of the engine facing downwards so can only be accessed from underneath.
Thing is I just can't reach under the car to access the plug. I have a trolley jack but not sure if it will be safe to use to hold the car up.
Would ramps be a decent option or axle stands or any other method would be good, cheers.
 
I wouldn't be arsed with it.
Last time I did an oil change I rung a few garages and someone did it for about £15.
I supplied oil and filter.
He took filter off and used pump and long wand to slurp the oil out into a recycling drum.
Put new filter on and added the oil.
Took 5 minutes.
If you DIY you're gonna get covered in shite and you've got a gallon of sump oil to get rid of.
 
Yeah some garages will let you supply the oil and filter and they will just charge you for the labour but please be aware not all will do this etc.
Heard horror stories of Being supplied with the wrong oil and a few hundred miles down the road a banging engine noise lol.
Its a pretty straight forward job but under no circumstances would i recommend doing it with a Trolley jack on its on and should be done with axle stands at a minimum.
Can also be done with ramps but make sure you chock the rear wheels when its up in the air and leave the car in 1st gear to prevent it rolling back ok.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&s...FjAAegQIEBAC&usg=AOvVaw1EtjO13asqzOE_HEF1VDZf
Put your reg details in and it will give you a quote so you have a rough idea of cost for garage to supply and fit
 
Last edited:
rs500nutter said:
Yeah some garages will let you supply the oil and filter and they will just charge you for the labour but please be aware not all will do this etc.
Heard horror stories of Being supplied with the wrong oil and a few hundred miles down the road a banging engine noise lol.
Its a pretty straight forward job but under no circumstances would i recommend doing it with a Trolley jack on its on and should be done with axle stands at a minimum.
Can also be done with ramps but make sure you chock the rear wheels when its up in the air and leave the car in 1st gear to prevent it rolling back ok.

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&s...FjAAegQIEBAC&usg=AOvVaw1EtjO13asqzOE_HEF1VDZf
Put your reg details in and it will give you a quote so you have a rough idea of cost for garage to supply and fit
Click to expand...
Got quoted £55.65 for my car. I can buy an oil filter for £4.31 and oil for £15 so thats under £20. I'm not giving those rip off merchants £35 to undo a sump bolt and oil filter no way.
Used to take it to a local tyre and exhaust place for £15 but they say they are not doing it anymore as they cannot get rid of the oil :-(
 
36red said:
Got quoted £55.65 for my car. I can buy an oil filter for £4.31 and oil for £15 so thats under £20. I'm not giving those rip off merchants £35 to undo a sump bolt and oil filter no way.
Used to take it to a local tyre and exhaust place for £15 but they say they are not doing it anymore as they cannot get rid of the oil :-(
Click to expand...
They told you £55 because they don't want to do it.
The idea is to find someone who does want to do it.
Ring a few backstreet outfits and tell them you have the oil and filter.
Pointless ringing Lookers and Arnold Clarke type places, you don't ring Harrods for half a dozen eggs, unless you have £25 you don't want.
 
36red said:
Got quoted £55.65 for my car. I can buy an oil filter for £4.31 and oil for £15 so thats under £20. I'm not giving those rip off merchants £35 to undo a sump bolt and oil filter no way.
Used to take it to a local tyre and exhaust place for £15 but they say they are not doing it anymore as they cannot get rid of the oil :-(
Click to expand...
£15 for a gallon of oil , WTF are you putting in it,?
They will be pricing it at an hour's labour,
So £35 taking into account overheads isn't crazy,
Any self employed person can't afford to leave the house for under £25 to cover their overheads and make a small profit, a garage also has a building to upkeep
People that have "normal" PAYE jobs sometimes have no idea if the expenses that SE folks have
 
steptoe said:
£15 for a gallon of oil , WTF are you putting in it,?
They will be pricing it at an hour's labour,
So £35 taking into account overheads isn't crazy,
Any self employed person can't afford to leave the house for under £25 to cover their overheads and make a small profit, a garage also has a building to upkeep
People that have "normal" PAYE jobs sometimes have no idea if the expenses that SE folks have
Click to expand...
I'm off out to buy axle stands and will be offering a mobile oil changing service for £54 from tomorrow.
 
steptoe said:
£15 for a gallon of oil , WTF are you putting in it,?
They will be pricing it at an hour's labour,
So £35 taking into account overheads isn't crazy,
Any self employed person can't afford to leave the house for under £25 to cover their overheads and make a small profit, a garage also has a building to upkeep
People that have "normal" PAYE jobs sometimes have no idea if the expenses that SE folks have
Click to expand...
£15 oil from Asda as long as its 5 30 it will be fine, oil is oil. In the same way salmon is salmon they all swim in the same water so how companies can charge more is beyond me.
John West and Princess salmon same as Asda or Tesco salmon. Same with denim jeans, Levi's jeans like £50 a pair or Asda jeans £10 a pair lol denim is denim.
And don't get me on to wearing t-shirts with companies logos on and NOT being paid to advertise for them but being CHARGED the earth for the t-shirt lol some people are so gullible roflmao
 
36red said:
£15 oil from Asda as long as its 5 30 it will be fine, oil is oil. In the same way salmon is salmon they all swim in the same water so how companies can charge more is beyond me.
John West and Princess salmon same as Asda or Tesco salmon. Same with denim jeans, Levi's jeans like £50 a pair or Asda jeans £10 a pair lol denim is denim.
And don't get me on to wearing t-shirts with companies logos on and NOT being paid to advertise for them but being CHARGED the earth for the t-shirt lol some people are so gullible roflmao
Click to expand...
Put some crisp and dry in it then , that's oil.
I wouldn't put supermarket oil in my lawnmower
 
I'm only teasing you fellas in lockdown lighten up its dark enough as it is in lockdown with our lives on the line.
Nah I will get a decent make oil for about £25 and the oil filter is £4.50 from my local parts shop so £30 all in.
 
Oil is not oil as you will find out later and more grades of oil coming, bloody nitemare it is.

Yep correct tools if having to jack up car and axle stands and chocks + something to lie down on and container big enough. New sump washer needed?

Oil suckers are good but oil needs to be hot for sucking out as its less dense and flows easier.
 
Might look at axle stands then, need to know where to rest them under the motor. Could always keep the trolley jack under as well as an extra bit of safety.
Yes got bowl for oil etc, might get a new sump plug as I almost shredded the edges last time i tried to undo it lol think they are pennies on fleabay.
What about Slick 50?
 
I will only ever use the correct oil for the engine which in my case is Quantum Platinum 5W 40 fully synthetic (PD 130 ASZ engine), too many horror stories when not using the correct oil even if it's the same spec, same with many other things like fuel, my car has never had supermarket fuel... BP Ultimate all it's life, I'm also meticulous about maintenance & perform weekly checks like you are supposed to. I cringe when I see those people who only know how to put the key in the ignition & fuel in the tank
 
Last edited:
BeakyFord said:
I will only ever use the correct oil for the engine which in my case is Quantum Platinum 5W 40 fully synthetic (PD 130 ASZ engine), too many horror stories when not using the correct oil even if it's the same spec, same with many other things like fuel, my car has never had supermarket fuel... BP Ultimate all it's life, I'm also multiclass about maintenance & perform weekly checks like you are supposed to. I cringe when I see those people who only know how to put the key in the ignition & fuel in the tank
Click to expand...
Glad to see your not a snob or a toff. Not everyone can fix cars.
 
I'm as skint as a Church mouse, you take care of things when your pockets are as empty as mine, it's an old motor that has a strong following & if looked after can do 500k, I'm too long in the tooth to be working on cars plus haven't the health to do it anymore. Not a snob or toff lol those are the ones who take there 60k+ cars through scratchy car washes
 
Make sure ya got a oil filter strap/ chain to remove it and dont do what someone round my way did with a massive screwdriver and literally destroyed the thread locater it screws onto ffs lol
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top