After 6500 miles, the oil on our 8 month old 1.2 Panda was just falling to the halfway point on the dipstick, and rather than just topping up, I thought I'd treat it to an oil change.

The procedure, capacities & parts are identical to the 1.2 500 & so the guide I wrote last week can be used as is:

https://www.fiatforum.com/500/269353-changing-oil-1-2-petrol-500-a.html

Note that although the handbook gives the capacity of the engine + filter as 2.8l, it took the full 2.9l to bring it up to the max mark on the dipstick. (The 1.2 500 documentation gives the capacity as both 2.8l & 2.9l, depending on where you look!).

I drained about 2.6l from the engine + filter, giving an approximate oil consumption of 300ml for the first 6500 miles - I'm happy enough with that.

thx a lot; I'm planning to do the same thing on my 1,1 this summer;the first 2 oil change procedures were done at the local dealers' garage, but I don' trust them anymore and I think it deserves something better than Selenia gold; so I'll do it myself (it's also much cheaper and more self-rewarding).

jrkitching said:

Note that although the handbook gives the capacity of the engine + filter as 2.8l, it took the full 2.9l to bring it up to the max mark on the dipstick. (The 1.2 500 documentation gives the capacity as both 2.8l & 2.9l, depending on where you look!).

Click to expand...

I only ever use that as a guide. Done a group service at pit-stop with some friends a few months ago, 1.4 16V 100hp, 500 and Stilo.

All got exactly the same engine in them, all according to the book take different oil quantities, but surprise surprise all being the same, took the same

surprise surprise for my 1.1 too...
the manual states:
1.1: 3.5l of oil
1.2: 2.8l
1.3: 2.8l
well, I poured 3.5L ... and on the dipstick the level was 1-2cm over MAX!! (after starting engine and then cooling it down - the filter was full)
I drained about 0.8-1L out...now it's just below max.
So the oil capacity seems to be around 2.8, just like on other versions.
Question: it's a manual error? or my 1.1 was factory-built with a oil sump from another version ?
I hope someone with the same version, who changed the oil himself, could tell me how much oil...?
Anyway, now the engine runs very smooth...sometimes it sounds like electric engine (I use Lukoil synthetic 5w40 SM/ A3; the old one was Selenia gold 10w40)

I seem to remember over filling our 1.1 a little and I thought I was reading something wrong at 3.5 litres.
I prefilled the oil filter first and then put 3 litres in, thinking after it's been run and the oil settled, I'd top it up, but apon checking, it was well up the dipstick.

I think the later 1.1 eco is 2.8 litres, but ours is a older 1.1 and everywhere say's it's 3.5 litres.

Hi All! I've just done an oil change following Jrkitching's procedure. I took some pics up until the point it all got messy:

1. Jack the car up:





Put an axle stand in place - safety first!




Slide under the right headlight, and you should see this:



2. Open the bonnet, unscrew the oil filler cap and lift the dipstick to let air into the oil circuit:



3. Remove the oil drain plug







4. Remove the oil filter. For this I used a strap wrench and the same 1/2" drive bar that I had used to remove the sump plug. I strongly recommend using not a drive bar, but a ratchet wrench to drive the strap wrench. I had a pig of a time turning the strap enough to get a good grip, and in the end had to resort to putting some old bike tire tube around the oil filter to improve the grip. Little by little, it came off, but it was a struggle.







YES!!!!!!



From this point onwards, things got too messy to photograph, but the process is pretty straightforward. I'll refer you again to Jrkitching's original post.

A few lessons learned:

• Run the car for a little while before hand to bring down the viscosity of the oil. I did this on a relatively cold day, and waited for aaaages for the dripping from the sump plug to stop.
• I used nitrile gloves, and am very glad I did so. I went through about three pairs.
• I ended up having to use eye protection, especially for the bit where I was under car wrestling the oil filter.
• If you use a strap wrench to remove the oil filter don't rely on a standard drive bar to get the filter off. There isn't enough room to rotate it as many times as is required to get the strap to grip the oil filter.
• Use a disposable oil collecting tray. I used a washing up bowl that I ended up throwing out anyway. Jrkitching's idea of a paint tray sounds good.
• Lastly, think about cleanup before you start and ready two 2L bottles to put the old oil in, as well as newspaper or something to wrap the old oil filter in.

That's all! I hope you found that informative!

Now I have a question - where do you dispose of old engine oil? I imagine there are council run recycling centres, but do you reckon I could try to take it to a mechanic?

Disposing of old engine oil?
Council should take it - but if you have a garage why not run a waste oil heater? Cheap to buy (or make) and zilch to run.

The best solution for a DIY drain tray is to take an old 4L / 5L plastic oil canister (or whatever you call it) and cut a nice hole out of one side with a Stanley knife, the oil from the sump has a nice target to aim for and afterwards you can carefully lift the thing up and pour the contents out of the spout into another old canister for later disposal.

... or use a Pela pump.
You can do an oil change just standing up beside the car this way!

I can't remember when I last saw a sump drain plug.

And I guess oil capacity will also depend on how dented your sump pan is!

That sump pan looks very rusty. Get it treated before you find the car is "using oil" and leaving marks in the driveway.

Get one of these to remove the filter



http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/OIL-FILTE...298925?hash=item3ada1ae56d:g:nwMAAOSwB-1YoFph

Fit the new filter by hand with oil on the rubber seal.

Thanks Dave Mct. I'll look into painting the sump, or in the interim, use a rust protector like waxoil

I always shove a screwdriver straight through to remove stubborn oil filters, can be a bit messy though.

Ians Panda said:

I always shove a screwdriver straight through to remove stubborn oil filters, can be a bit messy though.

Click to expand...

And what happens when the filter body rips with the core still jammed onto the engine?

The strap wrench costs next to nothing, spreads the load and grips hard the more force used. If it slips put some anti slip rubber mesh around the filter with strap wrench over that.

The pressed steel cap type filter wrench sockets are ok but they will slip when the filter is too tight they also make it all too easy to over tighten the new filter.