Going to give my car an oil change...

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Going to give my car an oil change...

Kier

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Ok, anyone who knows me, knows that I'm not that brilliant when it comes to cars. I can check the tyre pressure, top fluids up, change bulbs and change a tyre, but thats about it.

Rather than spending £140 on getting a oil service at a garage (oil filter change, pollen filter change and oil change) I'm going to give it ago myself.

I've found a video on YouTube for both, and it looks **** easy. Minutes for the oil filter change and pollen filter change.

Oil Filter - £6.72
Pollen Filter - £21.30
Minus 25% with promo code, total of £21.01.

EDGE 5W-40 4lts - £35
Minus 10% staff discount, total of £31.50.

Total so far...£52.51.

As I've not really done anything with my car before, I need a few tools. First is some axel stands. Does anyone know if these are good enough?

Even with that, its £72.50, saving £67.50 for (hopefully) 30 minutes at the most work.

Does anyone else do their own? The bloke in the YouTube video had a torque wrench. Do I need one, or could I get by without one? Don't fancy paying £80 for one!
 
those halfords axle stands are 1ton Each....

No good if the car is over 1 tone while you swap over to fit the other side

Anyway - Ye old B+Q to the rescue
http://www.diy.com/nav/build/motori...q-2-Tonne-Jack-Stands-11377526?skuId=11888232

Cheaper - plus each stand is 2ton :)


If you use a torque wrench to put a sump plug in - your an idiot, go till its tight for non sealed version
Seal versions - new crush washer - ensure the washer is crushed - Simple :)

removing the old filter you can use plumber pliers - but a oil filter tool is ALOT easier - cheap too!

You'll need something to catch old oil in too - so a cheap value washing bowl will do too!

And yes i do my own Oil - repairs - Diagnosis and servicing for myself
After all im training to be a mechanic - so why not learn now?

If you can do basic DIY tasks - it saves alot of money
Alot of people can do track rod ends with a few spanners and popping up the road to a tracking place :)

Ziggy
 
Ziggy122 I prefer the stand type you've linked, they're what I've got an are a lot easier to adjust, however the weight loading of the others is more than adequate. At 1 ton each, you'd be looking at only needing to worry if using them on vehicles 3-4tonne plus. After all there are 4 weight loading points in each corner, and although all 4 may not be equal, it's not going to be more than a tonnE in each corner on most cars (y)
 
When a Fiat Punto (mk2) weighs around 1400kg (might even be 1200kg) that's only just over a tonne. Day it's equally loading balance that's 300-350kg per corner. Barely stressing a stand. And say if you jack it so that its unbalanced I highly doubt that you can get more than 1ton e loading on one stand without having all 4 wheels off the ground...

Yes that's for a Punto, and obviously a bigger car will weigh more (eg Kiers BMW) but the car would need to be over 2 tonne before I start thinking about getting more than 1tonne stands. Especially if the stands are 1T each

On another note, I've got a pair of those axle stands from halfords and never had an issue with them. Basic, but very usable and relatively cheap.
 
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I have those Halfords axle stands and can confirm that they are fine for sitting the front end of a Land Rover defender 110 on it's axle with both wheels off the ground and the jack removed! (y)
 
Right then, oil has been purchased, it was on special offer. I got 6L for the grand total of...£12.12.

Label up for £8 something, scanning though at £4.49. I had got the 4L bottle first at £25, but quickly refunded that when I saw it was half price to get 6L.

Got a funnel as well, £0.97.

Total spend so far...£13.09. I'm hoping to do it on Saturday if my foot is better. Still need to get the axel stands, oil filter and pollen filter. Found that EuroCarParts is just up the road from me, and pretty cheap.

Going to pop up there tomorrow and get what I need.

Expect a 'help wtf have I done' thread on Saturday!
 
Make sure you've re-fitted the sump plug BEFORE pouring the new oil in :doh:

haha, speaking from experience?

Just got the oil filter, £6.72.

Total spend of £19.81.

Can't believe how cheap it is to do it yourself. Was planning on getting the axel stands today, but foot was playing up and didn't want to walk around Halfords.

Not going to bother changing the pollen filter just yet.
 
I feel like a man at last!

Done it :D. Only thing that went wrong was forgetting that once it had poured out, it would drip out. The bowl was in the wrong place, so a bit (OK a fair bit) of oil went on the drive, mum wasn't pleased!

Pretty pleased with how it went, hardest part was jacking it up. Took forever, I was sweating like **** :LOL:.

Really didn't want to start it up incase I ****ed it up. But it started without a problem :D.
 
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You won't get all the oil out by using those ramps, nor by jacking up the front of the car....!!
Again, the car should be level, nothing else...!!
Otherwise, some of the dirtiest oil will stay in the engine....!!

My drive is on a slight slope, so works quite well jacking the front up :).
 
You won't get all the oil out by using those ramps, nor by jacking up the front of the car....!!
Again, the car should be level, nothing else...!!
Otherwise, some of the dirtiest oil will stay in the engine....!!

Not so, depends upon the sump design. That on the 1.4 Super FIRE engine (on the Stilo at least) will drain just as much oil on the flat as it will with the front in the air due to the location of the sump plug.
 
I feel like a man at last!

Done it :D. Only thing that went wrong was forgetting that once it had poured out, it would drip out. The bowl was in the wrong place, so a bit (OK a fair bit) of oil went on the drive, mum wasn't pleased!

Pretty pleased with how it went, hardest part was jacking it up. Took forever, I was sweating like ****.
2 tonne trolley jack ftw! I got one a few years ago from a local motor factor. I think it cost me £20, and it's probably the most useful bit of kit I've ever bought
 
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