Oil Change Tips

[aMaff]

Mods, I'm sure this is probably in the wrong forum, so have at it, and I will be wiser next time. Sorry in advance.

Anyway, It's abt time for me to have to change the oil for the first time since I've had it, and I was wondering if there are any time / $$ / life saving tips any1 could give for this procedure? Thanks a lot for any info.

 

[FLSilverP5]

Use mobil 1 15000 miles formula. You wont have to change your oil for a while

 

[stellar_bc]

are you gonna do it yourself?

 

[aMaff]

are you gonna do it yourself?

Ya. Mainly looking for tips on how / where (driver / passenger side) on the car to jack it up on, and anything that would make changing the filter less of a hassle / mess.

 

[JCell]

ok, first, get some ramps, second, the drain plug is 19mm or 17mm, depending if it's been changed, the filter size is pz37 for pennzoil filter


the filter in right under the intake manifold, just reach with ur hand from under the car and twist it until it comes off, oil will come down too, so be careful

make sure u take the old gasket off b4 puttin the new oil filter, apply a thin coat of oil to the new gasket, this will make it easier to remove


2.0 proteges take 3.7 quarts of oil

that's about it, it's not too hard

 

[uclap5]

oil shoots out about a foot away from the drain bolt right when you take it off, then will go down vertical from the hole.

stuff some paper towels/ rags beneath the oil filter before removing it to catch any spillage before it gets on everything/ on you.

hand tighten the new oil filter.

 

[Douggie]

oil shoots out about a foot away from the drain bolt right when you take it off, then will go down vertical from the hole.

stuff some paper towels/ rags beneath the oil filter before removing it to catch any spillage before it gets on everything/ on you.

hand tighten the new oil filter.

Very good tips right there (thumb).

One more tip. Loosen (just a little) the old filter before you remove the drain plug. Will be more difficult when your hands are full of oil.

 

[falsedawn]

Unless you have the grip of a gorilla and skinny arms, get an oil filter wrench/pliers whatever they are called. There's limited space under there and plenty of hot metal and sharp corners to burn and gouge.

wtf is wrong with this forum lately? Seems to go down more often than a cheap *****.


P.S. those plastic rhino ramps from autozone are great. Far better than faffing around with axle stands/jacks

 

[aMaff]

Wow, lots of good advice. How much are those ramps at ghetto zone?

 

[BOOSTR]

Place a small container underneath the oil filter to catch the oil that will come out. Hand tighten the new filter on.

 

[Action Jackson]

The OEM filter works fine too. Stay away from Fram.

 

[Douggie]

Unless you have the grip of a gorilla and skinny arms, get an oil filter wrench/pliers whatever they are called. There's limited space under there and plenty of hot metal and sharp corners to burn and gouge.

wtf is wrong with this forum lately? Seems to go down more often than a cheap *****.


P.S. those plastic rhino ramps from autozone are great. Far better than faffing around with axle stands/jacks

Yep, the rhino ramps rock! I believe it's like $30 for the pair.

Oh, u can also try to use some latex gloves for enhanced grip to remove/put on the filter. Yeah, a filter wrench is nice, but should not be necessary if you HAND TIGHTEN the filter (I guess for you it depends on how hard the previous guy tightened it). So even if you DO have the filter wrench, don't use it to tighten the filter.

 

[goldstar]

I use the Mazda oil filter from the 626 V6 (part no. JEYO 14 302 9A). It's a direct replacement for the OEM Protege filter (same diameter and pressure relief rating, but longer). It has ~ 30% greater internal volume than stock. To compensate, I add an additional 2 ounces of oil to the 3.7 qts. needed for the refill.

 

[SlowPro98]

easiest job in the world. When I first did it, I had problems getting the oil filter off, but now I always use gloves, latex or ironclads, and just give it slow steady pressure.

the drain plug was a b**** the first time I took it off. just set the wrench and give it a few good jabs, once you feel it break loose, undo it slowly, because if you go too fast, it'll shoot off and get covered in oil. try and keep your hands/arms out of the way of the oil flow BEFORE you completly remove the plug.

Since it's your first time, I suggest goggles or glasses. nothing is worse than oil in the eye.

 

[WetsuitxNinja]

Ill second the part about sharp frame edges under the body, the place that did my last oil change cranked the filter on and while straining to get it off, it finally broke loose and my arms looked like they fought a cheese grader.

 

[aMaff]

Note: First time changing oil in the P5, not first time changing oil lol

 

[Action Jackson]

I would suggest that a wheel/tire rotation during an oil change might be a good idea too.

 

[Mike R]

Also it's a good idea to replace the drain plug gasket every couple changes. Also, do it when the car is cold. I's a PITA do not burn yourself when removing the filter.

 

[aMaff]

I would suggest that a wheel/tire rotation during an oil change might be a good idea too.

I just had em rotated, but thanks.

 

[RaiderMS3]

I just changed my oil 2 weeks ago. For the first time with this car, I tried it with the engine pretty warm. The oil filter was on there good. I ended up waiitng for it to cool off, and I was able to remove it.

I suggest synthetic engine oil of some kind, I use Mobil1, just because Sam's Club has it. Works great. I also switched to synthetic transmission gear oil from Amsoil at 30K miles. You need a 23mm socket to remove the bottom nut easily. Otherwise, it is a b****. Take a look, you will see it.

Everything else people have recommended is top notch advise.

Oh, I use a 2002 Mazda 626 V6 Purolator oil filter. It is bigger, so putting in 4 quarts is ok, fills perfectly. It works great too. And like posted above, Fram sucks, stay away from them.