Jacking up a vehicle for an oil change

[JDgreen227]

I've a ramp going up into our carriage house. I just back it in until the front wheels are right at the edge of the ramp, IF I have to go underneath at all. Good cars and pickups should be designed so that you DON'T NEED TO GO UNDERNEATH to change the oil. This is the case on our VW Jetta TDI. I use an extractor to remove the oil via the dipstick, after removing the filter from up top.

HATE my Tacoma. Requires a long reach to get to the filter either from the top or from the bottom. Toyota engineers are idiots.

Ralph

Top mounted oil filters like the one on our 2014 Equinox are a great idea. So easy to reach and they self-drain. My '04 Saturn has a front-mounted horizontal filter case right next to the main exhaust pipe...it's both hard to access from the underside and gets really hot...poor design.

 

[Diamondpilot]

Top mounted oil filters like the one on our 2014 Equinox are a great idea. So easy to reach and they self-drain. My '04 Saturn has a front-mounted horizontal filter case right next to the main exhaust pipe...it's both hard to access from the underside and gets really hot...poor design.

Don't do as I did the first time with a Saturn and pull the Transmission Filter instead of the Oil Filter.

Chris

 

[KennyG]

I guess you could say that "follow safety procedures" means use jack stands, but I agree that an article aimed at the general public should address this in some detail. I always jack my cars up when I change the oil because I always rotate the tires when I change the oil. In most cases, I don't really get under the car, I only have to reach under but I always have it on 4 jack stands.

The tricky one is my Ford Fusion hybrid. It has full pans under the car for aerodynamics and the front section has to be removed to access the oil drain and filter. It's so low you can barely get a floor jack under it and there are only four exposed jacking points. I carefully jack on the suspension to raise it enough to put the jack stands on the jacking points. It's clearly designed to be serviced in the dealers shop and not the owners shed.

 

[Scott65]

So... like this?

 

[Diamondpilot]

So... like this? <img src="http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/files/trailers-transportation/417263-jacking-up-vehicle-oil-change-proppedup-jpg"/>

That's not safe at all! Don't this idiot know he should have also slid the welder under it as a second safety device.....

Some people!


Chris

 

[dfkrug]

HATE my Tacoma. Requires a long reach to get to the filter either from the top or from the bottom.

You must have a small Taco, Ralph. The Big Tacos (05 and later) have a top-mounted filter and a drip
tray built in.

So, they did hear complaints, and seemed to have addressed it.

I have the small Taco, too, and filter changes ARE awful.

Top-mount filters may be the best feature of BMWs, tho they do drive well, too.

 

[KennyG]

So... like this?

View attachment 417263

Give him credit. Note the block behind the tire to keep it from rolling and the fact that he's using 2 boards instead of only one.

 

[Scrambler82]

I agree with the statement to use jack stands after jacking the vehicle in the proper location. I am just not sure if the proper location is on a flat driveway, an angles drive or just on the grass... lol, really always use jack stands, PERIOD !
Ramps although good can be very dangerous, proper blocking of wheels, brake set and drainage of oil... always something.

Same with the tractor, I use the FEL to pick it up and then stands.

One thing to remember when a vehicle is jacked up the oil may not drain properly, the vehicle should be lowered to level and the oil allowed to drain completely, then jacked up again to reinstall the drain plug.

 

[MH8675309]

We used to park over a ditch at my friends house to fix the exhaust pipe. We used a tin ( real tin ) can and 2 hose clamps to cover the hole. We would get about 3 weeks out of it.

 

[Wagtail]

HATE my Tacoma. Requires a long reach to get to the filter either from the top or from the bottom. Toyota engineers are idiots.

Ralph

? What have you got against a city in Washington State?

Oh, a Toyota HILUX... never mind, carry on...