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PLTW Engineering Oil Change Cleanup Survey

M

mroseboom10

Junior Member
Twin Valley High School Engineering Survey:
Hi, my name is Sam Rippy, and I am a senior working in an engineering team at my high school. We are currently enrolled in a class called Engineering Design and Development, and our task is to identify, justify, develop, design, create, and test a unique idea, and present it to a panel of engineers at the end of the semester. The purpose of this survey is to gain justification for the problems we have identified and assist us in our goal to come up with a solution for one of the problems. Please answer the questions to the best of your knowledge to aid us in our search for a solution to this issue.

1) Have you ever changed your car’s oil?
a) Yes
b) No

2) What do you feel are the 2 messiest parts of changing oil?
PLEASE PICK 2
a) Emptying oil from oil pan
b) Changing/ removal of oil filter
c) Adding new oil
d) Transferring used oil from/to containers
e) Other:__________________________________________

3) Do you usually spill any amount of oil during a change?
a) Yes
b) No

4) If yes, how much do you usually spill?
a) A few drops
b) A small amount (~100 mL or less)
c) A significant amount (~150 mL or greater)

5) Do you find it hard to remove your drain plug and not spill any oil?
a) Yes
b) No

6) Would you consider purchasing a product in order to make a part of the oil change process less messy/ easier?
a) Yes
b) No
 
PLTW is neat. I have a coworker that is involved. Put a lot into it and you will get a lot out.

1. a, Yes
2. a and b
3. b
4. a
5. b
6. a

Look up the Topsider. It's a neat oil change device that you all might be able to work on.
 
1) Have you ever changed your car’s oil?
a) Yes

2) What do you feel are the 2 messiest parts of changing oil?
PLEASE PICK 2
a) Emptying oil from oil pan
b) Changing/ removal of oil filter

3) Do you usually spill any amount of oil during a change?
a) Yes

4) If yes, how much do you usually spill?
a) A few drops

5) Do you find it hard to remove your drain plug and not spill any oil?
a) Yes

6) Would you consider purchasing a product in order to make a part of the oil change process less messy/ easier?
b) No

At the time I did this, I was leasing a Chrysler Crossfire that required synthetic. Chrysler dealerships were well known for putting non-synthetic in owner's engines (and charging for synthetic) which caused a number of engine problems for owners. Not wanting to deal with that potential problem, I changed it a few times myself.

Since then I have been fortunate to lease BMW's which include oil changes for the first 4 years; never a problem on the 3 year lease.

Currently I lease a battery electric BMW i3, which obviously doesn't need fluid changes.

My wife has a Mazda 3, but I will never change the oil on it. Not only do I not have the proper tools any more, it's just not worth my time. The local dealership or other oil change places are rather inexpensive. I find most dealerships are eager to do a cheap oil change in hopes to find other warranty or non-warranty work (or pretty much anything they think they can con you in to). I know their game and it doesn't bother me to play it.

Being that I always leased, I would not bother purchasing a product to make changing oil easier.

Especially since many manufacturers are going to a 10-15k mile interval between changes, there's an increasingly limited market for people who change their own oil and do it on a regular basis.
 
1) Have you ever changed your car’s oil?
a) Yes

2) What do you feel are the 2 messiest parts of changing oil?
PLEASE PICK 2
a) Emptying oil from oil pan
b) Changing/ removal of oil filter

3) Do you usually spill any amount of oil during a change?
a) Yes

4) If yes, how much do you usually spill?
a) A few drops

5) Do you find it hard to remove your drain plug and not spill any oil?
a) No... I use Fujimoto drain valves on all my vehicles

6) Would you consider purchasing a product in order to make a part of the oil change process less messy/ easier?
b) See #5
 
1) Have you ever changed your car’s oil?
a) Yes


2) What do you feel are the 2 messiest parts of changing oil?
PLEASE PICK 2
b) Changing/ removal of oil filter
e) Other: most cars have underbelly trays that require removal, 8- Hex bolts later you can remove it, if not, you deal with a messy underbelly tray and multiple rags to clean up the mess

3) Do you usually spill any amount of oil during a change?
a) Yes - pretty much impossible to not to


4) If yes, how much do you usually spill?


c) A significant amount (~150 mL or greater)

5) Do you find it hard to remove your drain plug and not spill any oil?
b) No

6) Would you consider purchasing a product in order to make a part of the oil change process less messy/ easier?
b) No


Dealerships charge so little now that we just take the cars in. Ford does a complete synth blend + tire rotation plus inspection called "The Works" for $39.95. Oil changes are much less frequent now for most people as oil monitors go off at 6-12K on average so frequency is much reduced.
 
1) Have you ever changed your car’s oil?
a) Yes

2) What do you feel are the 2 messiest parts of changing oil?
PLEASE PICK 2
b) Changing/ removal of oil filter
e) Other: No others.

3) Do you usually spill any amount of oil during a change?
b) No

4) If yes, how much do you usually spill?


5) Do you find it hard to remove your drain plug and not spill any oil?
b) No - do not remove drain plug

6) Would you consider purchasing a product in order to make a part of the oil change process less messy/ easier?
a) Yes - Purchased MityVac and suck oil out through dipstick tube.

Currently the only potentially messy part of changing oil is the filter on my wife's Nissan. It's a classic style mounted horizontally on the engine, when removing it there's some oil inside that can spill out. Using a large rag to surround the filter when pulling it out, and rotating it vertical quickly prevent any oil from spilling the last few times I've done an oil change.

My car has the filter mounted on top in a vertical orientation, so after draining the pan almost all the oil is out, I just pull the filter out and drop in in a cardboard box for disposal, no mess.
 
1 A
2 B
3 A
4 A
5 B
6 B I design and fabricate what I need to prevent spillage. This is a result of working in the marine field changing oil and filters on sterndrive and 4 stroke outboard products. I hate cleaning up.
 
Thanks for the replies guys! I do really enjoy having the experience to be in the Project Lead the Way Program, it is great. I hope to see more responses to help us out.
 
1) Have you ever changed your car’s oil?
a) Yes

2) What do you feel are the 2 messiest parts of changing oil?
PLEASE PICK 2
b) Changing/ removal of oil filter
d) Transferring used oil from/to containers

3) Do you usually spill any amount of oil during a change?
a) Yes

4) If yes, how much do you usually spill?
a) A few drops

5) Do you find it hard to remove your drain plug and not spill any oil?
b) No

6) Would you consider purchasing a product in order to make a part of the oil change process less messy/ easier?
a) Yes
 
1) Have you ever changed your car’s oil?
a) Yes

2) What do you feel are the 2 messiest parts of changing oil?
PLEASE PICK 2
a) Emptying oil from oil pan
b) Changing/ removal of oil filter

3) Do you usually spill any amount of oil during a change?
a) Yes

4) If yes, how much do you usually spill?
b) A small amount (~100 mL or less)

5) Do you find it hard to remove your drain plug and not spill any oil?
b) No

6) Would you consider purchasing a product in order to make a part of the oil change process less messy/ easier?
a) Yes
 
Sure why not.

Some answers will vary depending on the vehicle, of course...

1) Have you ever changed your car’s oil?
a) Yes - always do


2) What do you feel are the 2 messiest parts of changing oil?
PLEASE PICK 2
b) Changing/ removal of oil filter
e) Other: Cleanup of the drain pan

3) Do you usually spill any amount of oil during a change?
a) Yes - hard to avoid since it runs down my arm while I'm removing the filter!

4) If yes, how much do you usually spill?
b) A small amount (~100 mL or less)

5) Do you find it hard to remove your drain plug and not spill any oil?
b) No

6) Would you consider purchasing a product in order to make a part of the oil change process less messy/ easier?
b) No - doubt anything would help that filter mess given its location.
 
mroseboom10 said:
Twin Valley High School Engineering Survey:
Hi, my name is Sam Rippy, and I am a senior working in an engineering team at my high school. We are currently enrolled in a class called Engineering Design and Development, and our task is to identify, justify, develop, design, create, and test a unique idea, and present it to a panel of engineers at the end of the semester. The purpose of this survey is to gain justification for the problems we have identified and assist us in our goal to come up with a solution for one of the problems. Please answer the questions to the best of your knowledge to aid us in our search for a solution to this issue.

1) Have you ever changed your car’s oil?
a) Yes
b) No

2) What do you feel are the 2 messiest parts of changing oil?
PLEASE PICK 2
a) Emptying oil from oil pan
b) Changing/ removal of oil filter
c) Adding new oil
d) Transferring used oil from/to containers
e) Other:__________________________________________

3) Do you usually spill any amount of oil during a change?
a) Yes
b) No

4) If yes, how much do you usually spill?
a) A few drops
b) A small amount (~100 mL or less)
c) A significant amount (~150 mL or greater)

5) Do you find it hard to remove your drain plug and not spill any oil?
a) Yes
b) No

6) Would you consider purchasing a product in order to make a part of the oil change process less messy/ easier?
a) Yes
b) No
Click to expand...

1) yes
2) changing filter, putting used oil into new container
3) yes
4) depends on the day (a, b, or c)
5) no
6) yes
 
1) Have you ever changed your car’s oil?
a) Yes

2) What do you feel are the 2 messiest parts of changing oil?
PLEASE PICK 2
b) Changing/ removal of oil filter
d) Transferring used oil from/to containers

3) Do you usually spill any amount of oil during a change?
b) No

4) If yes, how much do you usually spill?
None

5) Do you find it hard to remove your drain plug and not spill any oil?
b) No

6) Would you consider purchasing a product in order to make a part of the oil change process less messy/ easier?
a) Yes
 
1) Have you ever changed your car’s oil?
a) Yes


2) What do you feel are the 2 messiest parts of changing oil?
b) Changing/ removal of oil filter
e) Other: Not much else.


3) Do you usually spill any amount of oil during a change?
a) Yes


4) If yes, how much do you usually spill?
b) A small amount (~100 mL or less)--all concentrated on my fingers/hand from removing filter; never spill on ground or engine


5) Do you find it hard to remove your drain plug and not spill any oil?
b) No


6) Would you consider purchasing a product in order to make a part of the oil change process less messy/ easier?
b) No
 
1) Have you ever changed your car’s oil?
a) Yes

2) What do you feel are the 2 messiest parts of changing oil?
PLEASE PICK 2
b) Changing/ removal of oil filter
e) Other: I know you ask for two, but honestly the oil filter is the only place I ever spill anything, so I don't have a second messy part.

3) Do you usually spill any amount of oil during a change?
a) Yes

4) If yes, how much do you usually spill?
d) None of the above: It depends on the vehicle. On vehicles with the oil filter's opening pointed up, I spill nothing. On vehicles with the oil filter opening to the side, I typically spill little or no oil. On vehicles with the oil filter opening pointed down, I tend to spill more, sometimes quite a bit.

5) Do you find it hard to remove your drain plug and not spill any oil?
b) No

6) Would you consider purchasing a product in order to make a part of the oil change process less messy/ easier?
b) No

ZV
 
1) Have you ever changed your car’s oil?
a) Yes

2) What do you feel are the 2 messiest parts of changing oil?
PLEASE PICK 2
a) Emptying oil from oil pan
d) Transferring used oil from/to containers

3) Do you usually spill any amount of oil during a change?
a) Yes


4) If yes, how much do you usually spill?
a) A few drops


5) Do you find it hard to remove your drain plug and not spill any oil?
b) No

6) Would you consider purchasing a product in order to make a part of the oil change process less messy/ easier?
a) Yes
 
1) Yes

2)
A)Emptying oil from oil pan
E)Consolidating oil containers (I spilled half a quart last year because I'm an idiot. They were even the 5 quart jugs with giant mouths)

Runner up: Oil filter change.
On a side note, engine design is the #1 factor in how messy the oil filter change is. My girlfriend's Rav4 is designed to spill oil directly onto the engine block no matter how you try it, and she has baked on oil from a lifetime of changes. My Cruze uses cartridge filters and I have not spilled a single drop changing them.

3) Yes

4) A) A few drops.

5) Yes.

6) Yes.

I've been considering getting a Fumoto valve for my Cruze, but I have around 5,000 miles before the next change so it's been stuck as simply a consideration.
 
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