Question to AT members who change their own oil...

[bozack]

For that car like everyone says just get regular Oil (Mobil, Castrol, Quaker State heck any of them are fine) and use a decent oil filter, either an AC Delco which I think is OEM for Saturn or anything else, I have also heard that Fram is not that good for filters...

With the Jackstands/ramps issue, it depends on two things...1. if you feel comfortable driving up onto ramps and 2. if you will usually have someone to help...

Personally I prefer jackstands since you can use them alone, with the ramps I always felt like I should have someone else around to make sure I didn't drive off of them...craftsman or any other high end jackstand is good, your best bet is to buy the set of jackstands and the hydraulic jack they sell at Sears, they give you a discount on the three items and they are all good quality, just make sure you know the jack points on your car which should be outlined in that manual you bought.

good luck

 

[drum]

don't worry about getting an oil filter wrench. you only need to hand tighten the filter. make sure its on good but you should be able to take it off w/o a wrench

 

[stickshift]

Originally posted by: Marlin1975

And NEVER use Fram oil filters.

Hate to revive an old thread, but why are fram filters bad? I just picked up one for my parent's 93 maxima...

 

[her209]

Mobil 1

 

[isaacmacdonald]

incidentally, getting a grip on the oil filter can sometimes be a PITA (it varies with cars). My old cutlass cierra required 30 minutes of labor to wedge the oil filter. Ramss are simple enough to use if you keep the door open when you ride up (most accurate way for me to figure out how many feet the car has moved).

 

[Ryan]

Originally posted by: stickshift

Originally posted by: Marlin1975 And NEVER use Fram oil filters.

Hate to revive an old thread, but why are fram filters bad? I just picked up one for my parent's 93 maxima...

Because they are of the LOWEST quality you can buy. I remember in an older thread where a link was posted on a study of oil filters, the filter inside of a fram shouldn't even be considered a filter - more like mesh.

 

[KingNothing]

What do you mean by "save something like $20 each time"? $20 is what I pay to have my oil changed, tires rotated (every other change), and chassis lubed. They also kinda look the car over to tell me if anything is going bad. Caught a bad wheel bearing early that way.

 

[stickshift]

Originally posted by: rbloedow

Originally posted by: stickshift

Originally posted by: Marlin1975 And NEVER use Fram oil filters.

Hate to revive an old thread, but why are fram filters bad? I just picked up one for my parent's 93 maxima...

Because they are of the LOWEST quality you can buy. I remember in an older thread where a link was posted on a study of oil filters, the filter inside of a fram shouldn't even be considered a filter - more like mesh.

Hmm...thanks for the tip. I was going to change the oil for the first time myself, and when I went to walmart I stopped by their automotive dept and asked an "automotive technician" which filter he recommended, he said Fram, and that they were "the very best." :Q

What filters do you guys recommend? The sears stuff?

 

[edfcmc]

just go to the oil forum at Link to the Oil forum

 

[Kelvrick]

I'd recommend a ramp if you're just going to do oil changes, but then you'll wanna go and do other stuff too, right? In that case, get a lift/jackstand combo. I think both should cost about 20 bucks.

Buy yourself a little tub or something too, and recycle your oil. Please don't just dump it.

For Oil Filters, AC Delco, Mobile 1, and STP are the best in my opinion. All three are basically the same, except Mobile one costs like 3 times as much as the other two and have a coating over their filter. STP has a better overflow spring then AC Delco, so I always get STP.

 

[CraigRT]

I hear Fram is total crap too... won't touch them anymore... I don't really know for sure whats' the best, and I can't even buy all different kinds of filters for my car, but I've been sticking to MOPAR filters and I hear they are good... they are not expensive at all either.. also I stick to Mobil1 10w

 

[deerslayer]

If your oil filter is in a hard to reach place like mine is, just swear profusely at your car. It always helps me.

 

[Ryan]

I woudl use a filter provided by the parts dept of your local car dealer, or a mobile 1

 

[Yossarian]

Originally posted by: Kelvrick
Buy yourself a little tub or something too, and recycle your oil. Please don't just dump it.

Yah you can get a nifty tub that has a post to drain your old filter on, and one end tapers so you can pour it easily into milk jugs or whatever.

 

[dartworth]

Originally posted by: notfred

Originally posted by: MadCowDisease
what the heck do you mean by "dino oil?"

Just regular old oil...

Yes.

Most of my tools, including jackstands, are Craftsman. They're not too expensive, and warrantied for life.

Me too. I just bought new jackstands from sears for around $35. I bought a 3 or 4 ton jack from sam's for around $60. It's a nice jack too.

 

[OS]

synthetic motor oil is a waste for common cars, don't bother. Purolator Pure One filters at pepboys is supposed to be a very good filter for the price you pay. Supposedly they don't flow well though so if you rev your engine hard you might want another filter.

I recently changed my synthetic fill (german syntec 0w-30) and the oil is still pretty burnt up when it comes out. I don't get it, synthetic is supposed to look clean after just 3k miles. I'm trying syntec blend this time around.

Yesterday I drained and filled my tranny with mobil 1 atf. We'll see how that goes.

 

[Crucial]

Originally posted by: rbloedow
I woudl use a filter provided by the parts dept of your local car dealer, or a mobile 1

I recomend this if you like getting bent over and screwed from behind. Dealers are the worst at parts prices. THEY ARE THE DEVIL! I feel much pain whenever I hear of someone getting screwed for $600-$900 for a brake job. It's so easy to do.

I use Mobil1 filters. Expensive but worth it IMHO.

Buy a set of ramps unless you are planning on doing other repairs under the car. If that is the case then pick up the jack/stand set at sears. You wont want to use the crap jack you get with the car.

Rhino ramps are a one man job as long as you line them up right. There is a lip at the front that lets you know your there. My problem with ramps is that the damn things slide whenever I try and drive up them. You won't have that problem though because your car is FWD.

 

[Crucial]

Originally posted by: OS
synthetic motor oil is a waste for common cars, don't bother. Purolator Pure One filters at pepboys is supposed to be a very good filter for the price you pay. Supposedly they don't flow well though so if you rev your engine hard you might want another filter.

I recently changed my synthetic fill (german syntec 0w-30) and the oil is still pretty burnt up when it comes out. I don't get it, synthetic is supposed to look clean after just 3k miles. I'm trying syntec blend this time around.

Yesterday I drained and filled my tranny with mobil 1 atf. We'll see how that goes.

It may look burnt up but I bet if you sent it in to be tested it would be in much better shape than dino oil.

 

[Ryan]

Originally posted by: csaddict

Originally posted by: rbloedow I woudl use a filter provided by the parts dept of your local car dealer, or a mobile 1

I recomend this if you like getting bent over and screwed from behind. Dealers are the worst at parts prices. THEY ARE THE DEVIL! I feel much pain whenever I hear of someone getting screwed for $600-$900 for a brake job. It's so easy to do. I use Mobil1 filters. Expensive but worth it IMHO. Buy a set of ramps unless you are planning on doing other repairs under the car. If that is the case then pick up the jack/stand set at sears. You wont want to use the crap jack you get with the car. Rhino ramps are a one man job as long as you line them up right. There is a lip at the front that lets you know your there. My problem with ramps is that the damn things slide whenever I try and drive up them. You won't have that problem though because your car is FWD.

Yea, my Nissan parts dept really ripped me on my 5 dollar oil filter

 

[OS]

Originally posted by: csaddict

It may look burnt up but I bet if you sent it in to be tested it would be in much better shape than dino oil.

Probably, but I still don't think it's worth it. Any decent synthetic is expensive sh*t and it's never on sale. Plus engine internals already tend to outlast the rest of the car in modern cars so synthetic seems like overkill.

 

[DrPizza]

Not to say it's a bad idea to save money, but in my opinion, of all the things to save money on, the oil change isn't that significant... Learn to do your brakes... they're dirt cheap compared to what the shops charge.... but, at least around here, some place or another has a special every weekend on oil changes... I've even seen them as low as 9.95. How can you save $20 if you can get it done for under $20 any day of the week. Of course, you have to learn how to say "no, I don't think that's an emergency.... I'm not going to have you replace my (fill in blank here) today." That includes: don't have them install wipers or anything else, other than the oil change...... they really try to get every possible add-on that they can.

 

[Crucial]

I will NEVER take my car to one of those oil change shops. I have heard and seen way too many bad things to ever trust them. I was at a parts shop that did them and there was a car that was just finshed up. The dude started the car and oil poured out from underneath. The owner luckily saw it and bolted for the car. They tried to hold him back and tell him he couldnt be in there. He shoved the kid aside and turned off his car. My mom used to get hers done at a lube shop and they broke the filler cap, scratched the fenders, and tried her selling her repairs that had been done previously.

As for the $5 nissan filter. I refue to give the dealer my money unless absolutely necessary. Even then I will only do it through a discount place online.

 

[Analog]

When my wife had her '96 saturn, I had an incident while changing the oil that I had never seen before or since. The oil filter gasket stuck to the block, and not the oil filter upon removal (I didn't notice this). I screwed the new oil filter on, filled up with oil and started the engine. Oil started leaking out of the filter are like mad. Thinking I didn't tighten the filter, I was perplexed. Finally, I backed out the new oil filter and discovered the problem.


Moral: make sure the gasket comes off with the filter!

 

[Crucial]

Originally posted by: yellowfiero
When my wife had her '96 saturn, I had an incident while changing the oil that I had never seen before or since. The oil filter gasket stuck to the block, and not the oil filter upon removal (I didn't notice this). I screwed the new oil filter on, filled up with oil and started the engine. Oil started leaking out of the filter are like mad. Thinking I didn't tighten the filter, I was perplexed. Finally, I backed out the new oil filter and discovered the problem.


Moral: make sure the gasket comes off with the filter!

I've heard of this happening a few times. Was one of the main things my dad taught me about changing oil. I check for it every time. I was going to put this in my post but forgot by the time I finished. Glad you brought it up.

 

[alphatarget1]

Originally posted by: rbloedow

Originally posted by: csaddict

Originally posted by: rbloedow I woudl use a filter provided by the parts dept of your local car dealer, or a mobile 1

I recomend this if you like getting bent over and screwed from behind. Dealers are the worst at parts prices. THEY ARE THE DEVIL! I feel much pain whenever I hear of someone getting screwed for $600-$900 for a brake job. It's so easy to do. I use Mobil1 filters. Expensive but worth it IMHO. Buy a set of ramps unless you are planning on doing other repairs under the car. If that is the case then pick up the jack/stand set at sears. You wont want to use the crap jack you get with the car. Rhino ramps are a one man job as long as you line them up right. There is a lip at the front that lets you know your there. My problem with ramps is that the damn things slide whenever I try and drive up them. You won't have that problem though because your car is FWD.

Yea, my Nissan parts dept really ripped me on my 5 dollar oil filter

actually,

some dealers DO rip you off. it depends on your dealer. some sell parts/accessories cheaper than others.... for some reason i don't know.