what is your easiest and most difficult oil change?

[WPOZZZ]

BMW E36 328ic. Oil change isn't that bad, but the drain plug is above some cross bracing for the cabriolet. Oil likes to hit it and splash around. Easy ones were on cars with dipsticks and my Topside Oil changer.

[gregpark]

Originally Posted by Baz

I don't have a lift either. These ramps help a lot!

I have those exact ramps. My cars are so low I can't roll them on. i have to floor jack up and slip the ramps under the tires.
I'm woefully equipped

[berettafan]

Mk8 GTI I use an extractor. Literally zero drips on the ground. Filter is on top as with BMW.

F250 is easy as well requiring no ramps or jacks as it sits so tall.

[rfuerst911sc]

I have heard the VR6 engine in a Cayenne is not a fun oil change . Is the V8 also a pain ?

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by speeder

I just had a really unpleasant time doing an oil change on this little R53 Mini Cooper. Had a heck of a time getting the oil filter canister to thread back on because it's a weird angle and you're doing it blind down a narrow passage. I finally disconnected the strut bar and lifted it out of the way and got it. (Duh).

One of the guys I share the space with, (not a mechanic), thought I was hurt and needed help because of the profanity I would unleash every time I burned my hands on the hot exhaust shield next to the oil filter location.

"Are you ok?"

Me: "I'm always ok, I just swear a lot. If you ever hear me yelling, 'HELP!' you can come running. Otherwise, ignore me."

My wife says she can tell the difference between garage mad yelling and garage hurt myself yelling. Sure enough, when I was hanging on a torque wrench trying to get 180 ft/lbs on a Jeep suspension and the wrench slipped and popped me in the forehead, she was on the scene pretty quick.

[craigster59]

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

2014 F150 with a 4” lift is easy to drain and the filter is easy to swap, but when you remove the filter, it drips down on the K member, and then onto the ground. There’s a little plastic tray, but it doesn’t catch it at all.

Sometimes I use ramps and sometimes I don’t.

Before I started doing the Fumoto/tubing method I was using one of the foldable funnels to divert the oil into the pan.

https://formafunnel.com

I'm telling you, that valve made oil changes a snap!

[brainz01]

955 Cayenne Turbo was a PITA. Belly pan had multiple fasteners, some which required extensions to reach, and two fussy plastic air ducts for the front brakes which were a hassle to get in/out. Annoying.

958 Cayenne Turbo is better (no air ducts), but still slow, especially if you have the PDCC option which requires unbolting the clamps for the hydraulic cooler so you can swing it out of the way for the oil filter cap removal. Oil filter horizontal on the bottom of the engine is also messy. Annoying, but not as bad as the 955.

997 Turbo is not bad, but watch out for the splash from the oil tank drain. 9 liters empties in seconds. Needs low profile ramp or a couple 2x12s to drive on. Futomo valve would probably help a lot and make this a joy.

2007 4Runner. Dead nuts simple. No covers. No jack stands. No weird locations or contortions. Real dip stick.

Sent from my CPH2451 using Tapatalk

[Eric Hahl]

My easiest is my Subaru Outback Wilderness. Factory 1" lift allows me get under it without lifting the vehicle. Super easy. My hardest is my BMW motorcycle...oh, wait, that's easy too.

[billybek]

The one ton Duramax isn't too bad to change the oil.
Hitting all the grease zerks is another matter...

Easiest was probably my wife's old Nissan X-Trail.
Was 10 minutes without lifting the vehicle.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by craigster59

Before I started doing the Fumoto/tubing method I was using one of the foldable funnels to divert the oil into the pan.

https://formafunnel.com

I'm telling you, that valve made oil changes a snap!

That funnel thing is nice, need to get me one of those. I'm not a fan of Fumoto valves even though they are very convenient, I could never have one protruding under a vehicle and by design, they prevent the last pool of oil from draining. This is also the reason I would never use an extractor from the top unless there was no other choice, I'm too OCD about oil changes and I've removed too many oil pans. All of the bad stuff is on the very bottom of the swimming pool. I want scalding hot oil draining at high velocity and I let it drip until nothing is coming out anymore. I go and do something else for 30 minutes.

[rfuerst911sc]

I have 10 quarts of oil in my Duramax . If the Fumoto valve leaves a pint of oil in the pan I am not worried .

[zakthor]

The most difficult were the first 4 on my 911sc:

1) having a massively undersized container (eleven LITERS!!!) so it overflowed everywhere.
2) big enough container but the drain plug in top too small so it overflowed everywhere
3) big enough open container but plug was too high so made another big spill from the oil splashing out.
4) container on a jack, oil came out and container tipped and spilled everywhere.

The sight of that seeping burning hot exxon valdez spreading out and down my driveway. Burned into my retinas. Hours of cleanup, raking up oil soaked leaves and cedar cones.

5) And the time I was lazy and took my 930 to a quick oil change place. Brought my own oil and filter and aluminum gaskets and then had to sit there and tell the guy every single step, including my torquing the plugs. And at the very end we fired it up, checked oil level and he promptly dropped the dipstick into the oil tank.

[Scott Douglas]

Originally Posted by speeder

That funnel thing is nice, need to get me one of those. I'm not a fan of Fumoto valves even though they are very convenient, I could never have one protruding under a vehicle and by design, they prevent the last pool of oil from draining. This is also the reason I would never use an extractor from the top unless there was no other choice, I'm too OCD about oil changes and I've removed too many oil pans. All of the bad stuff is on the very bottom of the swimming pool. I want scalding hot oil draining at high velocity and I let it drip until nothing is coming out anymore. I go and do something else for 30 minutes.

I used to be just like that, HOT oil was the ONLY way to do it. Why? Because that's the way Dad taught us boys to do it.

Now, in my old age, if there's a tad bit left in the pan, it'll dilute enough that it won't matter one iota.

I haven't resorted to using my Mityvac yet to do oil changes, but the thought has crossed my mind when I think about how hard the concrete out in the garage is and how sore my bones get rolling around on it.

[speeder]

This is my oil change pan and used oil set-up, works great for me:


I have an identical clean one for coolant, these pans are nice and huge plus easy to drain:

[juanbenae]

Originally Posted by syncroid

Easiest = My 2024 Toyota Tacoma Off Road.
Hardest = Porsche 2017 and newer 718 Caymans. The filter is in an evil place!

hey Dan, tell Doc Lightener I say hey.

Hope the shop is doing well. Drove by a couple weeks ago and wanted to stop, but was pulling my new to me boat and didn't think i could get the trailer turned around in that alley...

How's Bob doing? How about Linda?

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by speeder

This is my oil change pan and used oil set-up, works great for me:


I have an identical clean one for coolant, these pans are nice and huge plus easy to drain:

I have the exact same pan. I use a 5 gal bucket and a lid with a pour spout that I bought off of the big A. Makes dumping the oil at my FLAPS way easier. Straight up dumping a 5 gal bucket of oil is another opportunity for disaster.

[A930Rocket]

Originally Posted by speeder

This is my oil change pan and used oil set-up, works great for me:

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

I have the exact same pan. I use a 5 gal bucket and a lid with a pour spout that I bought off of the big A. Makes dumping the oil at my FLAPS way easier. Straight up dumping a 5 gal bucket of oil is another opportunity for disaster.

That makes three of us. I have that exact pan I bought off the Matco truck 40 years ago, and drain the pan the same way.

On F150, draining the pan is not the issue, as it’s completely in the open. The problem is the oil filter is just above the big wide K member. There’s a plastic tray to catch oil, but it ends up, dripping off the front and the back and onto the K member.

[speeder]

Originally Posted by A930Rocket

That makes three of us. I have that exact pan I bought off the Matco truck 40 years ago, and drain the pan the same way.

On F150, draining the pan is not the issue, as it’s completely in the open. The problem is the oil filter is just above the big wide K member. There’s a plastic tray to catch oil, but it ends up, dripping off the front and the back and onto the K member.

The metal can the pan is draining into is a 5 gallon race gas can, I have an endless supply of them because shop mate races motorcycles. Nothing is spilling out of those while being transported.

Funny you should mention the F-150, just did an oil change on this old girl yesterday. There is still some oil in the formed piece below the oil filter:

[NY65912]

Most difficult, doing oil changes on the Mack R, U and MB tank trucks we had when we had a heating oil business. The 673 diesel engine held 32 quarts with filters.

Easiest, 68 VW Bug

[speeder]

Originally Posted by NY65912

Most difficult, doing oil changes on the Mack R, U and MB tank trucks we had when we had a heating oil business. The 673 diesel engine held 32 quarts with filters.

Easiest, 68 VW Bug

Wow, that's 8 gallons!! Crazy question...could you burn the used oil as heating oil?