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Thank you. I agree on all examples. Absolutely not worth the risk. Not even close. I wince thinking about when I changed my own oil in my 20s... Potentially thr

Thank you. I agree on all examples. Absolutely not worth the risk. Not even close. I wince thinking about when I changed my own oil in my 20s... Potentially throwing away so many good years, for so little gain. The car danger can be mitigated if the work is done under a professional lift.

cityofdelusion 3y ago
There is pretty much zero risk if the car is either jacked correctly or put on ramps correctly. Dummies that rely on a single 1.5mm o-ring not blowing out on their hydraulic floor jacks are gambling with their life. Always operate on flat terrain, always chock the wheels, always use the parking brake, always use jack stands, always verify no movement in the vehicle by rocking it, never rely on the floor jack.
- rpmisms 3y ago
  Ramps are very good. I don't know why anyone would use a jack for an oil change...
  - jtriangle 3y ago
    A jack is basically suicide tbh. Jackstands are fine, provided they're used correctly. Ramps are nice, provided you don't need to take a wheel off, then you're using jackstands anyway, so, if you're buying one or the other, jackstands are a good option. Personally, if you have the space for it, a trench is the best option, I had one previously and I miss it alot. Nothing leaves the ground, car just pulls in and is ready to go. Mine was like 2ft deep, so, maybe a little cramped, but very comfortable once you're in there working. You couldn't make a standable trench at home without engineering it anyway, so, a crawlable trench is really the way to go.
    - the__alchemist 3y ago
      IMO a trench mitigates the danger effectively.
      - WalterBright 3y ago
        They're against the building code around here.
      - darkr 3y ago
        Until you fall into it when you’re not paying attention!
      - Arrath 3y ago
        Make sure it is shored correctly!
      - thimkerbell 3y ago
        But fumes can collect in a trench, is that right?
    - darkr 3y ago
      Another option, if you’ve got the ceiling height is a proper 4 post lift. Expensive, but you can justify it by doubling your car storage space.
  - dylan604 3y ago
    Depends on the jack. The people I know that do this use a jack and jack stands rather than just a jack. The jack is just the tool to go up/down.
    - deleted 3y ago
      [deleted]
    - shiroiushi 3y ago
      >The jack is just the tool to go up/down. This should be drilled into the heads of anyone who touches a jack. It's only a tool for lifting the car onto jackstands.
  - class3shock 3y ago
    Lazyness. I've been under a car dozens of times with them, never had an issue, but know it's not the best practice and try to use jackstands... but it's just so much quicker!
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]
- the__alchemist 3y ago
  Valid, re ramps > jack stands > floor jack. I always used ramps, but still... won't do it again. I'll change plugs + coils etc because you don't need to get under the car.
- Scoundreller 3y ago
  I’ll also put tires (on rims) underneath in addition to jack stands/ramps.
- cruffle_duffle 3y ago
  It’s amazing and honestly kind of sad how risk averse some people are. The reason I don’t change my oil anymore is it just isn’t worth the time and hassle. The “unsafety” of such a task doesn’t even register on my things to be worried about: at all. Jack it up, remember to put on gloves(!!!!) put the fucker on stands and go. The actual scary thing is I’m pretty sure way back when I was a kid we’d just dump the oil down the storm drain. I hate to think what that was doing to the environment around us.
  - BenFranklin100 3y ago
    I’m baffled too. Changing oil in a car is dead simple and effectively zero risk with a proper pair of jack stands and a modicum of common sense and mechanical aptitude.
    - ryanjshaw 3y ago
      Not everyone is born with common sense. I sure wasn't. I'll find some way to do something that will leave the people with common sense scratching their heads, saying "but why wouldn't you just...".
      - outop 3y ago
        There's a kind of meta-common sense which allows people to say "I don't have the ability to perform this task reliably".
      - BenFranklin100 3y ago
        All right, I respect that. I’m sure there are plenty of things that I might do that would leave you scratching your head too.
    - shawabawa3 3y ago
      Of course it's safe if you jack it correctly The problem is if you've only used a jack 0-1 times in your life, you won't know you haven't done it correctly until there's a car crushing you
    - 3y ago
giantg2 3y ago
"Potentially throwing away so many good years, for so little gain. The car danger can be mitigated if the work is done under a professional lift." I use ramps I built - solid 2x12. Those are extremely safe as there's nothing that can break, bend, or disintegrate. It's way more dangerous to drive than to work on the vehicle.
YeBanKo 3y ago
> Potentially throwing away so many good years How much time did you spend changing oil?? It's a 20-30 min job once you have done it coupe of time and know the ropes. I sometimes do it myself not because I want to save few bucks, but because it's sometimes faster than going somewhere.
- dylan604 3y ago
  I'm assuming you're leaving out the time it takes to drive somewhere to dispose of the used oil and driving back. I grew up in the boonies, and my dad was one to dispose of oil "out back". It was such a shock the day he brought home a proper catch can to have it disposed of properly
  - YeBanKo 3y ago
    Pretty much any big chain auto parts shop accepts used oil. With a proper catch can you still have to bring in for disposal.
  - giobox 3y ago
    This isn't that bad for most people living in the US, given every major auto part chain in the country accepts the fluids for free (o'reilly, autozone, etc). There's often an auto parts store next to the supermarket or close by. Besides, for most cars we are talking about a once every 12-24 month event for only ~5 quarts of old fluid. You can show up with the used oil in any receptacle you like, there's no such thing as a proper container beyond not leaking, they will take the contents off your hands.
    - dylan604 3y ago
      there's a caveat to "most people living in the US" regarding what their lease/deed/HOA contracts/etc say restricting the working on one's car on premises. you'd be amazed at how restrictive they can be. in an apartment, you'll be lucky if they allow you to jack up your car to change a tire. opening the hood for anything more than adding fluids is also a no-no. even single family homes with strict HOAs do not want a car in the front drive actively being worked on (sometimes that comes with "for extended period" caveats, but not always). I gues they figure if you can afford to live there, you can afford to have someone else work on your car at their place not in their neighborhood.
sokoloff 3y ago
I do my oil changes top-side now, using an air-powered Mityvac (MV7300; no affiliation). That's the factory-recommended procedure for several brands now and works well on my Mercedes and Honda. I was skeptical at first, but did the extraction and then removed the drain plug and the oil I got from the bottom wouldn't have half-filled a shot glass, so that's good enough for me. As long as the filter is accessible from the top or side, I don't see the need to jack up most wet-sump cars (which is almost all of them).
- cnasc 3y ago
  Recently got one of these myself. Didn’t even get my hands dirty doing the change, wish I knew about fluid extractors years ago (though not all of my cars have had filters so easily accessible)
- robocat 3y ago
  Thanks for the oil change recommendation. Video review that seemed legit if anyone interested: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xuYVe-mPsxw https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xuYVe-mPsxw
  - sokoloff 3y ago
    That seems like a fair review. The only things I've needed to do in about a decade was to replace the nylon hose (readily available from many suppliers and therefore cheap). It cracked after a half-decade of sitting outside with corrosive used oil sitting it. I also got a somewhat longer piece so I could have the tool sitting firmly on the ground and still reach the bottom of the sump. It seems like they could have given an extra couple feet without breaking the bank. One thing to note: you'll need about 5 CFM @ 90 psi to run the venturi, which is more than a little pancake compressor can give, but otherwise isn't crazy for even a medium portable compressor. If you don't have an air compressor and weren't planning to get one, I think they probably make a powered pump version and that would be a better choice.
- porkbeer 3y ago
  NOt all crankcases can be drained fully this way. Please test using the drain plug the first few times. Budfy locked up his benz with this shortcut.
supportengineer 3y ago
I started changing my own oil when I was 16. We only used ramps, never jacks.
paradox460 3y ago
I bought an oil/fluid extractor off Amazon. It's basically a bicycle pump sized tank, with a long hose you stuff down the dipstick hole. You then pump the unit up, which creates a vacuum, and pulls the oil up and out of the car. Takes about 5 minutes to get 5 quarts out, and then you just refill, pour the used oil into the now empty bottles the new oil came in, and take it to your oil recycling center

cityofdelusion 3y ago

There is pretty much zero risk if the car is either jacked correctly or put on ramps correctly. Dummies that rely on a single 1.5mm o-ring not blowing out on their hydraulic floor jacks are gambling with their life. Always operate on flat terrain, always chock the wheels, always use the parking brake, always use jack stands, always verify no movement in the vehicle by rocking it, never rely on the floor jack.

rpmisms 3y ago
Ramps are very good. I don't know why anyone would use a jack for an oil change...
- jtriangle 3y ago
  A jack is basically suicide tbh. Jackstands are fine, provided they're used correctly. Ramps are nice, provided you don't need to take a wheel off, then you're using jackstands anyway, so, if you're buying one or the other, jackstands are a good option. Personally, if you have the space for it, a trench is the best option, I had one previously and I miss it alot. Nothing leaves the ground, car just pulls in and is ready to go. Mine was like 2ft deep, so, maybe a little cramped, but very comfortable once you're in there working. You couldn't make a standable trench at home without engineering it anyway, so, a crawlable trench is really the way to go.
  - the__alchemist 3y ago
    IMO a trench mitigates the danger effectively.
    - WalterBright 3y ago
      They're against the building code around here.
    - darkr 3y ago
      Until you fall into it when you’re not paying attention!
    - Arrath 3y ago
      Make sure it is shored correctly!
    - thimkerbell 3y ago
      But fumes can collect in a trench, is that right?
  - darkr 3y ago
    Another option, if you’ve got the ceiling height is a proper 4 post lift. Expensive, but you can justify it by doubling your car storage space.
- dylan604 3y ago
  Depends on the jack. The people I know that do this use a jack and jack stands rather than just a jack. The jack is just the tool to go up/down.
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
  - shiroiushi 3y ago
    >The jack is just the tool to go up/down. This should be drilled into the heads of anyone who touches a jack. It's only a tool for lifting the car onto jackstands.
- class3shock 3y ago
  Lazyness. I've been under a car dozens of times with them, never had an issue, but know it's not the best practice and try to use jackstands... but it's just so much quicker!
deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
the__alchemist 3y ago
Valid, re ramps > jack stands > floor jack. I always used ramps, but still... won't do it again. I'll change plugs + coils etc because you don't need to get under the car.
Scoundreller 3y ago
I’ll also put tires (on rims) underneath in addition to jack stands/ramps.
cruffle_duffle 3y ago
It’s amazing and honestly kind of sad how risk averse some people are. The reason I don’t change my oil anymore is it just isn’t worth the time and hassle. The “unsafety” of such a task doesn’t even register on my things to be worried about: at all. Jack it up, remember to put on gloves(!!!!) put the fucker on stands and go. The actual scary thing is I’m pretty sure way back when I was a kid we’d just dump the oil down the storm drain. I hate to think what that was doing to the environment around us.
- BenFranklin100 3y ago
  I’m baffled too. Changing oil in a car is dead simple and effectively zero risk with a proper pair of jack stands and a modicum of common sense and mechanical aptitude.
  - ryanjshaw 3y ago
    Not everyone is born with common sense. I sure wasn't. I'll find some way to do something that will leave the people with common sense scratching their heads, saying "but why wouldn't you just...".
    - outop 3y ago
      There's a kind of meta-common sense which allows people to say "I don't have the ability to perform this task reliably".
    - BenFranklin100 3y ago
      All right, I respect that. I’m sure there are plenty of things that I might do that would leave you scratching your head too.
  - shawabawa3 3y ago
    Of course it's safe if you jack it correctly The problem is if you've only used a jack 0-1 times in your life, you won't know you haven't done it correctly until there's a car crushing you
  - 3y ago

giantg2 3y ago

"Potentially throwing away so many good years, for so little gain. The car danger can be mitigated if the work is done under a professional lift." I use ramps I built - solid 2x12. Those are extremely safe as there's nothing that can break, bend, or disintegrate. It's way more dangerous to drive than to work on the vehicle.

YeBanKo 3y ago

> Potentially throwing away so many good years How much time did you spend changing oil?? It's a 20-30 min job once you have done it coupe of time and know the ropes. I sometimes do it myself not because I want to save few bucks, but because it's sometimes faster than going somewhere.

dylan604 3y ago
I'm assuming you're leaving out the time it takes to drive somewhere to dispose of the used oil and driving back. I grew up in the boonies, and my dad was one to dispose of oil "out back". It was such a shock the day he brought home a proper catch can to have it disposed of properly
- YeBanKo 3y ago
  Pretty much any big chain auto parts shop accepts used oil. With a proper catch can you still have to bring in for disposal.
- giobox 3y ago
  This isn't that bad for most people living in the US, given every major auto part chain in the country accepts the fluids for free (o'reilly, autozone, etc). There's often an auto parts store next to the supermarket or close by. Besides, for most cars we are talking about a once every 12-24 month event for only ~5 quarts of old fluid. You can show up with the used oil in any receptacle you like, there's no such thing as a proper container beyond not leaking, they will take the contents off your hands.
  - dylan604 3y ago
    there's a caveat to "most people living in the US" regarding what their lease/deed/HOA contracts/etc say restricting the working on one's car on premises. you'd be amazed at how restrictive they can be. in an apartment, you'll be lucky if they allow you to jack up your car to change a tire. opening the hood for anything more than adding fluids is also a no-no. even single family homes with strict HOAs do not want a car in the front drive actively being worked on (sometimes that comes with "for extended period" caveats, but not always). I gues they figure if you can afford to live there, you can afford to have someone else work on your car at their place not in their neighborhood.

sokoloff 3y ago

I do my oil changes top-side now, using an air-powered Mityvac (MV7300; no affiliation). That's the factory-recommended procedure for several brands now and works well on my Mercedes and Honda. I was skeptical at first, but did the extraction and then removed the drain plug and the oil I got from the bottom wouldn't have half-filled a shot glass, so that's good enough for me. As long as the filter is accessible from the top or side, I don't see the need to jack up most wet-sump cars (which is almost all of them).

cnasc 3y ago
Recently got one of these myself. Didn’t even get my hands dirty doing the change, wish I knew about fluid extractors years ago (though not all of my cars have had filters so easily accessible)
robocat 3y ago
Thanks for the oil change recommendation. Video review that seemed legit if anyone interested: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xuYVe-mPsxw https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=xuYVe-mPsxw
- sokoloff 3y ago
  That seems like a fair review. The only things I've needed to do in about a decade was to replace the nylon hose (readily available from many suppliers and therefore cheap). It cracked after a half-decade of sitting outside with corrosive used oil sitting it. I also got a somewhat longer piece so I could have the tool sitting firmly on the ground and still reach the bottom of the sump. It seems like they could have given an extra couple feet without breaking the bank. One thing to note: you'll need about 5 CFM @ 90 psi to run the venturi, which is more than a little pancake compressor can give, but otherwise isn't crazy for even a medium portable compressor. If you don't have an air compressor and weren't planning to get one, I think they probably make a powered pump version and that would be a better choice.
porkbeer 3y ago
NOt all crankcases can be drained fully this way. Please test using the drain plug the first few times. Budfy locked up his benz with this shortcut.

supportengineer 3y ago

I started changing my own oil when I was 16. We only used ramps, never jacks.

paradox460 3y ago

I bought an oil/fluid extractor off Amazon. It's basically a bicycle pump sized tank, with a long hose you stuff down the dipstick hole. You then pump the unit up, which creates a vacuum, and pulls the oil up and out of the car. Takes about 5 minutes to get 5 quarts out, and then you just refill, pour the used oil into the now empty bottles the new oil came in, and take it to your oil recycling center