is there a clean way to change an oil filter
 

i dread changing my oil because i ALWAYS get hot oil all over my arms. sometimes on my shirt, in my face or hair too. it sucks bigtime. does anyone know how to get that akwardly positioned filter out without making a mess everywhere? i always have to do massive clean-up after i get one out.

ive tried grabbing it form up above, but you basically have to stand on the engine to do that... i dont wanna do that.

i think this time i change my oil i will do it with a cold engine so at least i wont fear the boiling oil.

drain your oil normally, and let it sit for ****ing ever with the drain bolt and oil cap off... after that, unscrew the filter carefully and slowly...

lol.. that's all i can think of.. it works every now and then..

Ok, this is what I do to Change my Oil.. I let my car sit in the driveway over night and the next in the afternoon I get ready to change it.. First I jackup the car, put some jacks under and locate the bolt to drain the oil, Let it drain,(of course the oil is cold becuase I let it sit overnight) then put the bolt back on and locate the filter, i give it a few pulls and done.. no oil leak no splashing just a nice clean removal... get the new filter and put it back on.... its about a 15min change.. no leaks a nice clean oil job...

That's exactly what I do....

the filter is always messy, no matter what i do. but yeah, the car sits overnight or at least 2 hrs before i change

all you need to do is unscrew the filter a bit and let some of it drain then take it off.

sounds like you dont know what u are doing....and no there aint no "clean" way of doing your own oil change...no matter how carefull you are you might get a small amount of oil when you take off the oil filter.....

wear a shower cap, long sleeves, mechanics gloves, and don't forget goggles.

i wouldnt drain the motor oil while its cold because the oil is thick and some will stay behind and wont fully drain. commonly, you warm up the car, let it sit for 15min before changing.


theirs an oil filter removal tool, but that still gets your hands dirty. i recommend wearing gloves, long sleeve clothing, goggles, and/or hair protectants.

thats it unscrew the filter let some drain a lil and then you take it off.

It's best for your car to drain the oil when your engine is hot, this causes the contaminants to become suspended in the oil, and allow them to drain out with it.

All you can do is minimize oil splash. Letting the filter drain out before complete removal helps, but always try to protect yourself as best you can. Protection includes gloves, long sleeves, and yes, goggles and a hat if you have them.

Used motor oil is highly carcinogenic (causes cancer).

Sometimes you get a little sh!t on your fingers when wiping your ass but that doesn't keep you from eating does it?

in this case, you may need earplugs too. you never know!!!

umm. i change my oil after my normal daily drive of a good 20 minutes. make sure your oil is hot as hell. it drains quicker for one and it won't leave alot behing. about your oil filter thing. make the cars front end lower than the back. i know its hard but the oil from the filter will drain into the engine when you drain it. thats why the filter is in the akward position. i just changed my oil yesterday. i got like a couple of drops on my arm. no biggie. get some rags and shop towels at walmart.

I've changed oil so many times in so many cars over the years, I finally decided that it was worth it (for me, anyway) to just let the dealer do it. They charge 19.99, and they put the little plastic washer in that Honda says you need to prevent the oil drain plug from getting stripped.

It's just my personal opinion, but I figure that my time is worth 20 bucks, and if the dealer does something wrong, like forget to reinstall or tighten the plug, I'm covered. They have no excuse for a seized engine, like "well, we didn't do the oil change, so we can't warranty your motor."

was waiting for someone to point this out.

try changin oil for a living, it sucks! people like to drive on the highway for 2 hours then pop in the shop and get an oil change. nothin like scaulding oil splashing on your face, fun!
i dont change my own oil anymore, its really a pain, extremely hard to get under my car even when jacked up, and i think its worth $20 to have someone else change it and get dirty while i sit and read road and track in the office with the ac on.

There really is no clean way to do it... you're gonna get some on ya.

yeh changing the filter you will always get some kind of mess...and dont change the oil right after you ran the motor.. let it cool for like 15mins more or less...

Seriously, use a quart size baggie over the filter and a lot of the oil will be trapped in it. In a pinch you could use a plastic grocery store bag but baggies work much better. Wear mechanic's latex gloves and you'll be as mess free as reasonably possible.

The problem, IMO, with having the oil freaking hot is that oil pan (and everything else) heats up causing the metals to expand making removal of the bolt and filter harder than it needs to be.

Instead, drive around the block a few times or couple of miles, whichever comes first and then change the oil. I'm not aware of any studies that any more oil comes out when it's scalding hot vs. moderately warm. Remember that there will always be residual oil remaining in the passages regardless of which method you use.

Right under the filter there is a lip close to where the oil pan is attached to the block, I usually take my rag and stuff it there while i'm removing the filter and it absorbs most of the dripping oil

bleh. ive gotta change mine asap. tomorrow probably. at least getting it up on ramps wont be such a hassle this time (now that my front lip was politely removed by a possom on the highway).

ive always changed my own oil, i dont really trust anyone else to do it. but ive been thinkin twice about it. its such a pain. if i cant develop some sort of oil catch bag; jiffy lube it is.

cleanest way for you to do an oil change is to get someone else to do it.

Thats sooo true....but if your scared of getting dirty....find a new hobby! :moon:

I buy my own oil and filter, than bring it to my friend at midas. Hell take the plug and filter off after I put it up on the ramp and lift it. Than he throws those back on and I add the oil. Definately the cleanest way, hahaha.

I always say, Ill do it, and hes like, "Nah, dont worry about it, your clean, Im already dirty as hell, you can add the oil, and back the car out while I work elsewhere"

i guess getting dirty isnt the problem. i just hate scalding hot oil. and it sucks ruining my clothes. it went real smoothly this last time. i feel better about it:)

dont do it when the car is hot, and dont wear nice clothes when changing the oil.

do it when the car IS hot. and find some old crap you don't care about to wear. im sure everyone has something they can use for car clothes.

it doesnt matter if the car is hot or not. I have changed my oil for a long time early when I get up in the morning or after the car has been sitting for awhile, it doesnt make a difference. the oil will come out know matter what.

look, when the oil is cold it leaves crap inside the engine, and thats not good for the car. when its cold its thicker and flows less easily. the viscosity is better when its hot. when its cold it will not flow all the way out, and it will take longer to drain because its cold. i prefer hot, at least warm it up and drive it for 5 min. i baby my car, thats just me though.

pay people like me to do it...no def. dont change it cold because when its hot it carries more of the deposits away on top in the cyl. head, just keep a rag handy dude, it is what it is...