Topic: Detailed Oil Change procedure

[odiaz]

I just finished doing my first oil change. Thanks to a lot of posts on this forum, it went very smooth. I've been working on cars for over 30 years and this is by far the easiest oil change I've ever done.

I wrote a detailed set of instructions compiling information from various sources. Hopefully this will give you everything you need to do your own oil chages; including how to reset the oil-life display on the car. The instructions can be found here:

http://www.cherod.com/solstice/HowTos/OilChange.htm

[Kelu]

Thanks for for the info, very detailed.

Even I don't perform myself the oil change due to warranty regulation I have to make it at dealership, I love be informed and to check what they are doing with my car.

Saved to my bookmarks.

[HAMMER DOWN]

Another nice write up. I'm over 36k. I change my filter out at 50%. I get 9.5k out of oil change. The last two time I change my oil & filter the oil filter started to collapse in the middle. Pulled my last filter out at 50% 4.5k, filter look fine.

Mike

[tazz]

I have switched to RP and will do my oil changes every 10K with a filter change at 5K.

[odiaz]

I just don't trust the oil change places.  You never know what they are putting in and they don't take care of your car like you would.

I don't drive the car much, about 3-400  miles/mo during the summer and I don't expect to drive it during the winter unles its a mild sunny day. I don't think I'll put more than 4K miles/year so I'm going to try to do the oil change every year.

[tazz]

I hear ya that's why I always change mine on every vehicle Ive owned.  
You drive it as much as the previous owner of my Sol.  He only put about 3-4K a year on it. I've had it since the first of Feb and already put 8K and enjoying every moment of it. I'm guessing I'll have about 19K on the Sol by this coming Feb.

[DeepBlueGXP]

Great write up odiaz, very well documented.    You can get straight onto the oil filter if you place the 32mm or 1 1/4 socket on the filter first and thenplance an extension without a universal down from a hole directly on top of the filter and then click into the socket.  This will make it easier to remove.

[KWhale]

Odiaz, nice write up.  Just curious as to why you jack up the car on the passenger side?  I don't jack mine up, but if I did, I think I would use the driver side to jack it.  That way the car is tilted to the side where the drain plug is, and would drain better??

I'm sure you had a reason, and like I said, I don't need to jack mine up for the oil change, so I'm just curious.  Again, nice job on the write up!

[odiaz]

Ha, LOL, I'm too big to fit under the car, I couldn't reach the drain plug to loosen it so I had to jack it up a bit to reach the drain plug. 

[FieroVin]

Great write up odiaz, very well documented.    You can get straight onto the oil filter if you place the 32mm or 1 1/4 socket on the filter first and thenplance an extension without a universal down from a hole directly on top of the filter and then click into the socket.  This will make it easier to remove.

Yup, that's the way I did it too.

[Sly Bob]

Yup, that's the way I did it too.

Yup, me too.

[MARVIC 1]

This (search) thread "Detailed Oil Change Procedure" is useless. On post #1 2009 Link not working for oil change procedure instructions....

[tazz]

How detailed do you want easy as pie without even jacking up the car.
I take off the oil cap from top back side of engine and slide a large round plastic oil  collection container under the car on the passenger side under the oil pan drain bolt.  Take 2 long 8" extentions to my ratchet and from the passengers side remove the oil pan bolt.   While it's draining I remove the oil filter cap with filter on the back side of the engine by the fuel pump and remove the filter from the cap.  I clean the cap and replace with a new filter and reinstall the cap and filter and tighten down.  By this time the oil is just dripping out of the pan and I usually let it drip for about 5 min more before I reinstall the oil pan  drain bolt and tighten down.  Pull the oil container out from under the car and start to add 5 qts oil through the top oil cap opening.  Run engine and check for leaks and drive and park and check for leaks again and reset the DIC.

[Sol Asylum]

You might want to say which direction you turn the bolt to loosen/tighten it.

[tazz]

Damn I forgot to detail the DIC reset procedure.
From the Owners Manual.

After changing the engine oil, the system must be
reset as follows:
1. Turn the ignition to RUN, with the engine off.
2. Press the information and reset buttons
on the DIC at the same time to enter the
personalization menu. See DIC Vehicle
Personalization on page 152.
3. Press the information button to scroll through
the available personalization menu modes
until the DIC display shows OIL-LIFE RESET.
4. Press and hold the reset button until the DIC
display shows ACKNOWLEDGED. This will
tell you the system has been reset.
5. Turn the key to LOCK.
If the CHANGE OIL SOON message comes back
on when you start your vehicle, the engine oil
life system has not reset. Repeat the reset
procedure.

[MARVIC 1]

How detailed do you want easy as pie without even jacking up the car.
I take off the oil cap from top back side of engine and slide a large round plastic oil  collection container under the car on the passenger side under the oil pan drain bolt.  Take 2 long 8" extentions to my ratchet and from the passengers side remove the oil pan bolt.   While it's draining I remove the oil filter cap with filter on the back side of the engine by the fuel pump and remove the filter from the cap.  I clean the cap and replace with a new filter and reinstall the cap and filter and tighten down.  By this time the oil is just dripping out of the pan and I usually let it drip for about 5 min more before I reinstall the oil pan  drain bolt and tighten down.  Pull the oil container out from under the car and start to add 5 qts oil through the top oil cap opening.  Run engine and check for leaks and drive and park and check for leaks again and reset the DIC.

Thank you very much for you explanation on changing the oil on our Kappa's. I'm sure someone will do a search and find this important detail you have given us... Thanks! 

You might want to say which direction you turn the bolt to loosen/tighten it.

For your information I was searching "Oil Change" threads because I needed some info as to the tightening of the "Oil Filter Cap"/"Oil Pan Drain Plug" and the "Oil Pan Baffle bolts". Instead of giving us your Peanut Gallery remark you should enhance tazz explanation by giving us the Torque setting for tightening the hardware... But you can't give info if you don't know it, so I leave you with these numbers for the next person that ask then you'll have something constructive to say...
Oil Filter Cap - 22 N.m (16 lb ft)
Oil Pan Drain Plug - 25 N.m (18 lb ft)
Oil Pan Baffle Bolts - 14 N.m (10 lb ft)
Thank you very much! 

[Sol Asylum]

My comment was directed to Tazz as I took his first line to be somewhat sarcastic, and I am not complaining about that as I understand humor which is also why I used this  

Had you actually asked for torque information, I and other here could have supplied it for you.

Complaining that a three year old thread is useless and not asking for specific information doesn't give anyone any idea what help you need.  Especially when it's a task that most people consider to be pretty basic maintenance.

In fact I kind of find it funny that even Chuck Doc, who flat out said he wasn't mechanically inclined, knew the answers to some of your unasked questions.
http://www.kappaperformance.com/forum/index.php/topic,842.msg9488.html#msg9488

FYI the oil pan bolts are also 18 lb ft just in case maybe you needed those too.

Hope that was constructive enough for you, if not oh well.

[crisco]

This (search) thread "Detailed Oil Change Procedure" is useless. On post #1 2009 Link not working for oil change procedure instructions....

I had it working from my home computer the other day, This site is great, lots of pics, and other how to's too! I now wish I had copied them to word. I tried just now from work, I thought it was a security thing from work, but a friend has a laptop from home and it wouldn't work either. Maybe site is under construction...when I get home I will try again. If it does, work, I WILL copy the info and try to get it to you. I will need to do my first oil change soon, so I had been checking the how to's out myself.

[DeepBlueGXP]

The link doesn't work here either, I'll contact him via pm

[MARVIC 1]

My comment was directed to Tazz as I took his first line to be somewhat sarcastic, and I am not complaining about that as I understand humor which is also why I used this  

Had you actually asked for torque information, I and other here could have supplied it for you.

Complaining that a three year old thread is useless and not asking for specific information doesn't give anyone any idea what help you need.  Especially when it's a task that most people consider to be pretty basic maintenance.

In fact I kind of find it funny that even Chuck Doc, who flat out said he wasn't mechanically inclined, knew the answers to some of your unasked questions.
http://www.kappaperformance.com/forum/index.php/topic,842.msg9488.html#msg9488

FYI the oil pan bolts are also 18 lb ft just in case maybe you needed those too.

Hope that was constructive enough for you, if not oh well.

This (search) thread "Detailed Oil Change Procedure" is useless. On post #1 2009 Link not working for oil change procedure instructions....

Where do you see on my post that I was Asking for any help?
Even you admit in your writing that I wasn't asking questions. 
The first post on this thread is the main objective. Its not working meaning the thread is Useless, in other words please fix it or dump it, that all.....

[Critterman]

I'm still trying to figure out what oil baffle bolts have to be loosened and tightened during an oil change?  No wonder my car isn't running at the moment, I never touched my oil baffle bolts.

[Sol Asylum]

For your information I was searching "Oil Change" threads because I needed some info as to the tightening of the "Oil Filter Cap"/"Oil Pan Drain Plug" and the "Oil Pan Baffle bolts". Instead of giving us your Peanut Gallery remark you should enhance tazz explanation by giving us the Torque setting for tightening the hardware...

Exactly my point you didn't ask for it but then give me crap for not supplying it.  How the hell was I or anyone else for that matter to know that's what you needed?

Critter from what I can tell the NA's don't have the baffle bolts but otherwise I agree with you.

[MARVIC 1]

Crtterman - Look at the picture below (Baffle bolt). I was removing my oil pan for cleaning and wanted to make sure I had all the torque information before I did...


Sol Asylum - My crap with you was for your response which had nothing to do with me resurrecting this thread as being useless..
OK enough of this lets move on! Sorry if I came out the wrong way towards you! 

[Gentleman Jack]

My baffle bolts must be loose.  I've had oily stools recently.

[Sol Asylum]

My baffle bolts must be loose.  I've had oily stools recently.

You need to start going to higher class bars.