Hondas4All

Hey guys,

Ive recently decided to start doing my own oil changes on my
96 accord 4 cyl, but have run into a few problems. I want to change my oil
filter but can't seem to locate it. Can you please tell me where it is on the
bottom of the car and the best way to go about changing it.

-Thanks

civicjunkie17

iTrader: (1)

its usually on the side of the block (engine) facing towards the interior of the car.

you put the drain pan under the oil filter and you should be able to just twist it off with your hand.

let that oil drain

then go to your oil pan. twist that bolt off, be careful oil will shoot far so try to judge the distance.

let the oil drain.

screw the new oil filter back on and the bolt after everything is done draining.

pour in 4-5 quarts of 5w-30 oil in the car. (where the top of the engine is)

CuteAccord

Also, make sure not to re-tighten the new oil filter insanely tight, or it will be very hard to take off next time and might even damage the gasket. Tightening by hand is enough, no tool required.

Hondas4All

Thanks for the info, but the real problem seems to
be how I can get to the filter. Should I use jacks and go
from the side or should I just shell out the 40 bucks and
buy ramps.

CuteAccord

Here is how I do it. Make sure the car is not super hot. Should be warm though, as you want the oil to be warm and loose instead of cold.

1. Remove the wheel closest to the oil pan. Looking at the car from the driver's seat it would be the one to the left. Makes the job easier IMHO to remove the wheel.
2. Jack the car up.
3. Crawl under and locate the oil pan first. Should be a black, plastic, "box" looking thing with a screw.
4. Once you see that, the oil filter should be right above it. Depending on the brand, it may be a different color. Most likely you will see orange (Fram), white, black, blue.
5. Try twisting it off, if it won't come off by hand, you have to use the oil filter wrench.

Found a picture online, and drew it out for you. It's looks atrocious, but it gets the job done.

nicolaselias

While I know how to do oil changes, i usually find it to be not worth the trouble sometimes

I bring my own oil and filter and pay a place $10 plus $2 disposal to do the hard work for me...

redbull-1

Use jack stands or ramps, don't crawl under there with only the jack holding up the car. It not worth your life or health for $40 or so if something happens.

CuteAccord

Sometimes, yeah I guess I can see that. But it takes like 30 minutes? I'd rather do the job myself, and make sure it gets done right. Most places do a half-*** job when it comes to oil changes.

night

why woudl any shop do a customer brought parts oil change? what a waste of time.
and the disposal fee is just more money.
oil companies that pick up used oil pay for the oil. it is like turning in aluminum cans to recycle.

redbull-1

Probably not worth it to a business owner to allow a customer to bring their own oil and filter, unless they are a friend.

I could easily see a mechanic employee do it under the table for some quick lunch money.

nicolaselias

sorry to steal the thunder, but Tuffy , Im assuming its a chain, lets me bring my Mobil1 an filter and I pay them 12... its not a special or a conneciton, its just their regular price...

Not bad considering jacking up the volvo and putting in 7.5qt can be trouble sometimes
the accord is a bit easier but still not worth the hassle unless im under the car for some other reason..

Best part is, they let me come into the service bay if I like so I can see exactly what they are doing and take a look at my oil etc...
Even better I buy 5qt jugs and they give me back the extra so I know that they put in MY oil and not some cheapo conventional

Targa250R

Do you take your own eggs and bacon to Denny's and tell them to make you breakfast too?

nicolaselias

funny funny targa, i see your point though... but cooking eggs and bacon doesnt take me as long as dennys does...
oil changes will take me more than 3x as long to do..

anyway, when doing the change, look into a purolator pureone filter.. apart from the good filtration, the texture really helps give grip if doing it by hand

Hondas4All

Thanks for all the help guys. As it would turn out, taking off the drivers side wheel was the way to go about doing this. Also, don't worry I know to use jack stands when working under a car.

CuteAccord

Glad it helped out.

lunarone

Nothing is wrong with bringing your own oil and filter to a shop... especially if you use synthetic, you'll save a bundle.

Targa250R

If you can buy your own oil, you can change your own oil.

Again, you don't show up at a restaurant with your own ingredients, so why do it to a repair shop? If you want it done your way, do it yourself.

silent1jt

i dont take off the tire at all...just lift up the car, us jack stands on both sides and crawl from the front and take it off...and replace after draining all of the oil. thats all

19Accord97

Actually most shops that have any sort of cold winter dump the oil down a drain in their building into a storage tank. Then they use the old oil to heat the shop during the winter.

So you are paying $ to have someone walk 5 feet to dump oil and then paying the company to heat their building w/ free oil!

ferio252

The majority of people who bring there own oil can't change it themselves or simply don't want to. Why do a job when you can pay someone to do it for you.

19Accord97

Plus, places charge like $26. Knowing that 5 quarts of Penzoil is about $13 @ Wally World and a filter is from $4-6, that would be about a $7 profit.

So they cut costs by using bulk oil and even cheaper filters. Not to mention stripped out oil pans or forgetting to put the bolt back in. I know of 2 people who got their oil changed @ diff. places that drove about 5 miles down the down the road before their engine seized up b/c the drain bolt was not tightened properly.

I also would REALLY like to know how often shops use a higher grade oil @ the customer requests. Say you pay $50 (CRAZY!) for a synthetic oil change....I wonder how many times they just put standard dino oil in there.

CRZ1

I use the following steps to make oil change easy and clean.

1. Install fumoto valve (http://www.quickoildrainvalve.com/). Cut a small spring water bottle to make disposable funnel. Drain engine oil into a larger container.

2. Change oil filter. When you remove the oil filter, there will be some oil coming out. I solve this problem by using a plastic shopping bag. Put one side the plastic bag handle through the oil filter, make sure the bag is attach the engine by using one hand to the hold the bag handle. Use the other hand to go through the other plastic bag handle and unscrew the oil filter. This way, the plastic bag is under the oil filter and open. The oil will drop into the bag. After remove oil filter, pour the oil in the filter into the large container. Cut a hole in the bottom of plastic bag and drain the oil into the large container. Install new oil filter and hand tight it.

3. You can use the same water bottle funnel to add oil into engine.

CRZ1

I also would REALLY like to know how often shops use a higher grade oil @ the customer requests. Say you pay $50 (CRAZY!) for a synthetic oil change....I wonder how many times they just put standard dino oil in there.[/QUOTE]


I was always change oil myself with Mobile 1 synthetic. Only last December, I paid a shop $50 to change oil and rotate tires($30 for oil change and $20 for tire rotation). I know they use dino oil and cheap filter. But I was upset due to they overfill more than one quarter oil. When I notice it, I already drove several hundreds miles. I saw oil in spark plug threads. I change oil again myself with Castrol synthetic oil this time. I checked spark plug a couple months later, I did not see oil on the thread. I will never pay someone the change oil on my car. When I become too old to change oil, I will buy all electric car.

CuteAccord

To each their own, I just happen to be one who finds that it is easier to work down there with it off.

Why not just let the oil from the oil filter run into the oil drain bucket? I mean, you don't have to catch every single bit of oil that may drip on to your exhaust piping or axle, that's why they invented paper towels. Besides, it's underneath the car dirty stuff get onto it everyday. You're making it way too complicated.

silent1jt

x2