Changing oil

[alm001]

Originally Posted by algiorda

One minor point, if you purchase one of those plastic Oil drain containers to catch the old oil, make sure you OPEN the vent valve so the oil drains as fast as it exits the vehicle. I ended up with a nice puddle under my car and made a 15min job a 30 minute cleanup effort! Doh!

I hate when I do stupid things like that.

And make sure when you drop the key for the drain plug, it doesn't fall exactly into the drain hole and block it. Then you try to reach your hand in and it burns because its really hot, but its too late anyway and there is oil all over the floor.

[Frodo]

Originally Posted by alm001

And make sure when you drop the key for the drain plug, it doesn't fall exactly into the drain hole and block it. Then you try to reach your hand in and it burns because its really hot, but its too late anyway and there is oil all over the floor.

That's EXACTLY what I did on my first Boxster oil change, about 10 years ago. Or the drain plug itself, I should say. You just don't realize how much 9 qt of oil is until you see it as a dirty black lake on your driveway. Within minutes after finishing the oil change and massive oil spill cleanup process I had my cordless drill in hand, with the biggest bit I had (1/2"), and proceeded to create multiple holes in the collection surface of the used oil container. It doesn't matter where I drop the drain plug anymore

[Frodo]

Keep in mind also that when it first starts to flow it REALLY splashes. Starting a good while back, I started doing this: I cut a plastic, 1-gal milk jug down, removing the top (handle) and bottom portions, so I basically have a maybe 6" square "cylinder" that I set onto the collection container surface. I'm not 100% accurate every time, but I aim the stream towards the middle of that...it helps a lot with that splashing.