Jacking up car for oil change question

[caineroad]

Hi,

My car is lowered and I can no longer reach the drain bolt without lifting the car, if I need to lift it with the jack came with the car which side is it better to lift?

thanks

[daf62757]

The driver's side. You will need the left side free because that is where the oil plan is. The oil filter is about center so you don't have a lot of room to put your oil drain plan. The hard part is finding a good spot to out the head of you your jack. Its a quick job. In and out in under 15 minutes if you oil is hot enough and you have everything you need at your fingertips.

[CTScott]

The OEM jack is not safe to use if you are under the car. You would be better off with a set of the low profile plastic ramps.

[DonM]

There is an easier way to do oil changes - this is how I do mine......get a 8 foot length of 2x6 from Home Depot...cut it up into 4 pieces - 2 pieces each at 2 1/2 ft in length and the other 2 pieces 1 1/2 ft in length

Place each of the short pieces on top of the 2 1/2 ft pieces in the middle of these long pieces and nail them together - home made ramps that will never give out.....a heck of lot safer than relying on a jack.

[caineroad]

very newbie to this, but how unsafe is it to use the OEM jack stand? I just have go under the car to unscrew the bolt then i'll come back right out. Is that still ok?

[CTScott]

Originally Posted by caineroad

very newbie to this, but how unsafe is it to use the OEM jack stand? I just have go under the car to unscrew the bolt then i'll come back right out. Is that still ok?

I walked out of my dentist's office one morning to see a guy in the parking lot with his car sitting on front brake rotor and the OEM jack lying on it's side under the car. He was in the process of changing a flat tire and when he pulled the flat off the car rocked enough on the jack to tip it over.

The OEM jacks are really unstable and are really designed as emergency tire changing only devices. When the car is on it, it doesn't take much to make the jack fall over, so even loosening the drain plug could be enough to bring the car down on top of you.

[auxmike]

Buy a set of jackstands....

[2007yariz]

I use ramps.

[auxmike]

I have rhino ramps , floor jacks and jack stands. But I also have garage space. If your in a small apt, that stuff takes lots of space, thus the small jack stands...

[jambo101]

I just go to the corner of the street where the sidewalk dips for wheelchair use and i drive the two rightside wheels up on the sidewalk,i now have enough space to easily do the oil change. however in my old age i've discovered an even easier way,go to my mechanic and let him change the oil twice a year for $30 a pop.

[RedRide]

Originally Posted by CTScott

The OEM jack is not safe to use if you are under the car. You would be better off with a set of the low profile plastic ramps.

Words of wisdom there.

I personally know of two people who had an OEM jack fail while under a car.
Both were extremely lucky to get away with relatively minor injuries.

[Golddeenoh]

I just changed my oil literally a few hours ago. I started by jacking up the driver's side enough to get a real floor jack under the car, put a jack stand on the the driver side then repeat on the passenger side, once both sides are on jack stands and the read wheels are blocked along with the parking break being on, then I get under the car to change the oil. safety first, right.

[xhifer]

buy a jack for low cars. best money ever spent

[bronsin]

Originally Posted by jambo101

I just go to the corner of the street where the sidewalk dips for wheelchair use and i drive the two rightside wheels up on the sidewalk,i now have enough space to easily do the oil change. however in my old age i've discovered an even easier way,go to my mechanic and let him change the oil twice a year for $30 a pop.

Wow great idea! They just redid the curbs on our street with cutouts and I have a corner lot so I have one.

I have to believe though if a cop saw you do that in our town youd get a ticket or at least a warning never to change your oil in his town again on the street (I dont have a drive)

Now...just how much balls do I have?

[Yaristeve]

Originally Posted by DonM

There is an easier way to do oil changes - this is how I do mine......get a 8 foot length of 2x6 from Home Depot...cut it up into 4 pieces - 2 pieces each at 2 1/2 ft in length and the other 2 pieces 1 1/2 ft in length

Place each of the short pieces on top of the 2 1/2 ft pieces in the middle of these long pieces and nail them together - home made ramps that will never give out.....a heck of lot safer than relying on a jack.

I did the same, kind of. I made myself a ramp using 2 X 12 piece of wood. Cut it into three pieces of staggered length (IIRC, 3', 2', 1') to make a three-layer thick ramp. Ramps sold in stores are just too tall. I only made one to lift up one (left) side of the car...

Originally Posted by jambo101

I just go to the corner of the street where the sidewalk dips for wheelchair use and i drive the two rightside wheels up on the sidewalk,

Shouldn't you be/have been driving the two LEFT side wheels up on the sidewalk? The drain plug is on the right side of the car and should be the low point...

[mazilla]

Harbor frieght has low profile "rapid pump"(4 pumps vs 10+ to set the jack in place) 2.5 ton jacks for less than 100.00. Once i went coilover there was no way my old jack was getting under the car, now it's a piece of cake...I love this new jack.

[jambo101]

Originally Posted by Yaristeve

Shouldn't you be/have been driving the two LEFT side wheels up on the sidewalk? The drain plug is on the right side of the car and should be the low point...

Actually the road is slanted for drainage purposes so running the right side up on the curb makes it level but i'd say its whatever you prefer as its just as easy to run the left wheels up on the other curb..
As for a cop giving you hassle for an in street oil change? maybe if he happens by in the less than the 15 minutes its going to take and depending on his mood i doubt you'd get to much of a problem even if you were observed,if theres a huge puddle of oil on the ground at that time it might be a different matter or if you live in a deed restricted community you may have a problem..

[why?]

Originally Posted by jambo101

Actually the road is slanted for drainage purposes so running the right side up on the curb makes it level but i'd say its whatever you prefer as its just as easy to run the left wheels up on the other curb..
As for a cop giving you hassle for an in street oil change? maybe if he happens by in the less than the 15 minutes its going to take and depending on his mood i doubt you'd get to much of a problem even if you were observed,if theres a huge puddle of oil on the ground at that time it might be a different matter or if you live in a deed restricted community you may have a problem..

even then, if you can prove you live nearby and it is obvious you are draining the oil into an approved container and nothing has spilled I highly doubt a cop will care.