"Built_Well" <Built_Well_Toyota@hotmail.com> wrote in>
> I hope everyone has been great, and stay safe under the chassis.
>
> PS: After working under the chassis with oil spilling down
> my arm, I quickly learned the importance of safety goggles
> and latex gloves. I bought some at Walmart the very next day :-)

Staying safe under the chassis is the main idea. You'll wish for something
as minor as oil running down your arm if your jackstands or ramps ever
decide to collapse.
I quit changing my own oil (although I've enjoyed the knowledge that the
drain plug is indeed in place and tight when I'm done) simply because the
additional seven or eight bucks spent at the oil change place is worth not
risking being crushed under your vehicle. There's nothing like the feeling
of having your car removed from your cold, dead chest. : - )
If you continue changing your own oil, please never do it without someone
else in your household being present so that they can call 911. Because you
won't be able to.

"mack" <mackerel@dslextreme.com> wrote in message
news:i31Yj.995$qQ5.54@fe091.usenetserver.com...

> I quit changing my own oil (although I've enjoyed the knowledge that the
> drain plug is indeed in place and tight when I'm done) simply because the
> additional seven or eight bucks spent at the oil change place is worth not
> risking being crushed under your vehicle.

I had the oil changed in our 2007 Avalon at Yokem Toyota in Shreveport for
the 5000 mile interval. I did it myself for the next interval... I found
that Yokem
had not tightened the oil drain plug...Thank goodness it did not vibrate
out.

I was able to remove it with my bare fingers.

That is why the seven or eight bucks means something to me.

"HLS" <nospam@nospam.nix> wrote in message
news:OV1Yj.2038$l97.983@flpi144.ffdc.sbc.com...
>
> "mack" <mackerel@dslextreme.com> wrote in message
> news:i31Yj.995$qQ5.54@fe091.usenetserver.com...
>
>> I quit changing my own oil (although I've enjoyed the knowledge that the
>> drain plug is indeed in place and tight when I'm done) simply because the
>> additional seven or eight bucks spent at the oil change place is worth
>> not risking being crushed under your vehicle.
>
> I had the oil changed in our 2007 Avalon at Yokem Toyota in Shreveport for
> the 5000 mile interval. I did it myself for the next interval... I found
> that Yokem
> had not tightened the oil drain plug...Thank goodness it did not vibrate
> out.
>
> I was able to remove it with my bare fingers.
>
> That is why the seven or eight bucks means something to me.


What did the service manager say when you called him about this and ripped
him a new asshole?

mack wrote:

> Staying safe under the chassis is the main idea. You'll wish for something
> as minor as oil running down your arm if your jackstands or ramps ever
> decide to collapse.

That's so true, but why does the car have to be raised at all to
change the oil? I just reach underneath.

"larry moe 'n curly" <larrymoencurly@my-deja.com> wrote in message
news:a7a07cca-b5dc-408e-9091-5180e7d6661d@j33g2000pri.googlegroups.com...
>
>
> mack wrote:
>
>> Staying safe under the chassis is the main idea. You'll wish for
>> something
>> as minor as oil running down your arm if your jackstands or ramps ever
>> decide to collapse.
>
> That's so true, but why does the car have to be raised at all to
> change the oil? I just reach underneath.


Can this be done on all cars, with no exceptions dating back to the first
car ever made?

One of the few things we can say for sure with *NO EXCEPTIONS* is that
you are an unmatched JACKA$$ (at least until Learning Richard shows
up).


On May 18, 9:29*pm, "JoeSpareBedroom" <dishborea...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> "larry moe 'n curly" <larrymoencu...@my-deja.com> wrote in messagenews:a7a07cca-b5dc-408e-9091-5180e7d6661d@j33g2000pri.googlegroups.com...
>
>
>
> > mack wrote:
>
> >> Staying safe under the chassis is the main idea. * You'll wish for
> >> something
> >> as minor as oil running down your arm if your jackstands or ramps ever
> >> decide to collapse.
>
> > That's so true, but why does the car have to be raised at all to
> > change the oil? *I just reach underneath.
>
> Can this be done on all cars, with no exceptions dating back to the first
> car ever made?

My 1979 Celica requires me to raise the car a few inches to access the
filter. My '95 avalon's filter is accessable from under the hood (although
it leaves a mess when removed). I had a 1970 Chevelle (307 v8) that didn't
have to be raised to get the filter.

"JoeSpareBedroom" <dishborealis@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:VJ4Yj.1646$Gk7.143@fe113.usenetserver.com...
> "larry moe 'n curly" <larrymoencurly@my-deja.com> wrote in message
> news:a7a07cca-b5dc-408e-9091-5180e7d6661d@j33g2000pri.googlegroups.com...
> >
> >
> > mack wrote:
> >
> >> Staying safe under the chassis is the main idea. You'll wish for
> >> something
> >> as minor as oil running down your arm if your jackstands or ramps ever
> >> decide to collapse.
> >
> > That's so true, but why does the car have to be raised at all to
> > change the oil? I just reach underneath.
>
>
> Can this be done on all cars, with no exceptions dating back to the first
> car ever made?
>
>

mack wrote:

> Staying safe under the chassis is the main idea. You'll wish for something
> as minor as oil running down your arm if your jackstands or ramps ever
> decide to collapse.
> I quit changing my own oil (although I've enjoyed the knowledge that the
> drain plug is indeed in place and tight when I'm done) simply because the
> additional seven or eight bucks spent at the oil change place is worth not
> risking being crushed under your vehicle.

Very few vehicles require ramps or jackstands in order to change the
oil. The problem with those oil change places is that they often do a
very poor job, and they use the worst quality parts they can buy.

The three Toyotas I've had have all been very easy to change the oil on,
with the Camry being the easiest to get to the filter.

The place I used to go for oil changes, a local independent shop, was
not only about $10 less expensive than Jiffy Lube, they did a better
job, and used better parts for their regular customers (they had OEM
filters as well as jobber filters).

"mack" <mackerel@dslextreme.com> wrote in message news:i31Yj.995$qQ5.54@fe091.usenetserver.com...
>
> "Built_Well" <Built_Well_Toyota@hotmail.com> wrote in>
>> I hope everyone has been great, and stay safe under the chassis.
>>
>> PS: After working under the chassis with oil spilling down
>> my arm, I quickly learned the importance of safety goggles
>> and latex gloves. I bought some at Walmart the very next day :-)
>
> Staying safe under the chassis is the main idea. You'll wish for something
> as minor as oil running down your arm if your jackstands or ramps ever
> decide to collapse.
> I quit changing my own oil (although I've enjoyed the knowledge that the
> drain plug is indeed in place and tight when I'm done) simply because the
> additional seven or eight bucks spent at the oil change place is worth not
> risking being crushed under your vehicle. There's nothing like the feeling
> of having your car removed from your cold, dead chest. : - )
> If you continue changing your own oil, please never do it without someone
> else in your household being present so that they can call 911. Because you
> won't be able to.

I own 1995 camry with 4-cyl engine and there is no need to rise vehicle
for this job. The oil pan fits under the car with plenty of room for
your hand to remove the drain plug. I loosen it with a wrench then
put the pan underneath and complete remove the plug.
The oil filter is right there looking at you when you open the hood.
Very easy to do and rising vehicle would add unnecesary hassle to the job.

"Pszemol" <Pszemol@PolBox.com> wrote in message
news:g0rq7v.e6k.0@poczta.onet.pl...
> "mack" <mackerel@dslextreme.com> wrote in message
> news:i31Yj.995$qQ5.54@fe091.usenetserver.com...
>>
>> "Built_Well" <Built_Well_Toyota@hotmail.com> wrote in>
>>> I hope everyone has been great, and stay safe under the chassis.
>>>
>>> PS: After working under the chassis with oil spilling down
>>> my arm, I quickly learned the importance of safety goggles
>>> and latex gloves. I bought some at Walmart the very next day :-)
>>
>> Staying safe under the chassis is the main idea. You'll wish for
>> something as minor as oil running down your arm if your jackstands or
>> ramps ever decide to collapse.
>> I quit changing my own oil (although I've enjoyed the knowledge that the
>> drain plug is indeed in place and tight when I'm done) simply because the
>> additional seven or eight bucks spent at the oil change place is worth
>> not risking being crushed under your vehicle. There's nothing like the
>> feeling of having your car removed from your cold, dead chest. : - )
>> If you continue changing your own oil, please never do it without someone
>> else in your household being present so that they can call 911. Because
>> you won't be able to.
>
> I own 1995 camry with 4-cyl engine and there is no need to rise vehicle
> for this job. The oil pan fits under the car with plenty of room for
> your hand to remove the drain plug. I loosen it with a wrench then
> put the pan underneath and complete remove the plug.
> The oil filter is right there looking at you when you open the hood.
> Very easy to do and rising vehicle would add unnecesary hassle to the job.

I don't know how you can get far enough under the car to unscrew the drain
plug, unless your arms are about five feet long....and the oil receptacle
must be pretty shallow to fit underneath the car.
Another reason for not changing your own oil is that, unless you want to
pour a gallon of used oil on your back yard, just taking the used oil back
to an auto parts store to a recycling vat will cost you at least a half
gallon of gas for the round trip, which at today's gasoline price will add
another two bucks to your total expense.
As for getting suckered into changing other fluids at an oil change place, I
find that it's very effective to simply smile at the mechanic who offers
these services and use the time-honored phrase "No, thanks."