Oil

emuzeg

emuzeg

Is it cheaper to buy oil and give it to a garage to do an oil change? If so, what oil do you recommend? 20w50 castrol is that fine? I'm in York.
 
Don't reckon most garage'd go for that. Why not do it yourself - pretty easy job :).
 
10w40

logically always cheaper to do things urself. real easy to change oil, changing oil filters only slightly trickier cos u have to get underneath but recommended. learning to do anything urself will save u time & money in the long term.

highly recommend getting a haynes manual or watch youtube vids on the task
 
Thanks. I would but all my tools are back home. Can i do it without a jack and with just a 10, 11 and 12mm spanner? Are there gaskets and strainers i need to replace when doing the change, and if so where can I get them?
 
Ok, found a good video of oil change. Seems all i need is a 14mm spanner. But my main question is can i do it without jacking the car up? Are there no strainers etc to replace then? (only car i have changed oil in is an old beetle). Is it worth replacing the oil filter and air filters too? If so how much are new ones?

Edit: also, is 10w50 no good, and why not 15w40 i wonder?
 
YouTube search 'Eric the Car Guy' , he's a one man garage in America and he'll give you the confidene to try anything :).
 
you could do it without a jack but you need too get under the car, no strainers too change just oil and filter.
The filter is hard too get too but can be changed by hammering a screwdriver through it.
If you can change the oil filter without a jack that's the only hard bit.
 
that looks like its for a 1.5 diesel. i'd just goto the local motorfactors and ask for an oil filter for your cars reg or make model.

you can leave the filter in if its recently new within few months but i always change filter with oil cos running fresh oil through potentially a clogged filter is pointless and just contaminates the new oil faster.

just normal 10w40 will do. magnatec is really just £££ OTT. frequent oil changes is better for any engine than longer lasting expensive brands.

if the plugs are contaminated or the gap is worn beyond 1.1mm, replace em. i used ngk bkr5e (16mm socket)

if air filter is dirty, replace
 
Ok cheers, I'll just get the GTX one then. Only a couple of pounds more than some other brand I have never heard of.

Makes sense about the filter I guess. But what is 'motorfactors'? Is there one in York?

I'll try and find a 16 mm socket and ratchet, is a 6inch handle long enough to get to the plugs?
 
A motor factors is just a shop that sells car stuff and non-manufacturer parts. You'll need a sparkplug wrench ideally. It's a deep socket with a rubber insert so that when the plug's undone it grips it so you can lift it out :).
 
I rang up a York Motorfactors and they have oil filters in stock for £4.03 each, air filters for £5.29 and NGK bkr5e11 plugs for £2.19 each, great! (he said I need the '11' for the plugs). I do need 4 right?

So I'll pick those up today, get some oil and a 14mm spanner and change the oil.
 
Guy said:
A motor factors is just a shop that sells car stuff and non-manufacturer parts. You'll need a sparkplug wrench ideally. It's a deep socket with a rubber insert so that when the plug's undone it grips it so you can lift it out :).
Click to expand...
Hmm ok cheers. I found a 'deep 16mm socket', I couldn't just stick that on the end of a ratchet?

This is great, about £35 for oil, tools, filters and plugs rather than the same PLUS like £50 labour at a garage. Plus I learn stuff! Wish I could fix the alternator issue myself too.
 
The socket need to be very long because it has to get past the body of the sparkplug before it reaches the hex. The rubber insert grips the plug and lets you pull it out the hole.
 
yep i always use castrol 10w40 gtx, no probs even with a turbo and few trackdays cos i frequently change oil & filter before every trackday.

as guy says you'll need them long 16mm sparkplug sockets (ebay or halfrauds) and a long socket extension to reach down into the deep plug holes.

ooh those are good prices from ur local factors. yeah 4 plugs for 4 cylinders

14mm spanner or preferably socket for the drain plug. may need an oil filter tool (chain wrench or filter pliers) cos it'll be tight to loosen unless u have strong hands. could hammer a driver through it as a wrench but makes a heck of a mess.

once u have a haynes, its the bible to doing almost everything on the car
 
Dont forget that you will also need something to catch the oil in ;)

Cat litter tray does the job well and cheap
 
a washing up tub & funnel into old oil container works for me :)

remember to warm the engine up first, then remove the oil filter, then drain the oil sump.
prefill the filter pour out the excess, install sump plug & filter, lower car, pour in oil till the levels at max.

usually as a precaution i take out the plugs, disable the ign & fuel pump and crank till the oil light goes out then reassemble but this steps not essential.

start her up, take round the block and recheck the level.
 
Thanks for all the tips! But I will be doing all this with no jack. I have done that before on a Beetle and it was tight, but possible.

How can I install the filter if I pre-fill it with oil, won't it all spill out? Also should I crack the old one loose before I warm the engine up otherwise if it takes ages to remove it the engine will go cold?

Ok so I have got the bits, (bkr5eL plugs), the local car factors here asked if I wanted oil too and I said yes, so I got some. Not the Castrol :( But should be okay right?

p1090092j.jpg


p1090098.jpg


p1090096e.jpg


p1090097n.jpg


This is a great video that covers everything I want to do:
Those plugs are very deep! I will have to borrow an extension off someone.
 
emuzeg said:
Thanks for all the tips! But I will be doing all this with no jack. I have done that before on a Beetle and it was tight, but possible.

How can I install the filter if I pre-fill it with oil, won't it all spill out? Also should I crack the old one loose before I warm the engine up otherwise if it takes ages to remove it the engine will go cold?

Ok so I have got the bits, the local car factors here asked if I wanted oil too and I said yes, so I got some. Not the Castrol :( But should be okay right?
Click to expand...

maybe park the RH wheels up on a high kerb?

you brim up the new filter to let the oil soak through the filter element, then turn the filter sideways draining the excess back into the container, once most have drained out keep the oil filter spinning by hand until its fitted so the oil has little chance of fully dripping out the edge cos it'll be rolling along the inside walls of the filter, if u get what i mean.

it should only take a moment to loosen the oil filter. the hot oil will still stay warm enough for afew hours. you could drain the oil sump before removing the filter.

yeah any 10w40 will do. my personal preference is castrol gtx, its £20 from supermarkets but found b&q the cheapest at £17 for 4L
 
Thanks. Yes I saw that at B&Q too. I wonder if I should take this 'Planet' oil back and go get the Castrol.

Understood about the filter, that makes sense. Good idea about parking on a kerb too! Don't have any in our shared driveway though, and might evoke wrath of residents if I do it on the street. But I am sure I will figure something out. By the way, when you say RH I guess you mean right as if I were sitting in the drivers seat?

Are the plugs I got ok, NGK bkr5eL?
 
ur choice

rh = right side
can park it on a high kerb or anything high enough and wont slip away or collapse.

plugs fines
 
Ok so i spent a couple of hours with a toothbrush and a damp cloth cleaning up the engine bay. Got the top of the case really quite clean, and lots of the wire sheaths too. Many electrical tape bits are flaking off so i shall replace them. I had a good look from the top of the engine for the oil filter but couldn't see it at all, does that HAVE to be done from under?
 
Also I have clamps with a philips screw holding each spark plug cap down. These screws are TIGHT. Is it ok to use a hammer and screwdriver to break them open?
 
use a 10mm spanner to loosen the screws/bolts holding the coil packs onto the spark plugs then you can use a screw driver .

its a lot easier to get too the oil filter from underneath, near impossible to reach from above, remember to smear some fresh oil onto the rubber seal of the new filter before fitting, helps it seal.
 
Changed the oil. The filter came of really easily, and when I put the new one on I did it hand tight and then as tight as I could by hand. Really easy to reach, I only had to stick my head and shoulders under the car to reach it and the sump plug was even easier. After running then draining old oil I put in 3.1L of Castrol GTX (I gave back the Planet oil), ran it for a bit and checked the dipstick. Seemed fine, but the oil didn't seem as clear as when I put it in. The old oil was JET black and when rinsing cloths out etc there was what looked like soot in it. Guess it was real old! Put in my new air filter too, and will do the plugs tomorrow. Thanks for all your help guys!

What is this white sludge that has reappeared in the air box? It's not like the oil that was in there which is from blow back.

p1090119eq.jpg


p1090109x.jpg



And what about the auto fluid and brake fluids, do they look okay?

p1090090.jpg


p1090089.jpg
 
Nice one dude, it's all about confidence and getting stuck in :). The brake fluid and PSF look fine, that oil looks NASTY :D. I'd change it again in another 500 miles if I was you.
 
Guy said:
Nice one dude, it's all about confidence and getting stuck in :). The brake fluid and PSF look fine, that oil looks NASTY :D. I'd change it again in another 500 miles if I was you.
Click to expand...
Thanks! I really enjoyed getting stuck in. Tomorrow hopefully my multimeter will arrive and I'll do some stuff with the alternator. And my wire brushes and I'll clean up the engine some more!

I though that I should change the oil again soon as well. The dipstick oil looks already blacky! When I do, should I change the filter again too, or just oil?
 
You'd probably be as well doing the filter too. Don't forget, the new oil will be dissolving alot of the existing black gunge in the engine and going black itself :).
 
Guy said:
You'd probably be as well doing the filter too. Don't forget, the new oil will be dissolving alot of the existing black gunge in the engine and going black itself :).
Click to expand...

I see, will do then. I'm gonna do thenplugs today, what gap do thry need to be and do i remove the cap on the threaded ends?

Edit, ok so 1.1mm but i dont have a feeler gauge, can i do it with a ruler?
 
Oh ok, cheers. Well i put them all in. The old ones were really really oily. The long rubber tube that slots into them, i had to bend them a little to get them out, should be ok right? I will try it after lunch. Hope she starts.
 
I have read that oil on the plugs (old ones were covered in black oil) either means too much oil in case or bad pistons rings, meaning engine may be in need of a rebuild. Is this likely? My car has only done 50k miles, surely it cannot be in need of a rebuild soon. My old beetle did over 100k on the same generator but my micras alternator has already crapped out after 12 years!
 
R-REG-SR said:
got a pic of the oil dipstick?
Click to expand...
Not of the metal bit. But before i changed the oil it was within the max and min.

Edi: do you have any experience of jap-parts from stockton on tees? They just rang me up and said they have an alternator for me for £42 with 30 day warranty. I had a ring from another guy from 'north west parts' quoting 40 with 90 day warranty. I dunno who is trustworthy or not!
 
emuzeg said:
Not of the metal bit. But before i changed the oil it was within the max and min.

Edi: do you have any experience of jap-parts from stockton on tees? They just rang me up and said they have an alternator for me for £42 with 30 day warranty. I had a ring from another guy from 'north west parts' quoting 40 with 90 day warranty. I dunno who is trustworthy or not!
Click to expand...

they were fine for me back when i got my spoiler, trailing arms, side mirrors or 1.3 engine from em
 

Similar threads

k11_whore
Oil change question
Replies
8
Views
1K
skymera
skymera
C
Gearbox oil
Replies
4
Views
326
CMF_Santos
C
Robb
Which oil????
Replies
3
Views
1K
98twister
9
R
Which oil and how to add it?
Replies
0
Views
430
rustyroger
R
oilman
Oil... Back to basics
Replies
18
Views
3K
rlees85
R
Back
Top