Is there a easy/cheap way of getting the oil changed in a car?
I have a 100K mileage Focus and want to change the oil every 6 months, are there specialist motor outlets who do this work, apart from main garages, which will work out expensive.
I could do the job myself but dont want to buy ramps etc.
I live in Enfield Middlesex.
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May I suggest you type in "oil changes" in the search box at the top right of this forum and read through the links you get. There will be links to kwikfit and national, as well as advice on getting the best from these fast-outfits. They should prove quite interesting. Note that, personally, I would not use fully synthetic in a non-high-performance high-mileage car.
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Ford Rapid Fit do a 5W/30 change for £14.99 including filter, or at least they do where my parents live in south Wales. At that money it's not worth doing it yourself or going to an independent.
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Sounds like a good idea to keep the car going forever, but, make sure that wherevre you go, they only use 5W30 grade oil, if they use any other grade, you're likely yo harm the engine.
Best bet is a RapidFit.
Blue
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Do it yourself without buying any ramps. I do it all the time. It\'s dead easy, even for someone who is lazy. Use an old blanket to lie on. Don\'t lose the washer. If you do, you can use one from an old sparking plug. no washer = stuck sump plug next time.
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old washer = oily driveway
Not worth saving 10p for the potential hassle of a new hall carpet.
Are the newer Fords using crushable washers? Most older French cars are guaranteed to drip if you use the old washer.
Some people suggest PTFE tape, any other comments?
pmh (was peter)
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I always use PTFE tape wrapped round the old washer. This always seems to seal OK, and it should also guarantee that the plug comes out easily next time.
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Note that, personally, I would not use fully synthetic in a non-high-performance high-mileage car.
Sorry MoBo, nothing personal, but I'm in a bit of a contrary mood this morning, so:
Ran a Mondeo TD from 270,000 miles to 380,000 miles on Castrol GTD Magnatec (fully synth) every 6,000 miles with no engine probs, no oil burning at all. Sold it to someone who changed the oil and filter for a gallon of 20/50 and a £1.50 filter and within a month the turbo went pop.
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DTD : - No need to be sorry, anyone can be as contrary as they like as long as their thought processes are not impaired; but just in case you did not see it, the key word in my post was personally.
Now as to the substance of your post:>> Ran a Mondeo TD from 270,000 miles to 380,000 miles on Castrol GTD Magnatec (fully synth) every 6,000 miles with no engine probs, no oil burning at all. Sold it to someone who changed the oil and filter for a gallon of 20/50 and a £1.50 filter and within a month the turbo went pop.
Does that prove:
1. That you were lucky to have got rid of the car when you did as the turbo was on its last legs ?, or
2. It was the oil you had been using that eventually led to this failure ?, or
3. The unlucky punter who bought the car from you did not realise that after a long hard run on some cars, it is wise as per HJ's recommendation on this site to let the engine idle for a short time to allow the turbo-bearings to cool down ?. Otherwise the oil will carbonise in a red-hot turbo leading to failure.
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DTD - The following is from the AAA (American AA) -
>>>> Engine & Maintenance Problems
Which is better, synthetic oil or conventional oil?
There is a great deal of debate over the use of synthetic oils. Generally, those people who regularly use synthetic oils regularly swear by them, and those who use conventional oils swear by them. For most driving conditions, if you use a conventional oil and change it at the proper intervals, it will properly protect your engine. If your vehicle is subject to extreme conditions, such as sustained high speeds or high loads, extremely dusty conditions, racing, towing, use of a turbocharger, etc., the use of a conventional oil may not adequately protect your engine. The key is to use the proper oil change interval for your situation. Synthetic oils claim to allow a longer interval between changes. This claim is countered by those who point out that regardless of the condition of the oil, contamination from outside sources such as blow-by and moisture cannot be removed by filtering, and regardless of the lubricating properties of the oil, when contamination reaches unacceptable conditions, the oil and filter should be changed. <<<<
In conclusion, \"horses for courses\", and \"each to their own\", and \"you pays your money and takes your choice\" as they say. I rest my case.
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I would have to agree with the others, get the overalls looked out and do it yourself. Its really very easy, once you have done it once you will realise this for yourself. You may want to invest in some axle stands(£15-20) to help with clearnce for drainage bucket and access to sump, but they are not essential. (Im sure you already know never to work with a jack alone!) You can cut the side out of an old plastic 5litre oil container and slide this underneath to catch the waste oil. Rem to check when removing old oil filter that the oil bucket is going to catch the oil that runs out of filter housing. With a bit of experience you should manage without making a mess of the driveway/street!
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Several people have mentioned raising the front of the car up onto axle stands to change the oil. I always thought that a car had to be on level ground to change the oil. ie, tipping the engine slightly at an angle could mean that you may not manage to drain all the old oil out.
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When checking the oil level, the car should be on the level. This applies to regular checks and when refilling after draining the grotty oil out.
On all the cars I have changed the oil, the drain plug has been at the back of the sump, hence when you raise the front of the car the effect should be that even more grotty oil gets to the sump plug hole. The jacks supplied as OE lift the side not the front of a car so a little investment in a jack is required to get the tilt in the right place.
I always place a large sheet of plastic on the drive under the sump area and anchor it with weights before I put the sump oil catching can in place. As I tend to leave the oil draining for a while it avoids getting oil blown outside of the can by gusts of wind that always seem to occur when they are not wanted.
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My Xsara 1.4 has a solid washer with a rubber insert, recycled successfully 3 times now.
I did change it for a new one last time. The washer cost nearly £2, and the sump plug was a few pence at Citroen dealer.
Needless to say, Halfords would sell me a washer and plug for a lot more.
Ben
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If you don't want the hassle of DIY/oil on drive/shelling out for new kit, many National Tyres outlets do a very cheap (12-14 quid) oil/filter change. You can watch it being done. This has been a six monthly ritual for both my cars. At this price, why waste your own time?
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In the case of a Focus, because they like 5W/30 oil. (Fords can be quite fussy about that). National offer 10W/30 at £15 and 15W/40 for a tenner, I believe. I think Rapid Fit do the right stuff at a similar sort of price though.
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Worth noting that the jack supplied with most cars lift the car at an angle, as opposed to a trolly jack which will tend to lift more or less vertically. If you use the jack supplied with the car to lift the front of the car onto axle stands you are in danger of pushing the car off the first axle stand whilst lifting the car to put the second stand underneath the other side.
[Thankfully 89 polos are very light and can be caught by the wing before they topple over and pulled back onto the stand :o) ]
BTW what do you call the type of jack I am thinking about? (Not a scissor jack)
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jcII - it's not necessarily 'very easy' - some models have the oil filter in VERY inaccessible places, which makes ramps essential and probably also a filter chain-wrench for your ½" socket. That said, it is in principle easy, and one of the few remaining things you can DIY and know that it has been done thoroughly.
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Recycling Copper Washers.
Heat to cherry red.
Quench (dip immerse in water)
Voila! One reusable copper washer. It saw my Pug through to 250K and 9 years...
(with thanks to Mr Peart, metalwork teacher, Long Eaton School, 1973)
rg
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Recycling Copper Washers. Heat to cherry red. Quench (dip immerse in water) Voila! One reusable copper washer.
Alterately a new one for my Vauxhall costs around 25p. A lot cheaper than the gas or electric used to heat up the old one, IMHO.
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And there's another thing - bought a copper washer in Halfords once, cost 50p. From them on have always bought in packs of 5 in France for the same 50p. Why do they cost so much more here? and oil, and wiper blades and anything else automotive... and food.... and hotels ....and cars.... and anything else. And don't anyone reply that it's because they don't have a war to pay for!
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If Ford Rapid Fit can do it for £15, then it's a steal.
Ford 5W/30 Formula E is about £17 for 5 ltr plus a Ford filter is about £4.75 ish.
As regards sealing washers, I always use a Dowty washer which is an aluminium ? washer with a bonded rubber seal. These are extensively used for industrial hydraulic systems. (Not natural rubber, of course)
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