Hi,
Just wondering what method people recommend when changing oil. Are you the "drain, change filter, refill, start engine" type or is it worth taking a little more time to pre-fill the oil filter, dry crank with plugs removed etc.
Alex
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I always pre-fill the filter but never bother cranking with the plugs removed. Sounds a bit dodgy on a modern car.
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i fill the filter when i can be bothered, dont bother cranking it
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I always fill the filter, can be a bit messy though.
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You dont dry crank as such..Oil remains in the engine even after draining..so if everything is working ok. oil pump will will rectify within a couple of seconds. Unless there is a fault?
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Steve
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I'm a filter off, oil plug out, wait, then filter/plug back on. I always take the filter off first because it's further above the floor than the sump plug so I need to be able to hold the oil pan* up to catch the drips, best done while it's still empty. Also stops filter getting covered in oil when it drops into pan.
I've never tried filling the filter first. It's probably for the best as I haven't quite got the nack of filling the oil to the top of the max mark on the dipstick, not 1cm over it.
Last time I tried 'priming' the oil filter by cranking the engine, but I still got the usual few seconds of rough running when it started, so I don't think I'll bother in future.
* oil pan - an old plastic oil can with one side removed.
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On the subject of oil, I got home from Halfords tonight with a can of Magnetec for SWMBO's Saxo. Discovered in my haste I'd got the wrong oil, petrol instead of diesel. Had I not noticed and gone ahead with the change in blissful ignorance, what would the short (if any) or long term effect have been? Bearing in mind that many cars are running round happily with low oil or a black sludge long past it's sell by date.
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Nothing Tom, it's reputedly the same stuff. Such oils are just regular oil that has had a lot spent on "branding" and that includes 'same product - multiple markets'.
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On my current car I can't refill the oil filter as it is a cartridge type. I did it on other vehicles though. On one of my motorcycles I read where someone said that prefilling the oil filter caused the oil to take longer to circulate. I tried it and found that the oil light did in fact stay on longer with a prefilled filter than a fresh one.
Not sure why that was, but of the theories tossed about, the one one that sounded feasible was that a full filter caused a "restriction" and the oil pressure had to build in order to pass it and reach the oil pressure sensor (and presumably the top of the engine).. An empty filter would cause no restriction and allow oil pressure to build faster thereby extinguishing the oil light.
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I always fill the oil filter before putting it on. I have noticed that the oil pressure warning light stays on for less time on start up when i do this. As mentioned can be pretty messy, but worth it i think.
I tend to undo the dran plug and then while it is emptying i check everything else under the bonnet, and clean the oil filter mating surface with a rag.
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P2501 describes exactly my method.
Usually I get back from work, open the drain plug, and leave it draining while I have supper. Then back to remove the filter. That saves me burning my hand on the hot exhaust manifold.
I don't fully fill the filter, because it mounts at 90 degrees, but spun quickly it hardly spills any oil even when 3/4 full.
I always leave the bonnet up if I have the drain plug out, just as a reminder against jumping in and starting up.
Then refill with oil, putting in about 3/4 of the known amount, and run for a few minutes, watching for leaks round the filter. I spend the time generally wiping, checking hoses, brake fluid etc.
Then after the engine has cooled, I recheck the level and fill to the top mark.
Tip: pour the old oil into its disposal can while it is still warm. It is much less viscous, and avoids over-loading the funnel in one's impatience.
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Thank you all for your input, I think I will compromise and go for the P2501/Cliff method. Looks as if dry cranking is unnecessary unless the engine has been sat for a long period of time but I consider pre-filling a worthwhile step (if a little messy)
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Following on from my question about the difference between oil for petrol and diesel engines, for which Schnitzel gave an answer which surprised me, does the same answer apply to oil for motorcycle engines as well?
After all, all three types of oil are the same viscosity and they are really no more than a slippery liquid to lubricate contact surfaces. So what am I missing, or is it just a clever piece of marketing to make oils seem as if they are for a specified purpose?
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"does the same answer apply to oil for motorcycle engines as well?"
Whatever you do, do NOT ask this question in a motorcycle forum!!!. 8-)
Personally, I use car oil in my bike engines, both mineral and synthetic. Never had a problem engine wise, but on one bike the clutch would slip if I used full-synthetic oil. That bike had known clutch issues from new, so I don't place the blame squarely on the oil and continued to use it in other bikes.
I recall a few years ago when Mobil 1 introduced their bike specific oil. I regularly used Mobil 1 car oil in my bike, so I asked the rep at the booth (Daytona Bike Week) about the oil and he said it was better for bikes as it had less anti-friction additives than the car oil, presumably better for bikes where anti-friction additives could cause clutch slip.
When I found out the price was almost double that of their already pricey car oil I was shocked and cheekily asked him why the bike oil with less additives cost nearly twice as much as the car oil that had the additives, and that it should be the other way around. The oil with additives costing more than the one without. He shrugged his shoulders and said he doesn't set the price. I muttered quite loudly that those new "motorcycle" container labels must be costing Mobil a fortune as I walked away. 8-)
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