Changing Oil in your automobile.

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DonL

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Hello All,

I was just wanting to know how people change the oil in their automobile.

Do You disconnect your battery when you change your oil ?

Any time you do maintenance, most manuals say that you should disconnect the battery.

Does that include an oil change ? That is maintenance correct ?

I do believe in safety, but is it me or is it a little much ?

I just wanted to get other peoples opinions, about Oil changing.

If I replace a fan belt then Yes, I would make sure to disconnect power.

Or if I have a remote starter system, Don't want the engine to run without oil.

Maybe I am just getting Old.

I think the way that we depose of oil is more important, The manual don't say much about that.


What do You do ?


Have a Great Day.


DonL
 

SteveW

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I've never disconnected the battery for an oil change. I have a hybrid now and with hybrids, it's actually not all that obvious if the ignition is "on" or "off" since the car can be "on" but not have the gasoline engine running.

One of the reasons I decided to change my own oil is reading the horror stories of quick lube places leaving a hybrid in the "on" position, draining the oil, and then having the gas engine start up with no oil.
 

SacCity

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Disconect the battery? Are they high?
Never heard of such a thing.....

But then I buy Craigs list throw aways,
Time to change the oil, lets look on Craigs list for a replacement.
Spending about $1,000 a year on POS's,
Not for everyone but beats making payments...
 

Cacher_Chick

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There are a few cars out there now that if you disconnect the battery, it will not restart when the battery is reconnected. The computer has to be reprogrammed before the car will idle again, which means it will need a tow to the dealership. Turns out to be pretty pricey for those who thought they knew what they were doing.

If you read the OEM service manual, there are very few repairs that require the battery be disconnected.
 

SteveW

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There are a few cars out there now that if you disconnect the battery, it will not restart when the battery is reconnected. The computer has to be reprogrammed before the car will idle again, which means it will need a tow to the dealership. Turns out to be pretty pricey for those who thought they knew what they were doing.

Really?

I've heard some cars won't shift smoothly or might have a rough idle for a while until the computer "re-learns" but didn't know that there were vehicles that wouldn't start at all if the battery was disconnected.
 

RinconVTR

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There are a few cars out there now that if you disconnect the battery, it will not restart when the battery is reconnected. The computer has to be reprogrammed before the car will idle again, which means it will need a tow to the dealership. Turns out to be pretty pricey for those who thought they knew what they were doing.

May be you've heard stories like this...but its not a fact.
 

DonL

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Thank You all for the reply's.

I know some of the newer autos with on-star report your maintenance, driving habits and may report oil changes. As to make sure you do proper maintenance or your warranty is void.

I think it is a little much when they can kill your car if you miss a car payment.

The government wants all new cars to have the Two Way Satellite systems, Then when someone runs from the police
they can kill the ignition.

Talk about Big Brother watching...

Have a Great Day.

DonL
 

Terry

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The last time I went to Jiffy Lube for an oil change on my Toyota Highlander, the rear power door quit working, and the buttons on the overhead weren't programmed anymore either.
It also said that I need an oil change, even though I just had one. I don't know what they did, but a lot of the computer aided devices I like to use quit working. Now I need to bring it to the dealer and have them reprogram the thing.
 

DonL

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That sucks Terry, or should I say that creates a Vacuum ?

Get a device and program it yourself. That is what I would do.

You can DIY...


DonL
 

DonL

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If That is a Fact, I would not buy them.

It is hard to buy a good American car now a days.

Toyota is one of the only building here , and they have problems getting parts.

I say GM, they have a handle on Green. Sucks that they moved to Mexico.

DonL
 

SteveW

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The last time I went to Jiffy Lube for an oil change on my Toyota Highlander, the rear power door quit working, and the buttons on the overhead weren't programmed anymore either.
It also said that I need an oil change, even though I just had one. I don't know what they did, but a lot of the computer aided devices I like to use quit working. Now I need to bring it to the dealer and have them reprogram the thing.

Do you have a Highlander Hybrid? I do. Changing oil on these is a piece of cake - do it yourself.
 

SteveW

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It IS a fact- VW and Audi specifically.

Not to be argumentative, but do you have a web site that discusses this problem? It still seems like really bad engineering, something the Germans are not known for, to design a car to not start after the battery is disconnected or replaced.
 

Redwood

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May be you've heard stories like this...but its not a fact.

Actually there are quite a few ranging from at best older ECM's that had a low amount of Keep Alive Memory and no lithium battery back up where you would have to drive the car through a learning cycle before full drivability was restored to some models that dumped and required reflashing of the memory...

A good mechanic will use a 9-volt battery connected to a cigarette lighter plug to hold the ECU memory and Radio Presets when the disconnect the battery.
 

SteveW

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Redwood,
Yes, that's pretty well known, that some cars need to "relearn" how to idle and how to shift after a battery disconnect - but I still am having trouble that a manufacturer would actually design a car which would absolutely NOT START after disconnecting the battery. If they did this, that would be engineering malpractice, if there is such a thing.
 

Ian Gills

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When I work on my car I do everything the manufacturer's workshop manual tells me to do (you can buy them).

Just like when I remodel my house I do what the code tells me to do.

It's not rocket science.

Yet you need a permit and inspection to work on your house but not on your car.

That's just dumb, because a badly repaired car is no less dangerous than a poorly installed gas water heater.

It must be because of unions.

Or it's because of taxes.

But one thing is for sure. Where's the freedom?
 
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DonL

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Hello All,

Well You do have to get your car inspected, Once a year, Here in Texas.
But not after every repair.

Not many people do work on their own automobiles anymore.

With all the homeowner associations around here, You are not even allowed to lift your hood, If it is not in your Garage with the door closed.

There is no freedom anymore...

Have a Great Day.

DonL
 

Ballvalve

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Disconnect the battery.... sure, when you change the battery.

Save the drain oil, because the day is very soon coming when YOU will be paid for this precious resource. Absolutely absurd to pay to dispose of oil - would you pay to return your water bottles?

Most oil gets changed far prematurely. How do I know? I own some very large equipment and I pay 12 bucks to a lab to scan the oil for a complete contaminant anaylsis.

When the book says change the 15 gallons of engine oil every 150 hours, a oil scan can easily extend that to 500 hours - and the MFG. agrees with it, if you use his lab.

Its the same as a blood test, but much cheaper. Would you treat yourself for high cholesterol without a blood test?

Finally, buy your oil in 55 gallon drums, generic DELO is what I use in EVERYTHING with tires and tracks, even in the hydraulic system.

If I drain the hydraulics on three machines, I get about 120 gallons of still fresh oil [not contaminated by combustion products] which gets used as chain saw oil, and lubricating oil [ put it in a gallon hand sprayer and save on WD-40 big time] or use it as fuel.

And do not forget MAGNETS. A guy with a pacemaker would likely die getting too close to my excavator. I attribute my clean oil scans to magnets on the oil pan, oil filters,fuel filters, hydraulic resevoir and hydraulic filters.

Just opened up a tranny pan, and the magnet looked like a porcupine. Filters do not take care of the sub micron metal- only magnets can.
 
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