Newbie - Engine Oil change question

[bobby1234]

Hello everyone,

I am a newbie to the world of DIYers for cars. I have done some reading on the web for changing the engine oil. I have a 92 Honda Accord LX Sedan. I want to change the oil myself but I don't feel comfortable with jacking up the car (not even on jack stands). Is it possible to change the oil of the car without jacking it up? I would think so because it looks to me that I might be able to crawl under the car (just about) because it doesn't seem to have a low ground clearance. I might me wrong but I was hoping that the car gurus here can help me out

Bobby1234

[npor]

you're going to need to get comfortable with jacking your car up, or forget the "world of DIYers for cars"

not trying to be mean, im just being honest. you're going to need to either jack your car up, or spend thousands of dollars on a car lift for your garage. it's up to you.

[d112crzy]

take it to a lube shop.

Get the basic oil change, nothing else.

It's cheaper and you don't get dirty.

[Pandemic]

get a good jack and jack stands. Quality. Might not be the cheapest, but get something that works. I got a kit from walmart. $40 for a jack, 2 stands, some other goofy stuff... but they make me nervous. Now i'm planning on going out and getting the propper stuff.

Get a good jack, some good stands. Jack it up in the front middle (you'll see a metal tab like thing, jack it up there. Then put the stands up as high as you can get them under the car. You want to place them behind the front wheels. There are load bearing spots behind the mud flaps (you'll see another tab like thing).

Grow a pair, jack it up and go for it. Jack it up a good amount... it'll help get the remaining oil from the bottom of the pan.

Make sure you have the right socket for the plug. I almost stripped my first one... not fun. Drain it, unscrew the filter, let it all drain. Get the new filter, dip your finger in the old oil and rub it around the gasket (rubber part) of the new filter. screw the filter on till it just stops. then tighten it (about) 1 full revolution. Thats usually all that it takes. Try to use judgement. Dont uber crank it on there... dont leave it loose. Put the oil plug back in. Also tight... not uber tight though.
get out from under it, jack it up, take the stands out, lower it down. 4qts of 5w-30 oil. Done

Oil changes are the first step in DIY... they get to be a pain in the ass :P

[bobby1234]

Thanks for the quick responses. Is there any way I can make sure that if the jack stands fail that I won't be crushed and pass into the Great Beyond ? I am a little obsessed with safety even if means doing a 5 minute thing in 30 minutes. I was thinking of placing my spare tire underneath one of the tires and but that only take care of one tire and I don't have another one. If I did I guess if the jack stands failed I would be able to rely on the fact that spare tire(s) would actually catch the fall of the car.

Sorry for my OCD with safety

Bobby1234

[ex_style90]

Dood look..lol, just place a good reliable jack in an sturdy spot under your car, mainly anything metal, and you'll be fine just like that. Oh and be sure to put a brick or block of wood or something like that behind one or both of your rear tires to make sure your car doesnt roll back . If you feel totally uneasy or uncomfortable about jacking your car, find a friend with experience to help you out. He/she can teach you alot of stuff. Or you could simply just take it to Walmart everytime you need an oil change..

[Pandemic]

Yeah good call, put the e-break on.

bob-o, listen here.
the cheap ass kit i got for $40 at walmart said that each jack stand was rated at 2000lb. together, they can hold 4,000lbs. the cb7 weighs about... 2,500 lbs. So, 2 back tires plus 2 jack stands rated to hold 4,000 lbs alone... I think thats fine. Also if you look at them, they really cant fail. If they're thin, rusty, or really sketchy, sure. If you have a good reliable one, the way they're setup are quite good. usually spring loaded lever to catch the teeth of the piece that moves up. IF a tooth were to break, the next one would catch it. the force of the car is straight down so its not like it'll crack a weird way.

level surface, e-break, jack stands... good to go.

[topshotta]

i am able to change the oil of my 90 accord lx coupe with out jacking it up, but if you plan on more DIY's get used to jacking it up!

[newtuner7]

i am able to change the oil of my 90 accord lx coupe with out jacking it up, but if you plan on more DIY's get used to jacking it up!

you are either a skinny midget or u have a hole u can drive over

[Bruce Banner]

If the car isn't lowered, you can get those ramps that you drive on and use that.

[newtuner7]

true i have some of those i didnt even think of that lol... i always just jack it up

[johndenver120]

dude i use a cider blocks a secondary safety step but thats bc i have cheap jack stands.

and man whatever you do dont over tighten drain plug. i worked at a quick change oil place and believe me if you strip the plug its a BITCH. really better bringing some where because those places usually have some kind of deals. Yes their a rip off but really you only save like 5 to 10 bucks doing it urself.

any other repair DIY but i still pay for oil changes.

[deevergote]

I'm not a fan of trusting stands either. I've done it, and I'll do it again... but I always make sure not to pull on anything too hard!

Set the e-brake, put wheel chocks behind the rear wheels, jack up the front, place the stands where they need to go. I often keep the jack in place as well, lowered enough to have the car supported by the stands, but still supporting a little weight itself... just another precaution.

If you don't like stands, maybe ramps would be a better choice. The same principle applies, but rather than 2" of metal supporting the car, it's sitting on its wheels! For oil changes and stuff, that's a fine setup. Ramps don't cost more than stands, either.


Also, usually pay to have my oil changed. $29, done in 10 minutes... with all my fluids checked and filled, as well as my tire pressure. OR, $20 and 2 hours of my day! (go get the oil and filter, while disposing of the old oil in my bucket. come home, jack up the car, place the stands, make sure everything is safe, break out the tools, curse at the bolt, curse at the filter, drain, replace bolt, lube and install old filter, pour in oil, start, run for a minute, stop, check levels, clean up... 2 hours... 1 if I rush!)

[deevergote]

dude i use a cider blocks a secondary safety step but thats bc i have cheap jack stands.

and man whatever you do dont over tighten drain plug. i worked at a quick change oil place and believe me if you strip the plug its a BITCH. really better bringing some where because those places usually have some kind of deals. Yes their a rip off but really you only save like 5 to 10 bucks doing it urself.

any other repair DIY but i still pay for oil changes.

I could break cinder blocks with my bare hands at age 12... they won't stop a car from crushing you if your stands fail.

[MyCord]

I've never jacked my car to change my oil. I'm pretty skiny tho and it's a tight fit but it's not that bad really. Just do it on a flat surface and put down a peice of cardboard so you can slide around easy, works for me.

But im not THAT skinny, im suprised so many of you use jack stands..