Oil change dilema

[CZ550Kevlar]

I have a P reg LWB 2.2 petrol vauxhall frontera and on checking the oil level today i took the dipstick out and noticed smoke coming out when i took the probe out from the tube, i`m assuming even with my very limited vehicle knowledge that i need an oil filter and oil change, now usually i would emply the services of a grase monkey but i`m entertaining the idea of doing it myself, my question is A= Does the smoke indicate an oil change & B- How easy is it to change the oil and filter and how do you do it or should i drop it into quick fit??

[pegleg31]

being from no mechanic back ground i'd sayt easy.

 

 

 

run your engine until its warm,turn it off.remove your sump plug and catch the oil.rmove your oil filter and replace the new filter lubing the seals.replace the sump plug and refill with new oil.

 

 

i may be wrong though as i'm complete poo with car's and alway's pay someone to do it for me.

 

as for the smoke i have no idea

[amateur]

Yes - it's a doddle.

 

But then you manage to drop the plug into the hot oil and have to fish it out,

or you underestimate the amount of oil you are draining and the catcher overflows,

and you haven't got the special strap-wrench for removing the oil-filter and use your mate's tip of punching a screw-driver through the side to turn it - so now you have hot oil down your arm,

or you forget to buy the special copper washer to seal the plug and decide to reuse the old one

and you tip the old oil down the drain because you can't be ***** to dispose of it down at the reclamation site

 

Not of course that any of this ever happened to me,

 

so yes - it's a doddle

[christy]

Theoretically it's easy. In practice only if things go your way. This is what happened to me a few weeks ago...the sump plug had been done up by a gorilla. Impossible to undo.

Because I had already put a flush in I had to somehow get the oil out. Eventually I had to remove the sump, not good on the drive on a freezing Sunday morning. The oil went everywere. Anyway I got it off and back on after about two hours of hell grovelling on the deck.

 

Next the filter was impossible to access without standing on your head and the chain thing I bought to undo it would not go on-no room. So I drove a large screwdriver through it and after several stabbings it came off. Oh yeah, 1/4 pint of oil dripped down my sleeve and around my armpit...nice.

 

Yeah it is easy providing you have a pit or a hoist. Of course some vehicles are easier to access the bits than others, so check how easy yours is to get at first.

[DSPUK]

If there was smoke coming out of dipstick hole I hope engine wasn't running - if it was get a grease monkey in to do the job.

 

Dave

[stubby]

if you do it yourself though, dont do as I did, the day before we were due to set off for a 10 day holiday around france, I overtightened the sump plug, and cracked the sump had to call on my mates, and a quick trip to northampton to pick up a new sump, never again, always let someone who knows what they are doing from now on

[Harnser]

Smoke from the dipstick tube indicates a worn engine .

 

Harnser .

[stoggieman]

The smoke you saw may be no more than normal fumes of the oil caused by the heat of the engine. They would be dealt with in the engine breather unit normaly They were only visible because the dip stick hole is not as restricting as the breather unit

 

Peter

[humperdingle]

http://www.national.co.uk/oil-vehicle-search.aspx

 

National will change oil and filter FROM £18.90.

 

Not sure it's worth the hassle if you can get it done for that. Prob dearer for your motor, though.

[CZ550Kevlar]

Kiwk fit have said they can do an oil change for £29 on my size engine so booked it in for an oil change, knowing my luck will get new oil and filter in it only to find the engine will blow up or something due to this smoke coming from the hole.

[humperdingle]

Kiwk fit have said they can do an oil change for £29 on my size engine so booked it in for an oil change, knowing my luck will get new oil and filter in it only to find the engine will blow up or something due to this smoke coming from the hole.

Was it definitely smoke? Not steam?

[rodp]

The smoke you saw may be no more than normal fumes of the oil caused by the heat of the engine. They would be dealt with in the engine breather unit normaly They were only visible because the dip stick hole is not as restricting as the breather unit

 

Peter

 

 

Absolutely.

[J@mes]

Best thing to do is join an owners forum and look for guides on how to do small jobs on your car - like the oil change.

 

You'll learn more and more about your car and eventually be doing just about all your maintenance and repairs, saving you a small fortune.

 

Just buy yourself a good socket set (£100 from halfords for one of their pro sets) and you'll be on your way!

[bruno22rf]

Real easy to do with a basic tool kit-but the frontera might have a bash plate under the engine that will need removing first.Smoke from the dipstick hole is normal after the engine has warmed up-normally it gets vented thru the inlet manifold and burnt or collected in a gauze filter and drips back into the sump.Most of the big service centres have a price promise so ring one and get a price-knock £5 off that and ring another one and tell them what you've been quoted-they are duty bound to beat it.Ring the next one and quote the lower price again-within 10 minute you'll get a price that means its not worth you doing it yourself-i do this every year.This years oil/filter change with semi-synthetic cost me £25 on a 3.5 ltr v6 shogun.

Edited April 18, 2010 by bruno22rf

[Dougy]

Best thing to do is join an owners forum and look for guides on how to do small jobs on your car - like the oil change.

 

You'll learn more and more about your car and eventually be doing just about all your maintenance and repairs, saving you a small fortune.

 

Just buy yourself a good socket set (£100 from halfords for one of their pro sets) and you'll be on your way!

 

Buying a socket set could be the worst and most expesive bit of advice you could give somebody who has absolutely no machanicle skills whatsoever, the end result could end up with totaly fluffed motor, and a load of spare nuts and bolts.

for the sake of a few quid get some experienced on the job or get a mate to give you a hand who knows what he's doing.

[silpig5]

oil changes are a dodle , but like many have said be prepaired for hiccups . have 2 washers not just the one is the easyst ! u will bound to loose or drop one . the smoke from the dipstick is the engine "breathing" it will be more on an old engine with duff oil . cant remember on the frontera if the breather feeds back into the top "rocker box" of the engine . has the oil filler cap got a half inch bore flexi pipe to it ? if it has thas the breather cap . remove pipe and soke in petrol or diesal for half hour , shake it dry (it will be black crud in it ) before refitting.

dont forget to run yr finger smeared in oil around the top of new filter rubber seal . this stops the rubber snagging when you tighten it up , ive seen lots of them stretch and leak over the years.

if you use a flush , and your engine is a bit old and tired , dont be too concerned if it sounds a little bit rattly once you have changed the oil , a good flush will remove all deposots of carbon and muck , some of which actually keep parts of the engine smooth and happy .

 

if you dont try you will never know . thats my motto , and ive been working on motors for 25yrs ! ok some do weigh in at 30 odd ton and dont have wheels !!!

 

[J@mes]

Buying a socket set could be the worst and most expesive bit of advice you could give somebody who has absolutely no machanicle skills whatsoever, the end result could end up with totaly fluffed motor, and a load of spare nuts and bolts.

 

 

only if you are a complete retard.

 

get a haynes manual and follow it, you can't really go wrong. My mum can service a car ***!