I have a 2011 Prius, and I want to change the oil myself. Previously, I had a 1991 Honda–440 k miles–and used a standard ramp to elevate the car so I could get at the fittings. However, the Prius has much lower bumpers–plastic–and I fear that they may be damaged if I use them to elevete the front end. Is getting a LONGER ramp–at a considerable cost–the way to go, or should I bite the bullet and let the service people do what I can’t seem to do, even though it will lighten my wallet?
Changing oil is such a non-techie task, I hate to give it over to the dealership. HELP!!!
You can get a set of sturdy plastic ramps (Rhino Ramps) for short money,as I had to, when I got a car with a very low front bumper, check their web site for details
I purchased ramps that came with extensions to deal with low hanging bumpers. Many modern cars, including my Accord, need the extensions to lower the angle to get onto ramps. The extensions work great and actually make it easier to get up the ramps. They were fairly inexpensive.
A small hydraulic jack costs $20 and some boards to put under the wheels must cost about $4. Your car jack that came with the car is now free of charge and the boards still cost the same. Space wasn’t always the final frontier, it used to be found under our cars.
If 83 Corollas were made today, we wouldn’t need jacks and ramps, 83 Camrys, 83 Hondas… We’d all average 38 MPG too. Truthfully, the 83 Camry and Accord didn’t average 38 MPG, but with some small improvements it could have been possible.