Regarding my earlier post, I wasn’t recommending that anyone let their oil drain overnight. That’s overkill in my opinion. I was only suggesting that if the plan is that the car is going to sit there overnight untouched in order to change the oil the next morning, why not just pull the drain plug the night before?
It may not be something some people’s living situation or confidence in their memory would allow, but it certainly could be done without fear of damage if planned correctly.
For example, if somebody has a bad memory, he could disconnect the battery, put the fresh oil containers in the driver’s seat with a note saying “There’s No Oil in the Car!!” and put police barricade tape around the car.
If that didn’t work, that person should never attempt an oil change any time of day and not even be allowed to drive a car.
I also should add that I want to just change the oil and be done with it. I don’t like an ongoing project (ie open the drain plug one night then come back for the rest in the morning).
For the most part, I am changing my oil earlier than the manual would call for. I think this would compensate for any extra stuff that might be left behind.
Thanks folks! I decided to warm it up, then drain the oil, take the dog for a walk, then return and finish the job, stopped dripping by the time I came back. Now, second question . . . if you over fill to just a little over the full mark on the dipstick, what do you do? Leave it? Drain a little? Loosen the filter and drain some off? don’t worry about it? Some folks say that a little over is OK, some say that you’ll blow a seal, I never really worried about a little over (just a hair over the full mark. What do YOU think? Rocketman
A little over won’t hurt a thing. A typical engine will probably tolerate close to a quart over before the oil level gets high enough for the crankshaft to begin whipping it into a froth.
As regards blowing a seal, crankcase pressure is created by blowby and fluid turbulence (fluid in turnbulance takes up more space), and relieved through the oil drain channels, the space under the valvecover(s), and ultimately ingested into the engine through the PCV valve (for those cars that have them… not all do). The pressure will not increase due to more oil. Therefore, since the pressure on the backside of the seals remains the same, overfilling cannot blow a seal.
Don’t misunderstand me. I’m not suggesting callously overfilling crankcases. I’m attempting to offer a bit of common sense in how bad things need to get before real problems occur.
You just need to warm the oil, it doesn’t need to be blazing hot. Start the car and either let it idle for 10 minutes or so, or drive around the block a couple of times. Let it cool enough that you won’t be hurting yourself on the exhaust. Then change the oil. Why do you need to get every last drop out of it anyway?
This also has the benefit that since the car was recently run, in theory it will have more oil left on the moving parts, protecting it from that first dry start until the pump gets primed. If you want to be really fancy, fill the oil filter before installing. That will ensure a minimum of time with no oil pressure on that first start.
While it’s interesting to compare notes on this topic, if you change your oil regularly, does anyone truly believe “how you drain it” will make any noticeable difference in the life of an engine?
@rocketman … walking the dog while the oil drains seems a great use of the time. If the dog balks and doesn’t want to go for a walk that day, you could do what I do, use the time to vacuum the leaves from the under-windshield vents and inspect all four CV boots for signs of cracking.
On my 2002 Sienna, the filter is horizontal. So, changing it cold the first thing in the morning reduces the spill. When I used to take the bus to Mexico for weeks, I changed the oil before starting the car. It would be bone dry when I took off the filter.
I changed my oil three times a year when the engine was warm. I would do this immediately when coming home from spring commencement, summer commencement and fall commencement at the university where I taught. I would have my cap and gown on that I had rented and in order to get my money’s worth out of the cap and gown rental, I would leave it on while I changed the oil.
I changed mine yesterday about two hours after a highway drive, when it had cooled some.
I fill my filter before installing it, and I’m always amazed at how much oil that peanut-sized filter holds.
