Can you do a service without making a mess.

Can you do a service without making a mess.

Author
Discussion

scottyp123

Original Poster:

3,881 posts

55 months

Monday 26th October 2020
quotequote all
As the title really, does anyone manage to do an oil change without getting it everywhere and yourself covered in crap. You watch these videos on Youtube of mechanics doing various complicated jobs and they don't get a spot of oil or dirt on them where as my reality I end up looking like a coal miner.

Last time I did an oil change on my car I was putting the old oil back in the empty gallon can when the tundish managed to fall over dumping a load of dirty oil inside my toolbox and all over the shed floor. This time I was servicing our van and managed to knock the bucket of oil with one of the axle stands causing it to spill over the top and all over the drive, should have put something down really I suppose. I also got covered in all the general crap of the driveway because it was still wet, I was cold wet and miserable doing it. Even putting the filter down somewhere covers what ever that may be in oil as well.

And then you still have the problem of getting rid of the old oil. You can double bag it and take it to the tip but I'll guarantee that by the time you have accomplished it there will somehow be oil all over your boot floor, the steering wheel and gear stick.

I'm begining to question whether home servicing is worth the money. It cost £47 for oil/filter/air filter and an hour of my time (and another week getting clean again). What does a service cost these days inclusive of bits and do they actually change everything?

thewarlock

3,234 posts

44 months

Monday 26th October 2020
quotequote all
Get yourself one of these, if you're fed up making an oily mess:

https://ige.ie/oil-drain-pan-16-litres/


Knoxville2410

291 posts

58 months

Monday 26th October 2020
quotequote all
I have always debated doing oil services myself but never had the motivation or confidence to do so. My local BMW specialist charges around £120 for an oil service and £200 or so for a more in-depth service.

I think I'd much rather pay them to do it and sit in the waiting room doing some work on my laptop for an hour or two without having to get cold and dirty like you said.

I guess if you have the know-how and proper equipment it's probably worth doing it yourself.

scottyp123

Original Poster:

3,881 posts

55 months

Monday 26th October 2020
quotequote all
thewarlock said:
Get yourself one of these, if you're fed up making an oily mess:

https://ige.ie/oil-drain-pan-16-litres/
I've seen them before but how do you get the oil back out of them and into a sealed container so you can dispose of it?

Darkslider

3,071 posts

188 months

Monday 26th October 2020
quotequote all
thewarlock said:
Get yourself one of these, if you're fed up making an oily mess:

https://ige.ie/oil-drain-pan-16-litres/
Hot, thin oil still comes blasting out like a hosepipe, hitting the base of the pan and splashing everywhere. The only foolproof drainer I've ever used is the telescopic tank type on wheels designed for use with a lift, they have a wide catch pan with a grid to dissipate the energy of the flow somewhat before it hits the funnel.

anonymous-user

53 months

Monday 26th October 2020
quotequote all
scottyp123 said:
thewarlock said:
Get yourself one of these, if you're fed up making an oily mess:

https://ige.ie/oil-drain-pan-16-litres/
I've seen them before but how do you get the oil back out of them and into a sealed container so you can dispose of it?
The spout on it lets you pour it back into a container.

I just did an oil / filter change using one and still made a huge mess smile Typically I had the drain pan positioned slightly wrong to start with so the oil missed, then when it stopped pouring out the dribble at the end was then missing the repositioned pan, so another mess.

Then another huge mess trying to extract the oil filter from the krypton-factor maze where Honda decided would be a good idea to put it, at least I managed to not pour it up my arm or on my head this time....

The spinner of plates

17,649 posts

199 months

Monday 26th October 2020
quotequote all
I use a pela suction pump and leave the car's sump plug in place.

Take the pump full of oil down to the recycling centre and tip it into the tank.

Plymo

1,149 posts

88 months

Monday 26th October 2020
quotequote all
Even better, get one of the ones with the oil can attached!

I finally got one after loads of "incidents" draining a pan into old oil cans, you just drain the oil, put the plug back in, then take it to the dump.

I also put a large sheet of cardboard underneath to catch any splatter, and give a clean surface to put things like the drain plug and tools on. Have a plastic bag handy, and some kitchen roll to wipe the outside of the oil pan, and anything else that gets oily.

I also now wear a boiler suit and gloves.




nco74

33 posts

42 months

Monday 26th October 2020
quotequote all
I use one of these

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/7ltr-Vacuum-Oil-Fluid-E...

mainly because my sump plug is seized/butchered

spreadsheet monkey

4,544 posts

226 months

Monday 26th October 2020
quotequote all
scottyp123 said:
As the title really, does anyone manage to do an oil change without getting it everywhere and yourself covered in crap. You watch these videos on Youtube of mechanics doing various complicated jobs and they don't get a spot of oil or dirt on them where as my reality I end up looking like a coal miner.
You can get an oil vacuum extractor pump which just sucks the oil out through the dipstick tube. Might not get every last drop of oil out, but better than no oil change.

I'm begining to question whether home servicing is worth the money. It cost £47 for oil/filter/air filter and an hour of my time (and another week getting clean again). What does a service cost these days inclusive of bits and do they actually change everything?
Kwik Fit and ATS offer oil changes for about £50 for a small-engined car. Maybe a bit less if you shop around or get an online voucher.


Cold

15,207 posts

89 months

Monday 26th October 2020
quotequote all
JimSuperSix said:
scottyp123 said:
thewarlock said:
Get yourself one of these, if you're fed up making an oily mess:

https://ige.ie/oil-drain-pan-16-litres/
I've seen them before but how do you get the oil back out of them and into a sealed container so you can dispose of it?
The spout on it lets you pour it back into a container.
Yep, the pointy bit at the handle turns the thing into an odd shaped funnel.



CrutyRammers

13,735 posts

197 months

Monday 26th October 2020
quotequote all
Getting covered in oil is half the fun, innit?

Sheepshanks

32,536 posts

118 months

Monday 26th October 2020
quotequote all
Surely everyone has kicked the old oil container over at some time. Generally just after new block paving has been laid (a mate of mine turned some of his over, somehow not noticing that the edges aren't bevelled on the bottom!).


I marvel at how the dealer servicing wife's Tiguan manages to leave it looking untouched.

Had its cambelt and water pump changed a few weeks ago and there's not a mark in the dust on the engine or air filter cover. Was the same when they did the fuel filter - it looked completely undisturbed.

I *think" they changed the belt - the coolant looks clean and there's the slightest splash of it on the neck of the expansion bottle.

I suppose at least if you do it yourself, you know it's been done.

Baldchap

7,510 posts

91 months

Monday 26th October 2020
quotequote all
You could do an oil change in a dinner suit with a Pela pump. smile

In unrelated news, the drain hole in a Sealey 5L oil catch gizmo is microscopically smaller than the sump plug on a K11 Micra, especially when left unattended. cry

JakeT

5,406 posts

119 months

Monday 26th October 2020
quotequote all
Mainly I get lucky. but I also do try and position the oil... thing so that the oil drains into the hole for as little splashing around as possible. It can take a couple of changes to get that with a sidewards pointing plug. Ones that point downwards are just plain easy wink .


I have covered myself in oil a couple of times now though, and the garage floor in it. Knowing a couple of professionals, they get it just as bad too.

ARHarh

3,705 posts

106 months

Monday 26th October 2020
quotequote all
used one of these for years. No trying to get a spurt of hot oil to hit a 6 inch square hole. And they can cost nearly £3.



Rarely make a mess, the oil filter take a bit of planning to remove without making a mess, but a rag positioned well covers most issues.

A Lexus RX400h has a funnel arrangement fitted to the engine which directs the oil from the filter past everything and into a well positioned bowl, this is superb and all cars should have one.

Triumph Man

8,670 posts

167 months

Monday 26th October 2020
quotequote all
I use an oil catch bucket, on puppy training pads, which then gets poured into an oil drain can. Of course it is the law that even on a still day a breeze will flare up and catch the stream of hot oil, occasionally blowing it into one's face.

For true cleanliness I suppose a pump would be the way to go.

Also, OP, in the youtube videos where they seem to do jobs wearing good clothes and come out spotless, I suspect a lot of it is stage managed and pre loosened/pre cleaned.

The autodoc ones are particularly hilarious, where the ball joint splitter only has to to touch the spindle, and oh look, it's come apart...

Odhran

579 posts

182 months

Monday 26th October 2020
quotequote all
I usually lay a large flattened cardboard box on the ground to absorb any stray splashes of oil. Particularly came in handy this weekend when I had to get ‘agricultural’ separating the fuel filter from its housing. Diesel would have been everywhere only for the cardboard box.

JakeT

5,406 posts

119 months

Monday 26th October 2020
quotequote all
Triumph Man said:
The autodoc ones are particularly hilarious, where the ball joint splitter only has to to touch the spindle, and oh look, it's come apart...
That sort of stuff annoys me. Or they're replacing a particularly bad part, and show it in, and then removed. No mention of how they do it. Whereas I'm whacking a sodding balljoint splitter for 30 mins before the ball joint finally releases. rage

Triumph Man

8,670 posts

167 months

Monday 26th October 2020
quotequote all
JakeT said:
Triumph Man said:
The autodoc ones are particularly hilarious, where the ball joint splitter only has to to touch the spindle, and oh look, it's come apart...
That sort of stuff annoys me. Or they're replacing a particularly bad part, and show it in, and then removed. No mention of how they do it. Whereas I'm whacking a sodding balljoint splitter for 30 mins before the ball joint finally releases. rage
Yep and all the while the bloke (for it is always the same bloke) stands there looking smug whilst he does it.