I was bored and figured I would post a DIY for changing your Echo’s oil.

*Before starting please make sure you have the following tools:
--- a 17 mm socket wrench
--- an oil filter wrench (65/67mm – 14 Flutes)
--- scissor jack and jackstands
--- wheel chocks
--- pan to catch waste oil
--- container to place used motor oil in
--- a new oil filter
--- new oil
--- some rags and news papers.
--- a measuring cup


--- Pic of some of supplies used for oil change. Jack is already under car with jackstand.

1. Jack up car (or use ramps if you have the space)– this allows easy access to oil drain plug. Behind the front wheels is a reinforced area to place the scissor jack under. Before jacking up the car engage the emergancy brake and put wheel chocks behind the rear wheels. After raising the car put a jack stand under the rail next to the scissor jack and lower the vehical until its weight is supported by both the scissor jack and the jackstand. Ideally you would have a low profile floor jack that can reach.under the front end to the center front jack point. Then you could just place jack stands on both sides in the appropriate area and lower the vehical onto the jack stands. For the oil change I only raised the front passenger side of the vehical.



--- Pic of car while jacked up




--- Owner Manual Page showing Jack Points on Honda Fit



--- Looking at oil pan from behind front passenger wheel. Honda makes it easy. Engine Oil is stamped into the bottom of the oil pan, right next to the plug.

2. Place newspapers and drain pan under car. – This helps to prevent any spills on concrete.

--- Underside of car with newspaper . Looking from front to rear.

3. Use 17mm wrench or socket wrench to remove drain plug and drain oil. – Be careful not to let drain plug fall into whatever container it is you are using to catch the oil. It will be messy to fish it out. Place plug where it can’t be lost.



--- Oil draining into drain pan.


4. Remove oil filter. – While oil is draining remove the old oil filter. Use oil filter wrench (65/67mm – 14 Flutes). As you unscrew the oil filter oil will start to leak out. Maneuver you oil drain pan so that it catches the leaking oil.



--- Pic of Oil Filter


--- Oil filter mount point.



5. Install new oil filter. – Put clean oil on oil filters rubber seal. Screw oil filter onto mount point.

Screw oil filter on by hand. Do not over tighten or the gasket may fail. Additionally it will be hard to remove the
filter at your next oil change.

6. Install oil drain plug with new crush washer and fill engine with new oil.



--- Drain plug with new crush washer. Crush washer was purchased from Honda Parts Dept. It was relatively inexpensive. Install onto oil pan by tightening with 17mm wrench or socket wrench.



--- Pour new oil into fill hole. The shop manual states that the oil capacity with a filter change is 3.6liters or 3.8 US qts. I usually fill it with 3.8 quarts then run the engine a little and add oil as necessary after checking the dip stick.

This concludes my DIY for an 2007 Honda FIT Oil Change! Hope it was informative. Note that the Oil Grade recommended in the shop manual isSM 5W-20. The used oil I discard at the local recycling center. You can also bring used oil to Advanced Auto Parts and most other Auto Parts stores. Don't forget to reset the maintenance minder. Put the key in the on position without starting the car. Press the odometer button until you see the oil life. Press for 10 seconds or until oil life blinks. Press for another 5 seconds or until oil life is 100%.

Below are the pages of the owners manual pertaining to an oil change. If you have any questions or comments let me know. If you want to see any of the pics utilized in this DIY in greater detail click on the following link:



--- Owner Manual Page ---


--- Owner Manual Page ---



--- Owner Manual Page ---



--- Owner Manual Page ---

 

Good write up. People underestimate the value of a little home maintenance.

Thanks for the contribution! :thumbup:

 

Thanks for the nice and clean looking DIY. I'll be doing my first oil change on the Fit in about 1000 miles. From the pictures, the oil filter looks conveniently placed for easy access. Can't say the same about the 01-05 Civics

What kind of filter/oil are you using?

 

Thanks for the feedback. I am using a Honda oil filter and Honda 5w-20. It is my mom's car and she wants to use everything Honda just in case she needs to use her warrantee. I myself drive a 2002 Toyota echo. I’ve got 145,000 miles on it and have always used Wal-Mart brand (super tech) 5w-30 and a Wal-Mart brand oil filter without any problem. After 125,000 I decided to start using synthetic oil in the echo and change my oil every 5,000 miles instead of every 3,000 miles.

 

Great DIY!
+rep

 

After you remove the old oil filter (the factory gorillas REALLY put them on tight don't they?) MAKE SURE the old rubber gasket hasn't stuck to the engine.

Major leak possible if you don't check.

 

Nice DIY, recommend getting the Fumoto valve and doing away with crush washers and oily drain plugs.

 

question: synthetic blend or regular?

 

i just used Mobil1 on mine.

 

That's a recipe for a Coxian severe case of deadness.

NEVER get under a car with the OEM jack holding it up!!! NEVER!

Ramps, stands, lift, or pit. THAT'S IT.

It's downright scary when that jack lets go and you're stuck under there. I was || that close once when I was young and stupid.

Now that we're past that, thumbs up on remembering the crush washer. Never changing it for 155k miles on the civic was what caused the pan to strip.

 

I saw a jack stand in the pics and also read about it on the write up. Your advice is good. Better safe than sorry.

 

just some free (and un-requested) advice for anyone here:

I can't tell from the pictures which side you raised, but be sure to raise the side of the car on the opposite side of the drain plug, to ensure that oil drains out and none is retained in the pan. Another great tool (besides the jack and jack-stands) are "Rhino Ramps" which have a low angle of attack which would allow even very low cars to get up on, and also raise the car more than enough to work under.

 

My mom's mechanic friend died from this. My dad had a railroad tie that we set under the cars when working.

 

I use this to replace my stock drain bolt:
QuickOilDrainValve.com - the best way to change oil

No more unbolting that puppy.

 

AWESOME write-up! When I was under the engine installing the underpanel, I could see how easy an oil change could be. Definitely easy access for the filter and oil plug! Considering an oil change at Honda dealership is roughly 30-35 bucks.. what is the break down for doing it yourself?

 

look at the first line.... changing the fit oil and not the echo.
great diy for those who didnt grow up with cars.

 

hum i just went to Wal-mart to buy oil change supplies.

Necessary new Items for oil change:
- 1 quart Castrol SAE5w20 (3.67)
- 1 oil filter Fram PH7317 (4.64)
Total: 19.32+tax

One time purchases:
- 1 filter wrench 65mm (3.26)
- Quickdrainoilvalve (28.00)
Total: 31.26

Items already have but it would cost this much:
-cool looking drain pan from wal-mart (6.00)
-funnel (1.00)
-
I guess it would cost roughly 20 bucks to do it yourself versus 35 bucks for the dealership.

I definitely could use that 15 for one extra tank of gas :-P

 

hmm, where can i get drain plug gaskets without going to the dealer?

 

buy a bunch of them from an online dealer

Honda Maintenance and Replacement Parts - Bernardi Honda Parts and Accessories

 

I would not use a Fram oil filter. Only use Wix. I asked a highly respectable motorcycle mechanic if Fram oil filters really are as bad as i had heard and he said to only run them in engines you dont want to last. He also showed me the difference between a good filter like Wix and a bad one like fram. The Wix have a plunger that regulates the amount of oil flowing through it. Fram does not have this, and just by looking at it I could see that the amount of flowing oil was far less than that of the wix. When you have several gallons of oil flowing through here each minute, that could have a major impact on your engine over the course of thousands of miles. But then again there are probably people out there that have used fram oil filters all their life and not have had any problems.