Top Down Oil Change
 

Has any one tried this top down oil change device?
http://www.edmunds.com/how-to/the-to...il-change.html
The Fit was one of the 2 cars tested in the article.
Cheers
Tim

pointless since you still have to get under the car to change the filter.

don't want to "wrestle" with the oil drain plug bolt? get something like:

Pump handle 15 times?

I'd rather smack the ratchet once. :p

Besides, Goobers is right, you have to jack up the car and crawl down there to get the filter anyway. I guess it has a slight advantage of being potentially less messy, but once you've done an oil change once or twice you get good at not spilling.

If I had a car with a topside oil filter i'd be totally down for this contraption.

the bolt in the dipstick neck gets in the way. ask me how I know.

What bolt in the dipstick neck?

Jack up the car to change the oil filter?
It looks to me you can lie in front of the car and reach the oil filter.
Tim

there's some kind of obstruction in there. It tore mine up.

Oh my I hope you got the hose all out.
I got a 1/4"plastic line in but I had to push past something.
The review in edmonds did not sound like they had a problem with the Fit.
How big was your hose?
Tim

Idk but the hot oil combined with the obstruction broke it.

+1 for Fumoto Valve. Best $30 ever spent.

I thought of installing a fumoto valve but with all the chunks of hard snow and ice that scrape the undercarriage of my car during winter, I'm glad I didn't bother. Removing the oil drain plug is sooo easy that I don't mind it. My trick is that after I've broken the bolt, I keep my index on the top of the bolt and unscrew it between my thumb and ring finger. When I feel it is totally loose, I'm real carful to keep it trapped with my index so I don't have to fish it out of my oil drain pan and so it keeps the oil from spewing out. After adjusting my grip, I just quickly move the bolt away and let the oil drain into the pan. I also keep a sandwich bag handy to dispose of the oil filter. I rarely spill even a drop of oil.

I considered the special pump system but it's so easy getting under the car with my rhino ramps, I'm glad I went with the traditional oil change method. The only thing I really wish I had was a compact creeper. I don't want a huge 4 foot long thing, I wish I just had a small on that could fit under my back.

Top Down Oil Change?
I always do a "Hand Over" Oil Change.
I hand over the cash....The dealership does the Oil Change.

I don't see the reason for this (sucking oil out the dipstick tube). If you have a boat where you can't access the oil pan plug, sure. The author did this because he has Lotus that requires removal of the car's belly pan. That makes sense too.

That said, I've wrestled with the DIY or not equation. The dealer or other oil change providers offer cheap oil changes as a loss leader: a way to market you more stuff. If you're resistant to marketing tricks, then it's a bargain. But there is still the question of competence and integrity; they're not putting their best mechanics on the oil change line.

My wife insists on taking her ancient Camry to Toyota for oil changes (every 3,000 miles. ye gods. She has other qualities I appreciate though). The last time they told us it needed over $2,000 in other repairs including, valve cover gaskets $700, rebuilt steering rack and pump $1,500. I had to threaten to withhold sex to get her to turn them down. When we went to pick up the car Toyota (Cobb County Toyota in Kennesaw) told us that oil "was pouring out of the engine."

Got it home, and after a romp in the br, went to look at the car, and yes, there was a puddle of fresh oil on the garage floor. Took it to another mechanic and they found that the oil plug had been stripped and was dripping fresh 10w30. $60 for an oversized plug and threading it and 4 qts of oil and it was right as rain. They said the valve cover gaskets were fine for a 14 year old car, same with the steering and rack.

That was 6 months ago. Not a drop of oil or power steering fluid has been found on the garage floor.

On the Fit, I've switched to DIY as it's out of warranty and has new tires. I hate waiting to have the tires rotated for free so I bought jack stands and a floor jack (I also had the excuse my son bought a Miata and we'd be doing extensive work underneath it). I've since done two rotations and one oil change. Is it worth it? Not if I didn't have my son's car as an excuse to buy the stands and jack.

What's the moral? Spend money and time for tools and effort and DIY or pay through the nose (or find a mechanic you can actually trust).

I used the Top side because my prelude SH had its oil filter up top so i could change my oil without jacking my car up or getting under it. No getting on my back in a dirty or wet parking lot. That thing works excellent also (4 QT of oil every time).

Looking around at who uses the top down oil change, it seems a lot of BMW Minis are using it. I can see why they use it and it does have a good purpose since more and more cars are having the filters on top.

Yeah I used to be able to do the whole oil change without jacking the Fit up.

Then I lowered the car.

:rotfl:

Oh well.

From what i've gathered on the forums it's much easier to do this on the base than the sport. The low hanging bumper on the sport makes it a little more difficult apparently

Anyway, the jacking portion is easily replaced with ramps if you want to, that that part is pretty unimportant.

I am not touching these lines.

Oh I was at dealer for an oil change and filter this morning. Read my book in a comfortable chair while waiting.

I use to change my oil all the time except in the winter and rotate the tires. But I found a Toyota and Honda dealer that offers great service so rather then being on the ground or jacking up the car for a few more dollars I let them do the service.