Less oil drained using car ramps than on level surface?

[Corollaman]

I've used car ramps for years doing oil changes. I've read some opinions that using car ramps for oil changes gets out less dirty oil than draining oil on a level surface. Any truth to this or is it so minor of an amount it doesn't matter?

 

[SirTanon]

I doubt it makes much difference, but I suppose, depending on the geography of your oil pan, and where the drain plug is, it might make a slight difference. The drain plug on my Fusion is at the bottom back of the oil pan, so if anything, it means getting a slight bit MORE out of the engine when the car is up on ramps.

Honestly though, I'd be shocked if it was more than a couple ounces difference.

 

[PimTac]

As already mentioned, it depends mainly on where your drain plug is. Should be easy to visualize underneath your car.

 

[slacktide_bitog]

It is not enough to matter. At the very most, you're talking about a few ounces out of over a gallon. But most likely, it's not even that

The drain plugs are usually located at the very back of the oil pan and often slanted at an angle.

And it's not like the ramps put the car at a 45-degree incline

 

[CR94]

^^Right. That might also depend on how the head drains to the pan. I have to change oil with the front on ramps, but facing down a slight hill such that the car ends up approximately level. My previous car didn't require ramps, so I did it with the car facing the opposite way on the same hill, i.e. front highest, because the drain plug was at the rear of the pan---as are most.

 

[Bud]

Do what you have been doing. Reading opinions is just that, opinions. You don't get all the oil out of your engine anyway, just most of it.

 

[Corollaman]

My plug is on the side near the back of the pan.

 

[SirTanon]

Originally Posted by slacktide_bitog
And it's not like the ramps put the car at a 45-degree incline

Exactly. For example, when my Fusion is on my Rhino Ramps (8.5" height), the angle is roughly 4.53 degrees. Not enough to really matter that much.

 

[Whipcitywrencher]

Originally Posted by Corollaman
My plug is on the side near the back of the pan.


You might want to put it on ramps and jack it slightly on the opposite side.

 

[Corollaman]

Originally Posted by rollinpete
Originally Posted by Corollaman
My plug is on the side near the back of the pan.


You might want to put it on ramps and jack it slightly on the opposite side.

Maybe I'll get that extra ounce.... Guess it doesn't really matter since there's always left over oil in an engine when you do an oil change.

 

[ecotourist]

Originally Posted by SirTanon
For example, when my Fusion is on my Rhino Ramps (8.5" height), the angle is roughly 4.53 degrees. Not enough to really matter that much.

My driveway slopes toward the road. I put the back end toward the garage, put the ramps on the street side in front of the car and drive onto them. When I'm done it's as close to level as I can make it (without jacking), though a little higher at the front. As the drain plug is at the back end of the drain pan, that "should" make it drain a bit better. But I have to admit I've never tested the hypothesis.

 

[Rand]

or more drained.. in your case slightly more.. a couple ounces

on a subaru with the drainplug at a 45degree angle on the front of the oil pan.. slightly less.

So many other things to obsess about than this though..

 

[Kira]

I know it's psychological but that forward facing Subaru oil drain seems to empty faster than any other.
Maybe it's because the oil is shooting out AT YOU.

My driveway is slanted (main f to r axis) and is tilted (l to r axis) so I've always positioned any vehicle so the drain is as downhill as I can get it.

Even with that I've learned that adding 2X6's (or jacking the high side higher) before doing a transmission D&F on the V70's yields close to 4 quarts where the commonly cited drained amount is always 3.25 to 3.5 quarts.

 

[supton]

there's always some oil left behind in an engine. If you're not running the oil until it's completely worn out it's essentially all new once you dump in new oil--any "old' stuff that is close to the end is very diluted now.

Pick a method that is easiest to do. Heck I do my changes on cold engines--I don't think hot oil is sucking up stuff off the bottom of the pan. Nothing to suck up if the oil is being changed before it loses its ability to hold garbage in suspension...

 

[JC1]

Originally Posted by Corollaman
I've used car ramps for years doing oil changes. I've read some opinions that using car ramps for oil changes gets out less dirty oil than draining oil on a level surface. Any truth to this or is it so minor of an amount it doesn't matter?


When I do my oil changes. I jack it up and flip open the fumoto valve to get the oil flowing out. Once it's down to a trickle, I lower the jack and leave it another 5 mins.

Only on the Civic do I need the jackstands when changing the filter.

 

[dblshock]

hit the starter for a sec get another 1/2 pt.

 

[ecotourist]

Originally Posted by dblshock
hit the starter for a sec get another 1/2 pt.

My dad (who was born in 1903) taught me to start the engine and let it run for a couple of seconds to get the last bit of oil out. I used to do that when I was a kid. And no doubt you did get a bit more oil out. But I eventually concluded that was a bad idea. The oil pump may lose its prime when you do that, resulting in a few more seconds on the restart without oil pressure.

That might have been a good idea in the '20s and '30s but I don't think those last few few ounces of oil justify the risk. Similarly I don't believe in letting the oil drain for hours and hours.

There's even a case to be made that a little bit of old oil left behind and then mixed with the new oil is a good thing.

 

[dblshock]

I do, just to get as much as possible in reasonable time.

 

[SilverSnake]

I use my 56" Race Ramps for oil changes on all my vehicles. https://raceramps.com/car-ramps/garage-and-service-ramps/56-race-ramps/

On my 2016 Charger Scat Pack (6.4L Hemi), the drain plug is at the back of the pan. With a 7 quart capacity, all I can get out is 6.5 quarts. On my 2018 Jeep Grand Cherokee (5.7L Hemi), the drain plug is at the front of the pan. As with the Scat Pack, it has a 7 quart capacity and all I can get out is 6.5 quarts. I am not concerned about the remaining 1/2 quart in either vehicle.

Turning over the starter to get out a little bit more oil is something I would NEVER consider. Years ago, I had a neighbor who would put his car up on ramps to change the oil. Once he had the oil drained and the new filter on, he would start the car back it down off the ramps, shut it off and then add the new oil. All I could do is shake my head when I saw him do that. Just one more reason I do not buy used cars.

 

[4wd]

My Tahoe and Z71 have small steel sumps on the rear of aluminum pan. They are so far rearward that once on ramps you go under behind FR wheel and don't need to take the covers off to get to plug or filters ...

Drains well … the filter mount must drain most of a quart …