How long to let car cool off before Oil change

[demarpaint]

Let it cool until you feel you can do the job w/o getting burnt. I wear rubber gloves which protect against burns. So once I have the vehicle on the ramps, tools together etc, I drop the oil. If the filter is in a bad place that's really hot I'll wait for that to cool a bit.

 

[JGR]

I change it hot. However since I could not get the filter off the Dakota after changing the oil first one winter, I have changed my technique.

I drive it to operating temp,immediately put on ramps,loosen filter a little,take off oil fill cap and dipstick,drain oil till it just barely drips,reinstall drain plug and then change filter.

The Dak sat for a couple days one winter until I took off the passenger inner wheel well cover to get at the filter. What a pain! Even then I barely got it off. The filter seems to tighten up a little on this truck for some reason.

And yes, I put oil on the filter gasket and tighten it 1/2 to 3/4 turn after gasket contact with engine base.

 

[jorton]

1 hour, 15 minutes winter.

 

[cp3]

Both of my cars I can do hot without issue. Nitrile gloves work well, I find them a little tougher than latex. If you loosen the drain plug while pushing in on it you can get it to the point where it can be removed without loosing any oil. Then just pop it right out, with your hand coming at it from the side to the top, just a bit of oil on the finger tips of the glove and I always have a rag right there to clean it up. Wipe down the plug and stand it infront of the ramp with the wrench. If the filter is too hot on the G6, I just use a rag on it too.

Now both the Pontiacs have aluminum pans and I do remember the Saturn's steel pan making the drain plug a little hotter but nothing unbearable. Filter was a different story, a bit akward to get to and very messy. Took me a couple times to figure out how to get at it with out touching the exhaust pipe.

A side note for anyone with an I4 with a horizantal filter, I was told on a Saturn forum to cut up a 1 liter bottle so that you have just one side and the neck. So, cut off the bottom, both small sides and one of the wider sides and you're left with sort of a flat funnel. On the Saturn you could slide it in between a couple parts and it would stay there, dumping right beside the drain hole, over my drain pan. Now when I cracked filter, the oil coming out ended up in the drain pan not everywhere else. Don't know if it will work for many other cars but I thought I'd share.

 

[hooligan24]

Originally Posted By: Donald
Originally Posted By: hooligan24
i think the opposite, I like to go for a long drive and then let it sit over night before changing the oil. Anyone who has had to remove an oil pan before and watched how long oil drips for, knows that oil takes a long time to drip its way down to the pan. I have had a pan off my car for 2 days one time, and it was still dripping on me when I was installing the new one.

The longer the car sits, the more old/used oil will come out during an oil change. Oils will hold contaminants in suspension. no need to hurry and drain the oil to get those contaminants out, they will come out with the oil when you drain it.


I do not buy the "get every last drop out theory". The oil needs to be changed when its warm to hot. That way most of the contaminants are still in suspension and will flow out with the oil.

BTW, its common with marine engines to pump the oil out through the dipstick for an oil change. When that is done, upwards of 1 QT of old oil is left in. Boat owners just don't worry about it, so why worry about a few drops.

I let the oil run out until it changes from a stream to a series of drops, wipe the drain hole and put the drain plug back in.

\

so, you are saying the contaminants fall out of suspension when the oil cools down? I have samples that have been sitting on the shelf for a couple months now, there isnt a layer of contaminants sitting on the bottom of the containers

 

[30valve]

Just get cars with belly pans! Takes me 15-20 minutes to get the things off my Audi's + wrenches&pan out and able to drain the oil.

As it is draining I remove the old filter & prep/prefill the new filter. This allows enough time for the oil to drain out.

 

[johnachak]

Quote:


BTW, its common with marine engines to pump the oil out through the dipstick for an oil change. When that is done, upwards of 1 QT of old oil is left in. Boat owners just don't worry about it, so why worry about it?


I am a boat owner and my motor takes 5 qts. My vacuum oil changer holds 5+ qts. I always get 5 quarts out and when I put 5 qts back it is at the full mark. I had to change the oil pan recently as they only last 6 years or so in salt. There was no sludge in the pan after 6 1/2 years of sucking it out through the dipstick. New pan and the motor still took 5 qts.

 

[DavidZ28]

Long enough for me to raise the hood, change clothes, grab the oil, filter, tools, and a brewski. About 5 to 10 min.

 

[walk23]

Until recently I changed the oil and filter hot usually after a good drive, however I now change it after sitting overnight.

 

[antonmnster]

I've noticed in my clear containers of used oil that settling does occur. There's a layer at the bottom of the container that is what I really don't want in the engine.

If that happens outside the engine, it will probably happen in the oil pan. I run mine at least a couple miles before changing, maybe up to 120-140F or so.

On the BMW I just remove the plug with a socket wearing a couple nitrile gloves. I pop the filter out and let it drip and cool for a few minutes before wrestling the cartridge off its spindle. I really don't get any oil on me.

If I had a really messy car, I suppose I'd prefer it cool. I changed a friend's xB after a 40 mile drive on a 92F day and was really unhappy about it. The filter is recessed up into the pan and above a splash shield, so getting it out cleanly was not possible. Stupid FWD!

 

[johnsmellsalot]

I let my car cool until the upper radiator hose is cool enough to touch. Hot oil drains better than cold.

 

[Sonic]

Originally Posted By: hooligan24


The longer the car sits, the more old/used oil will come out during an oil change.


I used to think that this was not true and always changed oil hot. Last week I tried two oil changes after letting the motors sit overnight. I got way more oil out than usuall. It was however about 92 degrees in my garage. Usually get about 4.5 qts out of my van which holds 5. This time the pan I drain the oil into read just about 5qts. Same with my motorcycle which holds 3qts. I don't know, as far back as I can remember I've always been told to change oil right after you've driven the car. But if you can get more old oil out when cool, isn't that better? I think this is my new method unless there is some scientific evidence that hot is better.

 

[hooligan24]

i think part of the reason people go for a drive before changing the oil is not only to get the oil up to temp for faster draining, but also to burn off any fuel and moisture before they take a sample. When I park the car the night before the oil change, I make sure to park it where I wont have to start the engine again before I start draining the old oil out. Sure it takes longer to drain, but there will be a little more oil in the pan waiting to come out after it sits over night.

 

[ammolab]

Change the oil "HOT" but let it drain for a good 30min or so until you can touch the filter safely.

All oil drains into the pan "hot", right? The only way a cold drain can give you more oil is if you let it drain a LONG time!
No reason you can't let HOT oil drain a long time too!!

 

[mongo161]

I drain the oil when it's good and HOT and let it drain for at least 1/2 an hour. The hotter it is the faster it will flow out when you open the plug. I see these Fumoto oil drain levers on sale for draining oil but I'd never buy one. The reason I would not use the Fumoto, or any other oil drain gimmick, is because it drains too slow and any particles will remain in the bottom of the oil pan. With an HOT, FAST drain....the used oil flows out fast instead of a light stream into the drain pan.


IMO.....An example would be letting the water out of a sink or a bath tub....if the drain is clogged with sediment, hair etc... the water will drain out at a slower pace.....leaving lots of dirt and gunk behind.

I guess the same happens when you use one of these oil drain stream systems.....bits of metal, dirt and other particulate will remain in the pan with the slow drain.