Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Zetec Maintenance Good Oil & Filter

I think my oil change sequence is about normal.



Optional:
Jack up car on passenger side or use ramps.
This makes it easy to work under the car. Otherwise, it's pretty cramped under there.

1.
Remove oil cap on valve cover.

2.
Put oil pan(one to capture the old oil) under oil plug.

3.
Remove oil plug and let oil drain.

4.
Install oil plug after drain.

5.
Get some shop paper towels or some oil rags and put them around the oil filter seal.
Don't be stingy either. You want to soak up as much oil as you can.
This will help capture most if not all the oil that will seep out when you loosen the
oil filter.

6
Move oil pan so it's under the filter to catch any oil that
might not get absorbed by the towels/rags.


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Optional step: Poke hole in oil filter with phillips screwdriver and let it drain to oil pan.
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7.
Remove oil filter slowly. Don't let it drop and try to hold it with the hole toward the top when it's fully unscewed
so no oil leaks out. Yes, some oil is still in there.

8.
Put old oil filter in oil pan or in the oil filter box that came with the new oil filter.

9.
Wipe down the oil filter/pump ring on the engine with a clean rag.
Also, make sure the old oil filter gasket didn't get stuck on there. It's happened to me once.

10.
Take some fresh oil and put it in the oil container cap and then using your finger, take some oil from the cap and oil up the new oil filter gasket.
Circle the gasket a few times to assure there is sufficient oil on the gasket. It doesn't need to be soaked but make sure it's got oil on the entire gasket seal.

11.
Install new oil filter. Hand tighten then about a 1/4 turn with the oil filter wrench. Don't over tighten the oil filter.
Usually, the directions on the oil filter or oil filter box will tell you the same thing.

12.
Remove oil pan with old oil from under the car.

13.
Wipe off any oil that may have leaked on to ANYTHING or else you'll be smelling burning oil later...

14.
Pour in the new oil.

I've got the oil out, but ran into a problem when my adjustable oil filter tool would not go around the filter because of the alt in the way. Having someone run up to the store now to get a normal oil filter tool. This car us such a pain to get up in those tight spots. Now I know why Superlube would always remove my surp belt to get more room.

Oil filter wrenches aren't really required unless you take it to oil change places. They reef on them, while it should only take about 1/4 turn after it touches. Snug as a bug in rug.

It's just on there too tight to remove by hand. She got back with the right one, but it was too big for these small filters. So she is running backup to the store before they close. I'm really thinking hard about stabing this sucker with something and spining it around.

This car makes me want to buy a small truck. Still waiting.. her cell phone is off. God it's killing me having to wait and now it's dark outside.

Yeah just stab it. I've never needed to do it, but recall someone mentioning it.

EDIT: Here is one reference....

Clicky

LOL.. She came back with the right tool this time. Next time I should just go up there and do it myself..hah!

She said the guy was laughing when he asked "what kind of car is was"? And she said it was a "Mercury Mercury, hell I don't know?" Then she drove off and got half way to find out that part was still at the store. They were closing the doors and she had to talk her way back in to get it off the counter.

The filter came off fine with a few pulls. Did all the smearing of the seals and put the new one on back on. Plugged everything up good a tight. Filled the oil to the mark. Then drove around for a while. Checked and checked and don't see any leaks.

This is the funny part. I checked the oil when the car was runnings and I was like, "WTF how can there be so much oil in there!" I then turned off the car and came back 5 minutes later the check for leaks and then checked the oil level and it was right on the full marker line... WOOT!

I've popped my first car oil filter cherry!

NEVER check your oil while the car is running.