Oil change
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2008
Posts: 988
Likes: 7
From: Sarasota Fl
The factory jacking locations are the best. Get on your knees and look on the rocker panels. There should be two triangles close together in both the front and rear of each side of the car. The space between the triangles is where you should place your jackstands and or/jack. For an oil change, I only jack up the front. This helps in letting the oil drain quicker out of the pan and I don't have to jack up the car on all fours.
This is exactly what I do for the oil change:
Preparation: Gather all tools necessary for job. This includes one socket for the oil drain plug, 2 jack stands, jack, a ratchet, oil catch pan, new oil filter (recommended to change filter every other time), filter socket (available at almost any auto parts store), disposable shop towels, gloves.
1. Drive car around for one or two minutes to heat up oil. Caution: you do not want the oil to be too hot or when you change the oil you could not only be burnt by hot oil, but by hot exhaust pipes. This step is to heat up the oil making it flow out easier and loosen any built up sludge that may be lingering. Look at your oil gauge and when its at 100, I like to leave it for a couple minutes to cool while I prepare all my tools, turn on the radio, etc.
2. Block rear tires with blocks.
3. Place jack on metal frame that curves inward near the front pre-cat. I jack from this location and not on the rocker panel because it is a tight fit to get a four legged jack stand in there with a jack in the way. Whenever jacking the car watch out for brake lines, fuel lines, and cats.
4. Jack up the car to the height which is comfortable for you to slide underneath and change the oil.
5. Place the jack stand between the two triangles on the rocker panel.
6. Repeat for other side.
7. Once I have it jacked up, I used to slide a piece of cardboard underneath to lay on, but now I have a creeper (a good one can be had at Sears for $25 or so and is soooo worth it). Also slide your oil catch pan underneath.
8. Now find the oil pan plug and match it with the appropriate socket.
9. Loosen and drain the oil. The quick oil change places change your oil in like 10 minutes. I find that even after 10 minutes I still have steady dripping. Let it drain until the time between dripping is considerable.
10. Remove oil filter if you are replacing. This will also contain oil, so don't turn it upside down right away unless you want oil all over yourself.
11. Replace drain plug. Before you insert the new oil filter, check to see if the old seal is stuck on the oil filter fitting. If it is, remove it now. If not, continue and take some new motor oil and spread it on the new seal. Put on new oil filter as per the box instructions on tightening.
12. Lower car by placing jack as per step 3 and jack it higher than the jackstand. Remove the jackstand on one side and SLOWLY lower the jack. Repeat for other side.
13. Pour new oil in. Check for level, add as necessary.
14. Run it and check level again, and for leaks. If you see any, this may indicate you messed up the filter or plug installation.
15. Reset OIL LIFE MONITOR. Do a search on here for how to do that.
P.S. When tightening the oil drain plug, there is a specific torque specification. Mine is 20 ft/lbs, but your 93 may be different.
Good luck,
Jonathan
Picture of Front Jack Location
(Disclaimer: I have the car up on all fours and decided I needed the jackstands located under the frame near the precats. I figured I would have more room to move about with a larger gap between front and rear jacks. If you look really hard, you can see the two triangles indicating factory jacking location - the triangle most towards the rear can be seen at the very left of the picture at the bottom of the car (look hard). You can also see the jack I have is at an angle to go under the frame more torwards the engine. However, you can simply place the jackstands on the factory jack locations for your purposes).
This is exactly what I do for the oil change:
Preparation: Gather all tools necessary for job. This includes one socket for the oil drain plug, 2 jack stands, jack, a ratchet, oil catch pan, new oil filter (recommended to change filter every other time), filter socket (available at almost any auto parts store), disposable shop towels, gloves.
1. Drive car around for one or two minutes to heat up oil. Caution: you do not want the oil to be too hot or when you change the oil you could not only be burnt by hot oil, but by hot exhaust pipes. This step is to heat up the oil making it flow out easier and loosen any built up sludge that may be lingering. Look at your oil gauge and when its at 100, I like to leave it for a couple minutes to cool while I prepare all my tools, turn on the radio, etc.
2. Block rear tires with blocks.
3. Place jack on metal frame that curves inward near the front pre-cat. I jack from this location and not on the rocker panel because it is a tight fit to get a four legged jack stand in there with a jack in the way. Whenever jacking the car watch out for brake lines, fuel lines, and cats.
4. Jack up the car to the height which is comfortable for you to slide underneath and change the oil.
5. Place the jack stand between the two triangles on the rocker panel.
6. Repeat for other side.
7. Once I have it jacked up, I used to slide a piece of cardboard underneath to lay on, but now I have a creeper (a good one can be had at Sears for $25 or so and is soooo worth it). Also slide your oil catch pan underneath.
8. Now find the oil pan plug and match it with the appropriate socket.
9. Loosen and drain the oil. The quick oil change places change your oil in like 10 minutes. I find that even after 10 minutes I still have steady dripping. Let it drain until the time between dripping is considerable.
10. Remove oil filter if you are replacing. This will also contain oil, so don't turn it upside down right away unless you want oil all over yourself.
11. Replace drain plug. Before you insert the new oil filter, check to see if the old seal is stuck on the oil filter fitting. If it is, remove it now. If not, continue and take some new motor oil and spread it on the new seal. Put on new oil filter as per the box instructions on tightening.
12. Lower car by placing jack as per step 3 and jack it higher than the jackstand. Remove the jackstand on one side and SLOWLY lower the jack. Repeat for other side.
13. Pour new oil in. Check for level, add as necessary.
14. Run it and check level again, and for leaks. If you see any, this may indicate you messed up the filter or plug installation.
15. Reset OIL LIFE MONITOR. Do a search on here for how to do that.
P.S. When tightening the oil drain plug, there is a specific torque specification. Mine is 20 ft/lbs, but your 93 may be different.
Good luck,
Jonathan
Picture of Front Jack Location
(Disclaimer: I have the car up on all fours and decided I needed the jackstands located under the frame near the precats. I figured I would have more room to move about with a larger gap between front and rear jacks. If you look really hard, you can see the two triangles indicating factory jacking location - the triangle most towards the rear can be seen at the very left of the picture at the bottom of the car (look hard). You can also see the jack I have is at an angle to go under the frame more torwards the engine. However, you can simply place the jackstands on the factory jack locations for your purposes).
Last edited by janarvae; Jun 7, 2008 at 11:22 AM.
