Oil Changes At Home

[onewildwillie]

I know this is stupid but I just bought a 03 alero and I want to do my own oil changes. my last vehicle had the regular metal filter etc. located on the bottem of the engine. first of all, the owners manual just shows jack points located on the side of the car. is there somewhere that a floor jack can be placed in order to get under the car to remove the oil nut to drain the oil. and I think i found the filter located on the driver side of the engine toward the center front, in a slightly ackward place..? again the owners manual dosn't show the oil filter location.
thanks in advance :unsure:

[bigd6983]

well you gotta mention what engine you have, if you have the 3400 its in the back a little off-center and at an angle, cant miss it, jack your car up, take off the shroud, you will see the nut, then the oil filter, the 4.5 quarts of oil.......oil change on this car is really easy, especially if you had a set of those ramps you could drive up onto, thats where i spend most my time just setting up the jack and everything......

if you got the 2.2 or 2.4 i know one of them is a lil different and it uses a different style filter and you will hafta post in their forums so one of those guys can help you out.....

[cherrington17]

i don't know if there was a sport suspension option on these or if just getting on those ramps is a paint in the sac.... i got some from a friend and i couldn't get my bumber more then halfway up the ramp. it just didn't work. i ended up useing the ramps for half, the jacking it up the other half of the way.

but yeah, the oil changes are really easy. (just be aware that if your dealer was like mine, the oil pan nut is REALLY hard to get off.) i think they impact wrenched it on there. <_<

[Schimmel03]

I have a stock ride height on my car and it made it up my Rhino Ramps just fine. If I remeber correctly the nut and filter are located towards the back of the engine and on the passengers side. Don't quote me on that, cuz I changed the oil on 3 cars that day so I don't remember if thats right.

[FormulaNERD]

the nut is on the pan, directly underneath the engine, and the filter is almost centered on the front of the engine, right under the exhaust manifold. along with the oil pressure sending unit and the knock sensor.

[onewildwillie]

thanks a million for the responses, this is the first time I have used a forum. anyway it's a 2.4L and I dont have ramps :huh:

[FormulaNERD]

ok, the 4 cyl is a little different, and there is a thread that talks about the 2.2l and how the filter is a "special cartridge" type, but i'm not sure about the 2.4. my buddy changes this girls oil in her 2.4 cavy, and i'm pretty sure that it's a regular style oil filter, and you wont need ramps because he uses a regular car jack.

just be careful, i personally wouldnt crawl under a car with a jack under it, not even a good floorjack, only a lift, or if it were on jackstands, but that's up to you.

[Schimmel03]

:withstupid:

If you don't have ramps, I would highly reccomend them. In my opinion you can lift the car a lot higher with ramps than you can with a jack. Plus they're a lot safer than a floor jack. Anyhow, you can pick up a set of ramps from probably any autoparts store. I got mine through Oreilly's since I work there. I got mine for like $10 but you can probably pick them up for around $25.

[bigd6983]

Originally posted by FormulaNERD@Dec 17 2004, 08:41 AM
just be careful, i personally wouldnt crawl under a car with a jack under it, not even a good floorjack, only a lift, or if it were on jackstands, but that's up to you.
cmon man, you gotta live dangerously lol i jack up one side with a jack and use a 2x4 on the other side :D nah im jk, yea definately a ramp or jack stands, just to be safe

[wy3134]

you can improvise like i do, and just drive the car up onto some pieces of wood stacked up, i get my car up about 5 inches off the ground using solid pieces of wood that are big enough for the tire and a little play in case the car rolls a bit. i just put a piece of plywood (type used for walls and the like) and works like a charm! and a lot safer than using floor jacks

[brsexton]

If you have a 2003 then you have the 2.2L Ecotec. That was the only 4cyl you could get in 02--04. You don't access the filter from under the car with this motor. Its a cartridge type filter that is replaced under the hood. Do a search for more detail.

[Vtolds]

The filter on the 2.4 is under the intake Manifold you have to get at it from the top you cant take it off under the car without a hard time getting your arms up in there easiest is from the top.

[Redog]

USe a 15mm wrench. I don't use a socket wrench, I feel as though I put too much downward torque on the plug

[Vtolds]

^easier to round the bolt head off also which is never good.

[onewildwillie]

I can't believe how much help you people have been to this old guy
It is a 2.2 I have had a look at it and yes it is a special cartridge access is from the top . I have jack stands so tomorrow gona give it a try. I did have ramps but someone borrowed them and now can't remember who..
Thanks a bunch to one and all B)

[jackal2000]

glad i could help :thumbsup:

[FormulaNERD]

Originally posted by jackal2000@Dec 17 2004, 09:13 PM
glad i could help :thumbsup:
haha, loser.

[Oldsman]

Originally posted by bigd6983+Dec 17 2004, 09:47 AM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (bigd6983 @ Dec 17 2004, 09:47 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-FormulaNERD@Dec 17 2004, 08:41 AM
just be careful, i personally wouldnt crawl under a car with a jack under it, not even a good floorjack, only a lift, or if it were on jackstands, but that's up to you.
cmon man, you gotta live dangerously lol i jack up one side with a jack and use a 2x4 on the other side :D nah im jk, yea definately a ramp or jack stands, just to be safe [/b][/quote]
concrete blcks are better..............LOL

[Oldsman]

Originally posted by onewildwillie@Dec 17 2004, 09:05 PM
I can't believe how much help you people have been to this old guy
It is a 2.2 I have had a look at it and yes it is a special cartridge access is from the top . I have jack stands so tomorrow gona give it a try. I did have ramps but someone borrowed them and now can't remember who..
Thanks a bunch to one and all B)
the cap you have to remove, to get to the filter, is plastic so just put that in the back of your head when you go to remove it.