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Me and my friend tried to change the oil on my car, but one problem is my jack wouldn't put the car up high enough to give me enough leverage to break the bolt at the bottom of the tank. I tried to remove the bolt for hours and it wouldn't budge. However, I was able to get the filter off (by hand) and replace it, and we got out a lot of oil from the tank. I checked the dipstick to see how much was in there, and it appeared to be hardly at all, so we just went in and poured the new quart of oil in and called it a day.

How much of the engine oil actually comes out through unsrewing the filter without unscrewing the nut at the bottom of the tank? My change oil indicator is still on, my friend suggested it would shut off when it had the time to cycle through? Also, is there an affordable way to get your car high enough off the ground so you can put some real elbow grease into the breaker bar?

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  • I'd still try to drain the oil from the sump plug, as it's at the lowest point and where any muck or fragments might settle (also the sump plug is magnetic and attracts metal fragments and so should be cleaned every do often). As for your question "is there an affordable way to get your car high enough off the ground so you can put some real elbow grease into the breaker bar?" You can get a pair of ramps from between $50 - $100.
    – MeltingDog
    Jul 13, 2017 at 22:34
  • That really sucks. If there is any wear at all on the bolt, before removing it, I would go buy a new one. Best thing to do here is use an air impact wrench to remove the bolt. (in fact, I'd suspect your last oil change place used one to insert the bolt, ouch.) . Depending on where you live, you can sometimes drive two wheels of the car on the curb to get enough room underneath to remove the drain plug. Been there, done that.
    – zipzit
    Jul 14, 2017 at 7:15

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Depends on the size of the filter. Can hold anywhere from 1/2qt. to 3qts. Depending on the size. As for your maintenance light. You will have to reset it. The car can't tell if you changed the oil. The ramps are a good idea to do The job. Or just take it in to a shop and get the oil changed. If you compare how much time and cost of the parts. Did you really save a lot? But if you're trying to learn, that's great! Make sure the old o-ring/seal comes off with the old filter. Add the proper amount of oil and correct oil after draining. But most of all, work safe!

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  • Also on the location of the filter, maybe?
    – method
    Jul 14, 2017 at 2:32

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