mada1

I get the car up on the jack stands no problem. I have loosened the front wheel because the oil cooler is in the front and that is where you have one of the two drain plugs...NOT!
I read the forums, but guess I was high b/c I thought it was there. Then I realize that it is in front of the right rear wheel. I place the pan/container combo that I boght ar autozone and let er rip. Oil everywhere...the oil came out so fast that the hole could not keep up with the flow. QUICK. put the plug back in! Too late, at least a quart on the garage floor. Clean it up and finish that part.
Next, on to the case. I get under with my trusty autozone contraption and a spare bucket just in case... and loosen what I thought was the right plug.

WRONG! I just took out the pressure plug and the spring and spare parts that go with it. I manage to put it back in with oil everywhere in about 20 min. I had to go to my online manual the see the order of how to put it back. Also you have to apply pressure to it and put it in gingerly with oil everywhere.

I get it in and realize that I forgot the washer. Should I reuse it?? OK. I do and proceed to crush it out of shape. No good. So off to Sunset Porsche (20 min drive) to get a $.35 part. I get there and there buy the part. BTW there is a CGT in the back waiting to be serviced...very cool!

I get home get the new washer in and torque it to 40lbs.
Now I can finally drain the oil and finish the job.

The rest went without incedent and I get the oil in and nice and hot and to the right point on the dipstick.
Clean up and mission accomplished...5 hours later.
WHEW.

chris walrod

Just think, next time, it'll be a one hour job, or less!

jjbunn

Sounds like a nightmare ... but a darned funny one!

Dave R.

Congratulations.

Best pan I've found is this one by Blitz, 5 gallons.

Did you drill or puncture the upper surface of the (old) oil filter to let air in while draining the tank and crankcase, so that oil drains from the filter and arced hose in the wheel well back into the case and tank? It really works - prevents oil from spilling when removing the old filter.

I use a 1/8" drill bit to make a hole in the filter, then patch it over with tape to eliminate drips when I spin the filter off.

stevepaa

You are very luck you live so close to Sunset. I get my parts from them.

Also you can punch a small hole using a good size nail in the oil filter and the end and apply a little air pressure to push all the oil out of the filter so there is only a drop to clean up when you do remove the filter.


Not quite as bad as what I did the first time.

I drained the transaxle fluid by mistake.

Richard Curtis

Mada 1: Your experience sounds perfectly normal. Welcome to the club.

TR6

And to think, those pirates at the repair shop wanted $115 to do this!

ttAmerica RoadsterAWD

Ah......this is so funny cause same thing happen to me!!

Well, not the part where I thought the drain plug was on the front, but the part where I place a Pep-Boys, low clearance black container with the yellow wide funnel.......Damn, all that oil quickly overflowed the funnel and onto the garage floor. Then it was saw dust from Home depot to sop up the mess. Live and learn. Anyway later thru the net I found out it happens many times to first time oil changers (DIY).

Tip: Dont' forget to make sure your car is warmed up properly when refilling:
1. allow to idle until the oil thermostat opens and sends warm oil to the oil cooler (you will know this cause the right front fender will get hot to the touch.

2. make sure it's level

3. you can either use the dip stick, or, believe it or not, the gauge in the instrument panel is actually accurate, but many guys poo-poo it because they fail to due #1 above, specifically waiting till *ALL* the oil is hot-not just the oil in the engine, but the cold oil that's recruited from oil reservoir ahead of the right front tire, and the oil going into the oil cooler and all the lines. This happens only when the oil thermostat opens.....then its just a matter of time till this cooler circulating oil is warmed up to operating temperature.

4. dont' forget there is also oil to be drained from under the engine. I screwed up my first oil change by not draining the crank case oil.

5. If you are really ****, you can lift the front of the car higher than the rear to gravity pool oil from the front oil cooler and lines.

Unless anybody else can think of anything else, I think this is it...right??

Jaime

DJS

I still haven't changed oil myself - have always let my garage do it at annual service time - but I must loose my virginity soon! So just one question - does the undertray have to come off to drain the crankcase? I seem to remember that Adrian's book says yes, but that there is no mention of having to do so in the owners handbook.

Thanks,

David

Gary R.

You skipped the part where you took the filter off and oil just keeps flowing and flowing and flowing..

Larry Herman

+ =

Wachuko

This is so funny because it has happen to many of us... I just ended up pouring oil in all the grout to make the floor look even... lot less work than cleaning the grout where the spill occurred...

I now have three of these...



I have now seen these around... less likely to overflow while the oil gets inside..

Marc Shaw

No, there is a cut-out in the undertray to the left of the midline that allows access to the crankcase drain plug.....but removing the undertray does make it easier to jack up the car.

Marc

911skb

Good story Adam. We are lucky that Sunset is near by.

My first oil change story went very different.
1-Bought the biggest drip pan.
2-Researched like crazy how to do it.
3-Researched like crazy which oil is the "best".
4-Planned a weekend.
5-Wimped out and took it to the shop!

But the floor stayed clean.......

ilko

So is this guy not big enough, or is it that the opening is not wide enough to hold the Great 911 Oil Flood?



I bought one because it said it was 15 quarts I think, which should be more than enough. I haven't changed the oil on my car yet (I've only had it for a month), but plan to do so in the spring.