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AmazonBasics 6-Pack High Mileage Motor Oil - Synthetic Blend
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By Counterman
Oil changes continue to be one of the most common DIY repairs performed on vehicles today. According to a recent Counterman P.A.R.T.S. report, changing the engine oil was the second-most popular DIY auto care job, behind only changing the wiper blades.
Changing the oil and filter is right in the sweet spot for do-it-yourself (DIY) vehicle owners: It’s a regular maintenance task that’s critical to the overall health and longevity of the engine, and it’s easy to perform. It’s the sort of basic maintenance that can be performed by someone who might not get their hands dirty otherwise. Chances are you’ve had a DIYer in your store asking how to get started. Let’s talk about some of the tips you can share with your DIY customers to help them change their own oil – and do it right.
Essential Tools vs. Non-Essential Tools
Tools are a long-term investment. They may cost more than they’ll save on the first oil change, but they pay for themselves in the long run!
Let’s start with the essential tools that every DIYer should have in their garage. At the top of this list, we find a jack and jack stands. Whenever you’re working underneath a vehicle, you need to make sure that it’s lifted up on level ground, and that it’s safely supported with jack stands. If you lift the vehicle up with a hydraulic jack, and don’t support it with jack stands, the jack can lose pressure and the vehicle will start to lower itself. If you’re underneath the vehicle when this happens, it can be deadly. Be safe, be smart and live to wrench another day. If any of the wheels are coming off, I place them underneath the vehicle for an added layer of protection. My thinking is simple: If something went wrong, having to replace a wheel and/or tire could be the least of my problems!
As a personal rule, I like to use jack stands that are rated for far more weight than I’ll ever put onto them. I have a number of 4-ton and 6-ton jack stands, and I prefer them over the less expensive 2-ton stands due to their increased footprint, and more robust construction.
link hidden, please login to viewFigure 1 Next on the list are the basic tools and supplies you’ll need to finish the job. You’ll need a basic set of sockets, wrenches and ratchets. You’ll also need some form of tool to remove the oil filter or filter housing cap (Figure 1). It’s worth mentioning that you may need to purchase specialty tools to remove the drain plug or filter housing on certain applications. For example, Volkswagen uses a proprietary tool to remove the plastic drain plugs from its modern four-cylinder engines. GM Ecotec engines require a special socket to remove the filter housing cap on its 1.4T and 1.8-liter four-cylinder engines. These are only two examples of many, so it’s best to do some online research before starting the job. Make sure you have all the tools you need on hand BEFORE you start to drain the oil.
You’ll need some form of drain pan or container to catch the oil as it drains out of the engine. It’s a good idea to have some old rags or towels on hand to clean up any spills or messes along the way, and I usually have a can of brake cleaner for added cleaning “umph.”
Finally, let’s talk about personal protective equipment (PPE). It’s a good idea to wear safety glasses to protect your eyes, and gloves to protect your skin.
Tips & Tricks
First and foremost, a DIY customer probably will have a lot of questions about what type of oil they need, how much oil their engine holds and more. While you may be able to lookup fluid specifications and capacities in your catalog, your DIY customers won’t have access to something like that. But a quick Google search should get them on the right track. I would always advise them to follow the OE maintenance guide and specifications, regardless of mileage or age.
There are a lot of things that you’ll learn through experience. Any tips, pointers or advice you can share with your DIY customers can go a long way toward helping them, and might just be the thing that gets them back to your store for the next repair. For example, some oil-drain plugs feature a gasket or crush washer that seals up against the oil pan. This type of gasket will need to be replaced at every oil change. A leaky drain plug can be a real pain, and could be really discouraging to a DIYer after their first oil change.
Then there are the little things that just make the whole job go a little bit smoother. I like to keep some old, cut-up cardboard boxes around the garage. In a pinch, they work great as a “poor man’s creeper.” Sometimes you don’t have enough room under the vehicle to slide around on a creeper, so the cardboard gives me something to lay on without having to lay directly on the cold, concrete floor.
When replacing a spin-on oil filters, always wipe off the mounting surface before installing the new filter. This ensures that any dirt or debris will be wiped away, AND if the gasket was stuck in place, you’ll either feel it, or you’ll knock it off of there. If you installed the new oil filter on top of the old gasket, it wouldn’t seal correctly. The result would be a massive blowout, leaving oil all over the garage floor. Not a great way to spend an afternoon!
link hidden, please login to viewFigure 2 The same applies to cartridge oil filters, but for different reasons. Cartridge oil filters are held in place by a filter housing cap. This cap will contain one or more O-rings that seal inside the housing. These O-rings need to be replaced with every oil change, and they’re almost always included with the new cartridge oil filter. Whatever you do, don’t double up these O-rings! This can lead to massive oil leaks, but it also can make the filter housing cap nearly impossible to remove (Figure 2).
Finally, always dispose of the used oil safely. If your store will take used oil, be sure to let your customers know. If your store cannot take in used oil, make a list of nearby shops that will. Some shops use oil-burning heaters, so they may take used oil without a charge to the customer.
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By Counterman
ENEOS USA Inc. recently announced that ENEOS X Prime 0W-8 fully synthetic motor oil will be available in spring 2023.
The ultra-low-viscosity 0W-8 was created in partnership with Asian OEMs, which requested the special formulation to meet stringent emissions and economy standards. Not only will ENEOS X Prime 0W-8 oil be supplied to manufacturers for factory-fill requirements, but it also it will be available for oil changes by dealer networks and for DIY maintenance.
Applications
ENEOS X Prime 0W-8 is 100% synthetic oil developed in partnership with Asian automakers for use in the latest hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) where 0W-8 is specified. This currently includes vehicles from Honda, Toyota, Nissan and Mitsubishi. The oil also is suitable for battery electric vehicles (BEV) fitted with thermal gasoline engines used as a range extender. A number of 2023 production vehicles will require 0W-8, including the Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit, and Nissan Dayz.
Testing and Standards
ENEOS extensively market-tested X Prime 0W-8 in Japan for nine years to produce this optimized formula, which provides extreme fuel efficiency with maximum engine protection, while meeting the required domestic standards, according to the company. ENEOS helped establish the JASO GLV-1 specification, creating and establishing the testing methods while performing engine-testing methods with OEM-provided test engines. ENEOS 0W-8 meets these new JASO GLV-1 standards. No API or ILSAC 0W-8 testing standards currently exist.
Packaging
ENEOS USA Inc. will release ENEOS X Prime 0W-8 in single 1-quart containers (part No. 3000-300). More information will be available closer to production.
Additional details are available on the
link hidden, please login to view. ENEOS is the largest oil company in Japan. As the “original JDM oil,” ENEOS has been working in partnership with Asian automakers for decades. As part of this partnership, ENEOS has in-house testing facilities where the company follows strategies developed with each OEM partner to meet their vehicle and performance specifications, particularly for the tighter tolerances of Asian engines that are now being seen more in European and domestic vehicles.
ENEOS provides R&D and factory fill for Asian automakers in factories around the world. This access provides ENEOS with unreleased vehicle specifications, allowing the organization to develop lubrication formulations that specifically meet (or exceed) vehicle needs. Because of these partnerships, ENEOS products are designed to anticipate future requirements beyond current domestic vehicle standards.
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By NAPA
Ideally an oil drain plug should always thread in and out easily. It isn’t a structural fastener, just a plug to hold back fluid. But it can be awkward laying under a car trying to get an oil drain plug started when you feel a little resistance. Maybe it is just a piece of crud and the plug will free up in another turn. Except it doesn’t free up and now it is tight and nowhere near seated. Or just as bad the plug now turns freely but doesn’t seat. Now you have a problem. Let’s take a look at how to fix a cross threaded oil drain plug and other oil drain plug problems.
How To Fix Cross Threaded Oil Drain Plug
If your oil drain plug starts to tighten up before it is seated against the oil pan drain hole, it is link hidden, please login to view. At the very first sign of resistance you need to stop tightening the plug and back it out again. Once the oil drain plug has been removed you will need to repair the oil drain plug hole threads with a
link hidden, please login to view. This special tool typically comes as a kit with several different thread sizes. Pick the repair tool with the thread size that matches your oil drain plug. Apply a few drops of lubricant to the repair tool and gently thread it into the oil drain plug hole turning it slowly by hand. The repair tool will repair the threads as it goes. Be careful to not allow the repair tool to pass completely through the oil pan drain plug hole, stay within the threaded area. Use a new oil pan drain plug (the old one may be damaged) and thread it in gently by hand to verify the repair. How To Fix A Stripped Oil Drain Plug Hole
The first step in how to fix stripped oil drain plugs is to not panic. Once you realize that the oil drain plug won’t tighten, immediately stop turning it. Try to reverse the drain plug out of the hole by hand. If the drain plug only spins in place but does not back out, try inserting a flat-tip screwdriver blade behind the head of the bolt and gently prying away from the pan. Turn the drain plug slowly to help the remaining threads catch on the drain hole. The plug should come out.
Once the drain plug is out it is best to just replace it with a new one. To address the stripped oil drain plug hole you have a few options. You can install a
link hidden, please login to view to renew the drain threads. You can also use an link hidden, please login to viewg or a link hidden, please login to view. Lastly you can try link hidden, please login to view the drain hole for a larger drain plug, but this is best done with the oil pan removed from the vehicle to contain any metal shavings. How To Fix A Stripped Oil Pan Drain Plug
The easiest answer to “how to fix stripped oil drain plugs” is to simply replace the plug with a new one. A new oil drain plug is cheap insurance against a potential oil leak. While it is entirely possible to repair screw threads, the cheap cost of a new drain plug isn’t worth gambling with your engine’s lifeblood.
Oil Pan Replacement
If all else fails then the only solution is an oil pan replacement. Depending on how your vehicle was engineered this may be an easy job requiring removing just a few oil pan bolts, or it could require removing the entire engine from the vehicle. Some newer vehicles have plastic oil pans which may not be repairable with common methods.
If none of these methods work you can always try a
link hidden, please login to view. These link hidden, please login to view are meant to seal the oil drain hole regardless of the thread conditions. Resist the temptation to use sealants as they might leak back into the oil pan and clog the oil pump pickup. You will still need to perform routine maintenance on your engine, so whichever route you take make sure the oil can still be drained in the future. Check out all the
link hidden, please login to view available on link hidden, please login to view or trust one of our 17,000 link hidden, please login to view for routine maintenance and repairs. For more information on how to fix stripped oil drain plug threads, chat with a knowledgeable expert at your local link hidden, please login to view. The post
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