DIY Oil Change

This is my first car and in the past I have always changed my own oil in my trucks. What are you guys doing to change your oil? Top side or bottom? If bottom, how are you lifting the car, with ramps, etc and are you lifting all four tires. If top side, what do you recommend for an extractor?

Plenty of threads here already about this. Do top or bottom whichever you prefer. What ever you lift with the car needs to be level to drain properly. Pela seems to be the prefered device for extraction.

http://www.goodboatgear.com/detail/19750/ Oil Extractors?gclid=COz6uvrcn7YCFUGrPAod028ARw

Top extraction with a pela 6000 pump is my preferred method.

Where are you dumping your used oil?

The closest storm drain , naturally!

I dump mine at WalMart or any of the Jiffy places. Seems like there was some legislation that required them to accept used oil from anyone. I don't know if it was only local/state/national though.

waste oil

Around here, alot of the shops use waste oil for heating and they are more than glad to take my used oil!

^ YUP! My buddy uses a waste oil heater at his shop. Neat!

P.S. I'm currently 6 years down in the brown truck

I've done my own 10K and 20K changes on the NMS. At 10K I pulled the plug first and went topside with my Pela to see what was left. I can tell you you're not going to get much more than a couple of ounces (if that) out of the filter housing and pan. I decided to go bottom side only on the 20K.

I experimented the other way around several years ago with my Golf. I did topside first, putting the Pela tube all the way to the pan, then getting everything I could out of the filter housing and cooler. After I got every bit I could, I then dropped the plug. I'd say 1/3 quart was left.

So, IMHO, if you have to pick one, go bottom side for maximum oil removal. Why fight gravity?

Regarding oil disposal, Delaware has free oil collection stations at the many recycling centers all over the state. Free service (well, after your tax money pays for it of course).

Here in IL, anyplace selling motor oil has facilities for collecting it (and this may be the law). All I do is take my used oil jug in and they have a tank in back at Auto Zone, Advance, or O'Reilly. Sometimes you have to take it back and empty it yourself (take paper towels or rags!) and sometimes they do it for you. Their attitude tends to be better if you buy your new oil there.