After the complementary 5K oil change, I intend to perform the remaining changes myself. It appears that various documents point to the use of ramps, which I do not own. I want to use a floor jack with stands. Any reason why I see ramps as the "preferred" method? First tank avg 48.1 MPG in high 30's outside temp. I'm impressed.
I own ramps but it's impossible to drive up on them due to the low ground clearance.I block the rear wheels then use a floor jack and jackstands.The ramps would be the safest way if possible.Do not get under a car that is only held up by a jack. Another thing I do is fill the oil filter with new oil before installing to minimize the time that the engine runs w/o oil pressure.
I use an oil vacuum on mine via the dipstick tube but you still have to have the car elevated to change the filter. It's a pnenumatic Mityvac and I've used it on many vehicles and yes, I've tested to make sure it does in fact remove as much fluid as the drain plug method does on each vehicle. Kenopa . . . My Rhino ramps work perfectly. Yes the vehicle front end is low, but I have no trouble at all driving up on these ramps and dropping down the flap to get to the filter. There are several other long threads on this.
Yes. Rhino Ramps (made by a company named "Blitz") are the ones to go with. I learned about them when I bought my Mazda Protege. I just changed the oil myself (1200 mi!) this weekend. A word of warning: With the under body covers - it is a bit claustrophobic under there - especially if you're on a mechanic's creeper. It can be done - it just aint so comfy... One tip: Try using your left arm back around behind your head, instead of directly above your chest...
If you rotate tires with each oil change ramps are not the way to go. I use the front and rear center jack points and end up with the vehicle setting on 4 jack stands. This makes undercarriage inspection, tire rotation, and oil change possible. If you don't rotate tires or have someone else do it I guess either method would do the job.
I'd agree it's a good idea to get your car as high off the ground as possible. You also want to have a sturdy pan, or something like that, ready to catch the filter element and housing, plus its oil, when you remove it. This step can potentially be messy!
