I searched, but didn't find what I was looking for - so if it's out there, then... I'm an idiot.

anyone w/ an xB changed their own oil? is there anything to it? I'd like to, but wanna know if there's anything odd, or anything I should look out for. I know how to reset the "maint req'd" light. and know it's just a tad less than 4 qts.

I plan to use the Toyota filter and 10W30 oil.

"... Prestone, no make that Quakerstate."

 

I still have not made it through my first 3 'free' oil changes yet, but I've seen some sites selling an 'Oil Plug Gasket' they say has to be replaced every time you change your oil.

Other than that, I've seen no reason to think that the xB would be different from any other car.

 

i thought they used 5w-30 for these engines i know my xa does

 

If your car is slammed, it will be a bit more fun. You might want to have a filter wrench incase the filter is on wicked tight. If you plan on owning this car for awhile, consider using Mobil 1 syn. oil.


GL!

 

i dont know if i would like to have milk jugs of dirty oil sitting around my garage. is the cost of buying the filters and the oil worth the price difference? are there any other replaceables people always use?

i am interested in the synthetic, but the dealers only use dont use it for the freebie changes.

 

The price difference isn't that big, but most people do it themselves just because they like changing their own oil or working on their own cars.

 

For a few bux you can get an oil drain pan that is a combination drain pan and container. Look at any auto parts store. It's great for draining the used oil and avoiding the "milk jug" disposal quandry. I've drained a couple of cars before it gets full. Then when it is full take it back to the store you bought it from and they will probably have a big tank in back that you can drain your container into for free. I've had one for years and it makes the changing and disposing of the oil easy.

Oil plug gasket? As long as you don't destroy the one that is on there it's probably good for a half dozen changes. After that go to any autopart store and get one for a couple of nickles.

Changing your own oil give you the opportunity to get into and underneath the car to look for damage, leaks and other oddities that you would not otherwise see. It's not that big of a deal.

 

It's super easy, the filter and plug are on the passenger's side. If you're not lowered, you may not even have to jack the car up.

I second the Mobil1, and Toyota filter.

Oh, and moved to M&CC

 

Do i have to remove the splash shield to get at the oil filter?

 

Oh man, I get free oil changes at the dealer FREE for as long as I own the car! No more crawling underneath the car and burning myself with the hot ___ oil.

 

As long as you own the car???? How'd you manage that?

 

well, thanks for the info., but perhaps I need to be more specific.

has anyone done their own oil change? if yes, are there any oddities to it? like: splash gaurds/ moving anything to get to the filter/ anything to reset/ gotta do something funky to the filter before you twist it on... stuff like that.

or is it striaght forward like most cars: drain/ replace the filter and fill 'er back up.

 

I changed my oil by myself the last time it needed it. It only cost me like $13 with an oil change kit coupon that I got from Toyota. Better than the $25 Toyota of Riverside wants and it took less than half the time. I did it in about 20 minutes. The only hard part was getting the old filter off cuz it was screwed on so tight and I didn't have the right wrench for it.

 

It's very basic.

The only added step I did was to fill the filter up with oil and lube the gasket. Since it sits vertically (hole at the top) I was able to fill it up and screw it in without spilling anything. This will help that engine's first gulp to be lubricated.

So no, there's nothing to remove aside from the filter and plug, and they're right next to each other.

 

I started doing my own after the first 3 from the dealer. Now I changed to full synthetic oil. The first time I changed it you could tell the difference right away. I meam right away. Drive the car, park it, shut if off, change the oil and start driving it again. You can tell the difference. Engine is a lot smoother in my case. Now I change it like every 4000 miles. Some people say that synthetic can go like 5000 or more but I rather be safe. I won't let it go over 4000..

 

I've heard that you can go 10k miles on synthetic.... Doesn't sound right though. Even if the oil does not breakdown you still get a lot of crap suspended in it. For the additional cost of synthetic it's cheap insurance if it makes the engine last longer.

 

thanks my friends. just what I needed.

 

I guess Champion Scion of Austin loves me

 

No shields to remove. Oil will drain straight into the pan from both plug and filter.

Filter may probably need a cap wrench to remove.

Latex or vinyl gloves are very nice to keep your hands oil-free.

After you loosen the filter a bit put a big ziplock bag over it before you take it off. The ziplock bag will catch most of the drippage. You just remove the filter and zip up the bag!

Install the filter with 3/4 turn after the gasket touches. You can do this by hand without the wrench. Geeze, that filter is teeny!

There is a fiber washer under the drain plug. It's cheap, so replace it every time to avoid drips.

I'm using Mobil 1 with the 7500 mile drain intervals recommended in the manual. Go longer and you endanger your warranty. I've noted no difference with using Mobil 1, but the goal is long-term longevity and the added cost of the Mobil 1 is small.

Be sure to document your oil changes in a logbook or the service book that came with the car for warranty purposes.

Large liquid detergent bottles are very nice for carrying used oil. They have a large opening for pouring the oil in and a drip-proof spout for pouring the oil out.

George

 

I just go to Walmart for $12 every 5k miles.
I'm getting to old to craw under the car,Its bad enough what I have to do at work.


Scott