Forgot how lame oil change design is!

651 Views 16 Replies 8 Participants Last post by B3NN3TT, 1 mo ago

02cougarxr

Discussion Starter · 2 mo ago

Thought to myself today, I know my last oil change was Pre Pandemic but I guess I forgot just how long it's been. Filter read May 2015 that I put in sharpie. yikes, oh well, it had only accumulated 1,000 miles but today it got refreshed at least for the next couple of years most likely. I had forgotten how ****ty they made the design to do an oil change on the 2.5L. First you pull the plug and it shoots straight out onto the pipe, then the filter spills everything over the pipes as well. Spent more time cleaning the mess than the change itself. I ended up making some custom wooden ramps cause this thing is so low I can't even use my low profile jack from the floor with the sideskirts. I need me a lift. And a bigger garage.

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skater

· #2 · 2 mo ago

Get one of those flexible funnels. Game changer. I use mine for oil changes on several vehicles; even my riding mower goes just a little better with it.

I had to run our stock Mazda 3 up on boards - it's way too low for me to get underneath. I could have jacked it up, but then I couldn't find a safe place to put jack stands, because everything is plastic. And it was too low for my regular ramps - which aren't exactly that steep of a slope to begin with; I run my Cougar up on them without a problem. I will say, once I finally got the damn thing high enough to get under, the actual oil change was easy. It's much better designed than most cars. That doesn't make up for how much I hate driving it, but it was at least SOMETHING positive.

wadespencer99

· #3 · 2 mo ago

The design is horrible…there is no way to not dump it on the exhaust.

My GTI can be drained from the bottom (but the drain plug is plastic), but it’s meant to be done from the top with an oil extractor. I haven’t tried it that way yet.

JScullin

· #4 · 2 mo ago

Could always just punch a hole in the old filter before removing it (crack it first)

jaged

· #5 · 2 mo ago

could be worse, on my F150 the oil from the filter drains into a little pan and then pours out of a spout through the air dam

JScullin

· #6 · 2 mo ago

I will say the Outback oil change couldn't be easier. Bolt on the pan is easily accessible and unobscured, the oil filter is on top of the motor.

mmc757

· #7 · 2 mo ago

Yeah, our drain plug is a little annoying but the filter location definitely sucks. If I ever get anywhere with Foundracer, I've got a filter relocation on my wish list.

My new car is shockingly great for this...the plug and filter are both super easy and zero mess. Since the car is so small, It could even be done by just reaching an arm under there without jacks or ramps if needed in a pinch. The only thing between me and a 5-minute oil change is an aluminum belly pan cover with NINE bolts holding it up.

My Wife's Grand Cherokee is slightly messy but not bad...the great thing about that vehicle is the air shocks which lift the vehicle at the push of a button so I don't have to jack it up.

B3NN3TT

· #8 · 2 mo ago

Mustang, Cougar and Element are all very nasty oil filter removal projects. Thankfully at least the Focus ST is a clean job, apart from removing the giant under-tray to access anything.

Also on topic - I change my oil in all of my vehicles every 5000 miles, or yearly - whichever comes first. The Bullitt just got its annual last week, with 1800 miles since last oil change.

LinkMan

· #9 · 2 mo ago

I can reach the Cougar's drain plug without having to jack it up, but the oil drain pan is a tight fit. Have never had a non-messy filter change though. The Fusion isn't bad, filter isn't great but at least it doesn't dump all over the manifold. Same with the Edge, and it comes with plenty of room underneath.

B3NN3TT

· #10 · 2 mo ago

For the Element and the Mustang, I have been making a funnel/shield to try to divert the spill away from the filter and into the open. The method that's been working for me is to cut a 1-quart plastic oil bottle in half on the LONG axis, but leave the end with the cap intact. Then trim to fit from there. That way the oil bottle acts as a funnel and the spill runs out the spout and I can direct it into the pan.

Cougar will be getting an oil change in the next month, and I'll be trying it on that job, too.

mmc757

· #11 · 2 mo ago

There are a couple of neat funnel tools out there that might help with some of these vehicles.
This one

Automotive lighting Battery Amber Audio equipment Cable

Or this one with the cool name

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02cougarxr

Discussion Starter · #12 · 2 mo ago

I should have used my trick that I use on my Ram where the filter is directly above the steering rack and front cross member. Interestingly enough, both my ram and cougar require the same oil filter. Usually with my truck I put tinfoil across the rack and member so any thing that spills hits that and hopefully then falls into the bucket underneath. I should have at least lined the areas nearby with tinfoil to avoid the mess, will remember that for next time. Thinking I"d be clever and use a big SOLO cup around the filter like those pieces mentioned and of course the huge ass filter doesn't fit in the cup. lol.

skater

· #13 · 2 mo ago

02cougarxr said:
I should have used my trick that I use on my Ram where the filter is directly above the steering rack and front cross member.

In my Ram, the oil filter is inside the right front tire well. Took me 15-20 minutes of looking to find it the first time. Being a diesel, the filter is huge, and of course Ram made so you have to angle it nearly horizontally to get it out, which spills oil everywhere. There's a company that makes a cap you can screw into the filter to reduce spillage for this purpose.

Overall, it's like...is this REALLY the best place for this, Ram? You couldn't find anywhere else?

mmc757

· #14 · 2 mo ago

Our Jeep (5.7l) uses the same filter as the Cougar too, and yeah, it's convenient to only have to remember one part number. The Jeep doesn't make a huge mess but it is wayyy up there and does take a little finagling to get it out so there's inevitably some spillage in the transfer process.

02cougarxr

Discussion Starter · #15 · 2 mo ago

my ram is the hemi engine too, but with the truck up on ramps, I can practically sit myself upright behind the bumper and reach up around the front cross member and steering rack. unlike the diesel, at least the filter stays upright as you try and play the balance game in not spilling it. I'm currently sitting at 206k miles on my 2010.

mmc757 said:
Our Jeep (5.7l) uses the same filter as the Cougar too, and yeah, it's convenient to only have to remember one part number. The Jeep doesn't make a huge mess but it is wayyy up there and does take a little finagling to get it out so there's inevitably some spillage in the transfer process.

mmc757

· #16 · 1 mo ago

I helped my daughter change the oil in her FiST this weekend. Access was easy but the filter is completely horizontal. Luckily it doesn't make a big mess but still...why is it so hard to just make it vertical?

B3NN3TT

· #17 · 1 mo ago

It's vertical in the Focus ST, but my old SVT Focus had a horizontal filter on the Zetec.

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