Oil and Filter Change
in [Technical]
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From: Built_Well on 31 Oct 2007 20:48 Well, today was a first for me. I hoisted my car using a floor jack! Great experience! I had never done that before. Sure, I've changed flat tires before using the scissors jack in the trunk, but that only involved raising one wheel. Today, I used a proper floor jack to raise the entire front end of the Camry. Wow, it's scary the first time you consider going underneath the car using a mechanics creeper and only jack stands to keep the vehicle supported. As I peered under the car from the side, I stronly considered not rolling in there with the creeper. I was very scared. If those 2 jack stands supporting the front end fail, you're history! Very sobering thought. I eyed those 2 stands carefully, and checked them again and again for signs of strain while I was underneath the car. I did not feel at all comfortable under there, and now understand why so many folks just go to the dealer to get oil changes. When I saw a huge 18-wheeler coming in my car's direction, I high-tailed it out from under the car, just in case. I was worried that possible vibrations from the truck might affect the stands and topple everything over. Didn't happen, but when the next 18-wheeler rolled by, I did the same thing. Anyway, I bought the 3.5-ton Michelin floor jack at Sam's Club for $65. It lifts from 5.5 inches to 22 inches, and has a universal joint. It /very smoothly/ lowers your car like it was laying down a baby. Nice floor jack. I did this in the parking lot of Sam's Club, back behind their tire installation bays. When I was almost done, one of the techs happened to pass by and asked what I was doing. I told him I had just bought the Michelin jack from his store, and was testing it to see if I liked it. He said he has owned the identical floor jack for 4 years, and likes it a lot. I'm just glad he didn't say, "Get the hell out of our lot; raising your car here is a legal liability for us." ;-) I was in clear view of the store's roof cameras at all times, but nobody told me to scram. I'm guessing I wasn't asked to leave because I spent the first 20 minutes in their lot just assembling the jack and reading the instructions. They may not have realized I was eventually going to lift the Camry. I'm sure the tech would have told me to scram if I hadn't mentioned I bought the contraption at his store ;-) Anyway, the parking lot is asphalt, but the jack stands did not dig into the asphalt like I was worried about. Maybe the extra wide feet of the Duralast stands helped. One thing that I was not expecting was the 2 short, quiet creaking noises I heard when the car first began to rise. I guess the creaking sounds came from the car's frame/chassis? I used the lifting point recommended by the Camry's manual (the jacking point located in the center front-end of the car), but I wonder if lifting from this single point puts a strain on the frame that the frame otherwise would never experience if you simply let your mechanic's garage lift the car with an automotive lift that attaches to the 4 double notches along the side rails? That's 4 lifting points being used simultaneously instead of just one. That reminds me. I'm happy to report that placing the two jack stands underneath the car's 2 front-end double notches which are found along the side rails did not have any bad affect on the notches. Their seams didn't bend or anything. Well, I can't wait to do my first-ever oil change in March! However, I know I'll still be really apprehensive about going underneath the vehicle.
From: Scott in Florida on 31 Oct 2007 20:50 On Wed, 31 Oct 2007 19:48:42 -0500, Built_Well <built_well_toyota(a)hotmail.com> wrote: > >Well, today was a first for me. I hoisted my car using >a floor jack! Great experience! I had never done that >before. Sure, I've changed flat tires before using the >scissors jack in the trunk, but that only involved raising >one wheel. Today, I used a proper floor jack to raise >the entire front end of the Camry. > >Wow, it's scary the first time you consider going >underneath the car using a mechanics creeper and >only jack stands to keep the vehicle supported. As I peered >under the car from the side, I stronly considered >not rolling in there with the creeper. I was very >scared. If those 2 jack stands supporting the >front end fail, you're history! Very sobering thought. >I eyed those 2 stands carefully, and checked them again >and again for signs of strain while I was underneath the car. >I did not feel at all comfortable under there, and now >understand why so many folks just go to the dealer to get >oil changes. > >When I saw a huge 18-wheeler coming in my car's direction, >I high-tailed it out from under the car, just in case. I was >worried that possible vibrations from the truck might >affect the stands and topple everything over. Didn't happen, >but when the next 18-wheeler rolled by, I did the same thing. > >Anyway, I bought the 3.5-ton Michelin floor jack at Sam's Club >for $65. It lifts from 5.5 inches to 22 inches, and has >a universal joint. It /very smoothly/ lowers your car >like it was laying down a baby. Nice floor jack. > >I did this in the parking lot of Sam's Club, back behind their >tire installation bays. When I was almost done, one of >the techs happened to pass by and asked what I was doing. >I told him I had just bought the Michelin jack from his >store, and was testing it to see if I liked it. He said >he has owned the identical floor jack for 4 years, and likes >it a lot. I'm just glad he didn't say, "Get the hell out >of our lot; raising your car here is a legal liability >for us." ;-) I was in clear view of the store's roof cameras >at all times, but nobody told me to scram. > >I'm guessing I wasn't asked to leave because I spent the >first 20 minutes in their lot just assembling the jack and >reading the instructions. They may not have realized I was >eventually going to lift the Camry. I'm sure the tech would have >told me to scram if I hadn't mentioned I bought the contraption >at his store ;-) > >Anyway, the parking lot is asphalt, but the jack stands >did not dig into the asphalt like I was worried about. Maybe >the extra wide feet of the Duralast stands helped. > >One thing that I was not expecting was the 2 short, quiet >creaking noises I heard when the car first began to >rise. I guess the creaking sounds came from the car's >frame/chassis? I used the lifting point recommended >by the Camry's manual (the jacking point located in the center >front-end of the car), but I wonder if lifting from this >single point puts a strain on the frame that the frame otherwise >would never experience if you simply >let your mechanic's garage lift the car with an >automotive lift that attaches to the 4 double notches along >the side rails? That's 4 lifting points being used simultaneously >instead of just one. > >That reminds me. I'm happy to report that placing the >two jack stands underneath the car's 2 front-end double notches >which are found along the side rails did not have any bad affect on >the notches. Their seams didn't bend or anything. > >Well, I can't wait to do my first-ever oil change in March! >However, I know I'll still be really apprehensive about going >underneath the vehicle. LOL.... You are no longer a virgin. I finally got a decent jack and it makes a world of difference compared to using the car's jack. -- Scott in Florida
From: Ray O on 31 Oct 2007 23:10 "Built_Well" <built_well_toyota(a)hotmail.com> wrote in message news:47292170$0$90433$892e0abb(a)auth.newsreader.octanews.com... > ><snipped> Anyway, the parking lot is asphalt, but the jack stands > did not dig into the asphalt like I was worried about. Maybe > the extra wide feet of the Duralast stands helped. Jack stands won't dig into asphalt on a cool day. It is more of a problem on a hot day when the asphalt is softer. > > One thing that I was not expecting was the 2 short, quiet > creaking noises I heard when the car first began to > rise. I guess the creaking sounds came from the car's > frame/chassis? I used the lifting point recommended > by the Camry's manual (the jacking point located in the center > front-end of the car), but I wonder if lifting from this > single point puts a strain on the frame that the frame otherwise > would never experience if you simply > let your mechanic's garage lift the car with an > automotive lift that attaches to the 4 double notches along > the side rails? That's 4 lifting points being used simultaneously > instead of just one. Noises are difficult to identify without hearing them first hand, but creaking noises would make ME nervous unless you are lifting from a suspension component or axle. > > That reminds me. I'm happy to report that placing the > two jack stands underneath the car's 2 front-end double notches > which are found along the side rails did not have any bad affect on > the notches. Their seams didn't bend or anything. > > Well, I can't wait to do my first-ever oil change in March! > However, I know I'll still be really apprehensive about going > underneath the vehicle. Show a friend how to operate the jack and where to lift the car from, and have the friend near by to call 911 and lift the car off of you if it falls off of the jack stands. -- Ray O (correct punctuation to reply)
From: Scott in Florida on 31 Oct 2007 23:22 On Wed, 31 Oct 2007 22:10:18 -0500, "Ray O" <rokigawaATtristarassociatesDOTcom> wrote: > >"Built_Well" <built_well_toyota(a)hotmail.com> wrote in message >news:47292170$0$90433$892e0abb(a)auth.newsreader.octanews.com... >> >><snipped> Anyway, the parking lot is asphalt, but the jack stands >> did not dig into the asphalt like I was worried about. Maybe >> the extra wide feet of the Duralast stands helped. > >Jack stands won't dig into asphalt on a cool day. It is more of a problem >on a hot day when the asphalt is softer. > >> >> One thing that I was not expecting was the 2 short, quiet >> creaking noises I heard when the car first began to >> rise. I guess the creaking sounds came from the car's >> frame/chassis? I used the lifting point recommended >> by the Camry's manual (the jacking point located in the center >> front-end of the car), but I wonder if lifting from this >> single point puts a strain on the frame that the frame otherwise >> would never experience if you simply >> let your mechanic's garage lift the car with an >> automotive lift that attaches to the 4 double notches along >> the side rails? That's 4 lifting points being used simultaneously >> instead of just one. > >Noises are difficult to identify without hearing them first hand, but >creaking noises would make ME nervous unless you are lifting from a >suspension component or axle. > >> >> That reminds me. I'm happy to report that placing the >> two jack stands underneath the car's 2 front-end double notches >> which are found along the side rails did not have any bad affect on >> the notches. Their seams didn't bend or anything. >> >> Well, I can't wait to do my first-ever oil change in March! >> However, I know I'll still be really apprehensive about going >> underneath the vehicle. > >Show a friend how to operate the jack and where to lift the car from, and >have the friend near by to call 911 and lift the car off of you if it falls >off of the jack stands. or buy a hefty life insurance policy and make us all beneficiaries.... -- Scott in Florida
From: Built_Well on 1 Nov 2007 00:13
Ray O wrote: > Noises are difficult to identify without hearing them first hand, but > creaking noises would make ME nervous unless you are lifting from a > suspension component or axle. ======== Well, I lifted exactly where the manual instructs. The center front-end lifting point is found just after the protective plastic cover. The point is in the middle of a really thick beam that spans the width of the car. I only heard the soft, quiet creaking noise for one or two seconds as the car just began to rise, so I think everything's alright. Thanks for that tip about having somebody watch over me in case the unthinkable happens and the jack stands fail. I can't tell you how nervous I was going underneath the car today, but I did it. I just hope this isn't how I buy the farm. Yow! You really place your life in your hands when you go underneath the car. I didn't realize how much so until today. Are there things for which you, personally, spend a lot of time under the car? If yes, what? Oil changes must not require long stays underneath the vehicle, and rotating tires doesn't require one to go underneath. By the way, I took another look at that '08 Camry Solara SLE on display at Sam's Club. It has the 2AZ engine, which is the same as my '06 Camry LE. Yet the oil filler cap of the Solara says it can take 5w-*20* and 0w-20 oil, which is different than the 5w-*30* that the '06 Camry takes. I wouldn't put a 20-weight oil in my car, but, like I've said before, I would possibly consider a 0w-30 in place of the customary 5w-30. What do you think is going on? If 5w-*20* is okay for the 2AZ engine in the '08 Solara, why wouldn't it be okay in the same 2AZ engine in the '06 Camry? |