First oil change

[2013AccentGS6MT]

I have an (irrational?) fear of giving it too much gas getting up the ramp and just going right over the edge...I've always been jealous of people who have the balls to drive up them and know exactly when to stop.

[someguy]

Originally Posted by 2013AccentGS6MT

I have an (irrational?) fear of giving it too much gas getting up the ramp and just going right over the edge...I've always been jealous of people who have the balls to drive up them and know exactly when to stop.

Its nearly impossible to do this with rhino ramps.

[hoosieraccent]

Yeah I envy those too, 2013AccentGS6MT. I am not very skilled at the task and paranoid about the whole thing... My gutless car can barely pull itself up the ramps. And the throttle feels like it's either on or off, so it's very easy to give it too much. I spend a lot of time rolling back down off of them and trying to get back up. My wife's car has a more sane throttle response and more low end grunt so it's less of an ordeal.

The stops at the end of the ramps do a good job keeping it from going too far.

[Past racer]

Originally Posted by 2013AccentGS6MT

I have an (irrational?) fear of giving it too much gas getting up the ramp and just going right over the edge....

You’re not alone…. I am sure most have same feeling…. I found it helped to open door and lean out enough to watch drivers side wheel on ramp…. Also holding brake peddle and using more than enough throttle to climb ramp…. control climb speed with brake peddle not throttle.

[az2008]

Originally Posted by hoosieraccent

From what I've read around here, the RB sounds even lower in the front so I don't know if these particular ones would be any good for you guys. Somebody here posted about a newer version a while back, can't remember what the model of those were but they looked nice.

Are you thinking of the Peterson Ultra Ramps Plus (with extension)? That was posted 3-4 months ago by 2old2rocknroll.

My concern with ramps is that you can't get all the oil out because the drain plug is on the forward edge of the pan. You have to roll it off the ramps, create a mess as the remaining oil pours out somewhere, then struggle to reinstall the drain plug with the vehicle low to the ground.

If that were my only choice, I might opt for one of those Fumoto drain valves. I think they hold back some oil too. But, if ramps were my only choice, this might be the lessor of two evils (and make it feasible to close the drain with little effort.).

[Past racer]

For those with floor jack and jack stands…. Here is my process…. I first drive one front wheel on a 2x4 or 2x6 (gives enough clearance for floor jack to get to sub frame just behind engine)



Jack front of car high enough for front wheels to be about 6” off floor… put jack stand on each side at jack point pinch welds and lower car on to jack stands… remove drain plug, drain oil to pan…. Remove filter allow oil to drain (my drain pan is large enough to catch oil from pan and filter at same time)

I then use floor jack to raise rear of car higher than front (helps to completely drain pan)…. I then rotate tires since all tires are off the ground… this also allows extra oil drain time… I then lower rear back to ground and return to oil change.

I install pan plug and new pre-filled oil filter (most important pre-filled)…. I put 3 quarts oil in engine, start and look for leaks…. Lower front to floor and wood block… roll or drive off block and do final oil level check.

Note: I jack entire rear of car by jacking right or left side of torsion beam where az2008 indicated below.

Originally Posted by az2008

I jack (or place stands) in front of the coil spring, between the spring and where the torsion beam connects and pivots on the frame rail (molded frame in the body's floor).

[Past racer]

Originally Posted by Past racer

You’re not alone…. I am sure most have same feeling…. I found it helped to open door and lean out enough to watch drivers side wheel on ramp…. Also holding brake peddle and using more than enough throttle to climb ramp…. control climb speed with brake peddle not throttle.

Just to clarify…. This description only works with automatic not stick shift…. For stick must use clutch or grow a third leg.

[oneir]

What do people think about using scissor jacks for lifting the car? I'm thinking about using 4 scissor jacks simultaneously, to avoid twisting issues, etc. There are some that are made for leveling RVs that seem extra strong. They would need wooden blocks with a groove cut into them as adapters for the pinch weld, but then so does every hydraulic floor jack I can find, and I can't afford 4 floor jacks. Small, inexpensive ($25) floor jacks that I find online all have user comments like leaks on garage floor, won't hold car up, stopped working 3rd time I tried it, drops like a rock once released- and so on.

I have 4 jack stands to lower the car onto once it's jacked up.

Is this a bad idea?

[mickeyboat]

My youngest son found a four post 6 ton lift on Craigs List for cheap. To get it cheap he had to remove it in 48 hours. He installed it my workshop. Uses 240 v power to drive hydraulic piston that lifts two 16 foot long ramps up six feet, using half inch steel cables and pulleys. Shop ceiling over 20 feet. Uses 100 psi air to release mechanical brakes at any height. He had to sink 16 one inch bolts in concrete floor to hold posts in place. Now that is a nice way to change oil at home.

[az2008]

Originally Posted by oneir

They would need wooden blocks with a groove cut into them as adapters for the pinch weld,

Someone put the GRIP adapter on a very solid scissor jack. That appears to be the same jack as this and this. It looks like a good solution. I don't think I'd buy 4 of these. I would just lift corners in phases, increasing the height of jackstands.

Originally Posted by oneir

Small, inexpensive ($25) floor jacks that I find online all have user comments like leaks on garage floor, won't hold car up, stopped working 3rd time I tried it, drops like a rock once released- and so on.

I bought this Harbor Freight lift for about $60 on sale. It had a lot of comments like you described. I drained the hydraulic fluid and replaced it. It works fine.

I really think a lot of negative comments about inexpensive hydraulic jacks are due to jacks that weren't properly filled at the factory, or not bled, or poor fluid was used. Anything made in China is often assembled very badly. I've seen this with bicycles. Someone buys a Walmart bike and it has lots of problems in 3 months. But, if you take it apart when you first get it out of the box, clean, re-grease, readjust, reassemble all the bearing surfaces, cables, etc., it's a very good, dependable bike.

That's why I drained the fluid. I cracked the bleed/fill screw and heard hissing. That's an obvious sign it wasn't bled. I also couldn't see the fluid's level (the top of the fluid). So, I turned it upside down, let all the fluid run into a pan, and filled it with new fluid.

It works great.