The mityvac type setup works great. We use it on the boat. I do have one of those cheapie pumps at home, however. Works fine for emptying diffs without pulling the cover, or sucking PS fluid out of the reservoir.
Thoughts on changing oil through the dipstick hole
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Originally Posted By: Spyder7
Good point - but the advantage of the cheap pump is that for very little cost I can see if this method works on this particular car (and how well).
If it'll do it, then I know something better will work and its easier then to rationalize the extra cost (even if its just for the winter OCI, and maybe the occasional summer one for convenience and extra versatility ).
I figure the mid-grade $60-75 pumps would pay for themselves after a few years, even if I just use it for 1 in 3 OCIs. But before I pay that much, I want to confirm it'll work by trying something cheaper and easily returnable if it doesn't.
I have a few factors to my advantage in that, even though the dipstick curves, it doesn't look like anything a flexible hose can't mimic (though I won't know for sure until I've tried it); also this driveway has a nice slope, so with the car oriented in the right direction I might be able to get more out than if it were level.
-Spyder
On the plus side, you will have nice pump for filling transmissions and differentials when you are done.
Like others have said in various ways, oil temperature is a big deal. Definitely don't use vinyl tubing. You should be able to find something more temperature resistant in a hardware of car parts store.
If you have your oil as warm as your tubing and pump can tolerate, it will make your work easier.
Good point - but the advantage of the cheap pump is that for very little cost I can see if this method works on this particular car (and how well).
If it'll do it, then I know something better will work and its easier then to rationalize the extra cost (even if its just for the winter OCI, and maybe the occasional summer one for convenience and extra versatility ).
I figure the mid-grade $60-75 pumps would pay for themselves after a few years, even if I just use it for 1 in 3 OCIs. But before I pay that much, I want to confirm it'll work by trying something cheaper and easily returnable if it doesn't.
I have a few factors to my advantage in that, even though the dipstick curves, it doesn't look like anything a flexible hose can't mimic (though I won't know for sure until I've tried it); also this driveway has a nice slope, so with the car oriented in the right direction I might be able to get more out than if it were level.
-Spyder
On the plus side, you will have nice pump for filling transmissions and differentials when you are done.
Like others have said in various ways, oil temperature is a big deal. Definitely don't use vinyl tubing. You should be able to find something more temperature resistant in a hardware of car parts store.
If you have your oil as warm as your tubing and pump can tolerate, it will make your work easier.
never UNLESS that's the only way
Originally Posted By: Curtis Newton
I use a fluid extractor (through the dipstick) every other oil change on our RX330. It works great.
Why do you do it this way? Just so no crawling under the car is needed?
This is a good way to change Filter every 5k miles!
Interested....
I use a fluid extractor (through the dipstick) every other oil change on our RX330. It works great.
Why do you do it this way? Just so no crawling under the car is needed?
This is a good way to change Filter every 5k miles!
Interested....
Pela's website says:
Note: If you can't hold the dipstick comfortably in your hands, then the oil is too hot! Wait for the oil to cool off a bit.
There were some complaints about the Pela ones leaking if the oil is left in for too long. They also mentioned that the tubing is susceptible to cracking or deforming, which makes the change take forever.
The Mityvac 7400 is "supposedly" the gold-standard and is used by a lot of shops.
Note: If you can't hold the dipstick comfortably in your hands, then the oil is too hot! Wait for the oil to cool off a bit.
There were some complaints about the Pela ones leaking if the oil is left in for too long. They also mentioned that the tubing is susceptible to cracking or deforming, which makes the change take forever.
The Mityvac 7400 is "supposedly" the gold-standard and is used by a lot of shops.
Originally Posted By: Colt
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: Colt
I'd be afraid the plastic tube would melt in a very hot engine which would cause a problem.
You should wait a bit for the oil to cool off some before you operate it. Otherwise, if it's one of those soft plastic refrigerator tubing lines, when it warms up, it'll just collapse itself and restrict flow to practically nothing. There is another type of tubing that's made of hard plastic, like the original tubing that comes with Mityvac (and I'm sure other extractors, too), which is more resistant to heat. That's what you want.
Good to know,QP.
If I ever have a vehicle with the oil filter on top of the engine,I'll go with a PELA 6000.
The part that goes into the engine... small enough to go into the dipstick tube.... is metal flexy pipe. It looks like the outer portion of a bicycle cable. It's probably 3' long. The remainder is clear plastic tube and it will withstand hot, hot oil.
Originally Posted By: Quattro Pete
Originally Posted By: Colt
I'd be afraid the plastic tube would melt in a very hot engine which would cause a problem.
You should wait a bit for the oil to cool off some before you operate it. Otherwise, if it's one of those soft plastic refrigerator tubing lines, when it warms up, it'll just collapse itself and restrict flow to practically nothing. There is another type of tubing that's made of hard plastic, like the original tubing that comes with Mityvac (and I'm sure other extractors, too), which is more resistant to heat. That's what you want.
Good to know,QP.
If I ever have a vehicle with the oil filter on top of the engine,I'll go with a PELA 6000.
The part that goes into the engine... small enough to go into the dipstick tube.... is metal flexy pipe. It looks like the outer portion of a bicycle cable. It's probably 3' long. The remainder is clear plastic tube and it will withstand hot, hot oil.
Some good feedback. I'll warm it up enough to make the oil flow better, but not so warm that it melts the tubing (I'll go by the feel of the bottom part of the dipstick) - and take a look for some sturdier tubing.
I plan to pick this stuff up tomorrow and change the oil out then. I'll update on whether or not it worked (and how well).
-Spyder
I plan to pick this stuff up tomorrow and change the oil out then. I'll update on whether or not it worked (and how well).
-Spyder
Don't use that Walmart $10 pump. I have one and it can't maintain pressure to suck oil out. Oil is thick and heavy, and it requires a strong pump. The hose connections are poor too; mine blew up and made a huge mess. By "blew up", I mean the hose blew off its connector due to the high pressure and sprayed oil all over the place (#$&*!$#*@%!!!!!!!).
It's a piece of junk
For a thinner fluid I imagine it might work (haven't tried), but for oil it won't get the job done. Waste of $10.
Oh the other problem is the black hose curls up so it won't reach the bottom of the pan. You have to locate a different hose at the hardware store that stays straight
It's a piece of junk
For a thinner fluid I imagine it might work (haven't tried), but for oil it won't get the job done. Waste of $10.
Oh the other problem is the black hose curls up so it won't reach the bottom of the pan. You have to locate a different hose at the hardware store that stays straight
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: HangerHarley
Originally Posted By: Curtis Newton
I use a fluid extractor (through the dipstick) every other oil change on our RX330. It works great.
Why do you do it this way? Just so no crawling under the car is needed?
This is a good way to change Filter every 5k miles! Interested....
For me, it started when I purchased the 2001 Audi. The dealer did 10K oil changes and I just couldn't stand to leave the oil in that long, So, I would use the fluid extractor at 5K and they would handle the oil/filter change at 10K.
Then, I started doing the same thing with my wife's RX330. I change the oil and filter every 10K and only the oil every 5K. I have a couple of UOAs and things look good.
Every other oil change I get under the car and drain the oil and change the filter. For the in between changes, I find the fluid extractor (I got mine from Griot's garage) works nicely.
I am going to do the same procedure for the 2011 A4 I just picked up since the dealer takes care of the 10K oil changes.
I hear different stories about the oil extractor, but from my experience, not much additional oil comes out. I did a change with the extractor and then pulled the drain plug (I was putting on a fumoto valve) and very little oil came out. So, I have no issues with using it.
As usual, YMMV.
Originally Posted By: Curtis Newton
I use a fluid extractor (through the dipstick) every other oil change on our RX330. It works great.
Why do you do it this way? Just so no crawling under the car is needed?
This is a good way to change Filter every 5k miles! Interested....
For me, it started when I purchased the 2001 Audi. The dealer did 10K oil changes and I just couldn't stand to leave the oil in that long, So, I would use the fluid extractor at 5K and they would handle the oil/filter change at 10K.
Then, I started doing the same thing with my wife's RX330. I change the oil and filter every 10K and only the oil every 5K. I have a couple of UOAs and things look good.
Every other oil change I get under the car and drain the oil and change the filter. For the in between changes, I find the fluid extractor (I got mine from Griot's garage) works nicely.
I am going to do the same procedure for the 2011 A4 I just picked up since the dealer takes care of the 10K oil changes.
I hear different stories about the oil extractor, but from my experience, not much additional oil comes out. I did a change with the extractor and then pulled the drain plug (I was putting on a fumoto valve) and very little oil came out. So, I have no issues with using it.
As usual, YMMV.
Done deal now. Bought and used it today. As others warned, it was a major PITA to use. Took about 3 hours to hand pump the oil out with it and I got a good sun bake while I was at it (I guess I am pretty determined, or stubborn, when I set out to do something).
It got the job done though, and accomplished its main purpose, which was proof of concept: to determine if I could extract the oil through the dipstick hole, and get enough out to duplicate the results of a conventional oil change using the drain plug. I estimate, conservatively (based upon what came out and how much went back in to replace it), that it removed about 98% of the oil in the basepan. That is good enough justification for me to buy a Mityvac, Topsider, or Pela extractor at some point in the future. So to that end, it accomplished its purpose.
I see the dipstick route as effective for every other oil change once I have the engine cleaned out and am getting some decent OCIs. 7,500 miles is about as high as I will go, using good syn, while the M1 EP filter is designed for 15,000 mile OCIs. So like Curtis, I can just do oil & filter every other change using the conventional method - which saves the hassle of having to crawl under the car to do an OC in my driveway in the middle of winter (which here can, and has, continued into May).
-Spyder
It got the job done though, and accomplished its main purpose, which was proof of concept: to determine if I could extract the oil through the dipstick hole, and get enough out to duplicate the results of a conventional oil change using the drain plug. I estimate, conservatively (based upon what came out and how much went back in to replace it), that it removed about 98% of the oil in the basepan. That is good enough justification for me to buy a Mityvac, Topsider, or Pela extractor at some point in the future. So to that end, it accomplished its purpose.
I see the dipstick route as effective for every other oil change once I have the engine cleaned out and am getting some decent OCIs. 7,500 miles is about as high as I will go, using good syn, while the M1 EP filter is designed for 15,000 mile OCIs. So like Curtis, I can just do oil & filter every other change using the conventional method - which saves the hassle of having to crawl under the car to do an OC in my driveway in the middle of winter (which here can, and has, continued into May).
-Spyder
Glad he worked for you.
Like I said in another thread about your plug problem, it works really well.
I have a Mityvac and I like it a lot. With playing a bit with the tube, you can remove all the oil, maybe even more than through the plug (I did it once, moving the tube up and down, turning it while pumping).
With a good filter, you can leave it on the car and change it with every other oil change. Try to plan your oil changes to get the one with the fluid extractor during winter time, it will give you a big smile on your face.
Like I said in another thread about your plug problem, it works really well.
I have a Mityvac and I like it a lot. With playing a bit with the tube, you can remove all the oil, maybe even more than through the plug (I did it once, moving the tube up and down, turning it while pumping).
With a good filter, you can leave it on the car and change it with every other oil change. Try to plan your oil changes to get the one with the fluid extractor during winter time, it will give you a big smile on your face.
I had Topsider and currently have Mityvac 7201, you should avoid Topsider, it is not good for more than 2-3 oil changes, the construction is very low in quality. Mityvac 7201 is great, I had it since 2004 and still working great, it is an extractor and dispenser both . It has a capacity of 8.5 quarts and I dispensed the collected oil into a jug using the pump without dropping any drop of oil on the ground.
Mityvac 7201 is a little expensive at $72 from Amazon but it will lasted a long time, it paid for itself in 5-6 oil changes.
Mityvac 7201 is a little expensive at $72 from Amazon but it will lasted a long time, it paid for itself in 5-6 oil changes.
Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
I had Topsider and currently have Mityvac 7201, you should avoid Topsider, it is not good for more than 2-3 oil changes, the construction is very low in quality. Mityvac 7201 is great, I had it since 2004 and still working great, it is an extractor and dispenser both . It has a capacity of 8.5 quarts and I dispensed the collected oil into a jug using the pump without dropping any drop of oil on the ground.
Mityvac 7201 is a little expensive at $72 from Amazon but it will lasted a long time, it paid for itself in 5-6 oil changes.
Good to know! I have some Amazon rewards coming soon, and I'm in the market for a Mityvac. I figure if I use it in between tranny pan drops on my Jeep, (which has no dipstick), I can measure and replace the exact amount of fluid. That should effectively keep me away from the dealership, and keep the transmission in top shape. I have a local guy that can drop the pan and change the filter, and I'll take it from there.
I plan the first pan drop at 15,000 miles, then each 30,000 miles thereafter with a fluid exchange halfway between pan drops.
I had Topsider and currently have Mityvac 7201, you should avoid Topsider, it is not good for more than 2-3 oil changes, the construction is very low in quality. Mityvac 7201 is great, I had it since 2004 and still working great, it is an extractor and dispenser both . It has a capacity of 8.5 quarts and I dispensed the collected oil into a jug using the pump without dropping any drop of oil on the ground.
Mityvac 7201 is a little expensive at $72 from Amazon but it will lasted a long time, it paid for itself in 5-6 oil changes.
Good to know! I have some Amazon rewards coming soon, and I'm in the market for a Mityvac. I figure if I use it in between tranny pan drops on my Jeep, (which has no dipstick), I can measure and replace the exact amount of fluid. That should effectively keep me away from the dealership, and keep the transmission in top shape. I have a local guy that can drop the pan and change the filter, and I'll take it from there.
I plan the first pan drop at 15,000 miles, then each 30,000 miles thereafter with a fluid exchange halfway between pan drops.
Sure beats no oil change!
Objectively, I think the edge goes to the bottom drain technique.
Objectively, I think the edge goes to the bottom drain technique.
My UOA's have shown I'm good for >9k mi OCI's, so on my Mazdaspeed3 I finally installed my spin-on filter conversion kit last night and threw on an oversized Amsoil Ea 25k mile filter. For the first time on this car, I used my 14qt Pela extractor and it worked great, got every dang last bit of oil out.
My plans moving forward, I'll make 8-9k OCI's and change the Amsoil filter every 3rd OCI, or once a year which should be about right anyway. Cheap, quick, easy, and effective PM, thanks mostly to these forums. Gotta love BITOG!
My plans moving forward, I'll make 8-9k OCI's and change the Amsoil filter every 3rd OCI, or once a year which should be about right anyway. Cheap, quick, easy, and effective PM, thanks mostly to these forums. Gotta love BITOG!
Go for it the secret is keeping the oil fresh so most important is to get as much clean oil in there on a regular basis.
Sounds like a solid plan. I think the less you have to use the drain plug the better. Maybe I am a bit more sensitive on this subject, having had mine stripped its very first OC (since I bought it) by a shop that does nothing but fluid changes. But even guys who do hundreds of these still manage to strip one here or there, or over-tighten, leading to the same outcome.
Pans have softened, and become more fragile, as they have moved from being made of steel, to aluminum. Yet the ancient drain plug remains.
-Spyder
Pans have softened, and become more fragile, as they have moved from being made of steel, to aluminum. Yet the ancient drain plug remains.
-Spyder
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