oil change + apartment living

[joaks]

Right now I have a carport to work in but will move in the next year to an apt. I assume I will not be permited to work on my car in the parking lot. Is there a place where one could rent/borrow a sliver of driveway to work in? The only things I can think of would be a vaccant lot or unused parking lot (such as to a closed factory) a walmart lot any of which I think is against a rule or law. Or making a friend who has a driveway.
Any better suggestions?

 

[SuperDave456]

My driveway is at an angle. I don't feel safe working on my car if it up on jack stands when the car is ready to roll off of them.
Yes I have blocks under the rear wheels and the parking brake on. But it just makes me kind of nauseous if I think about what happens if it rolls, just a bit, and those jack stands tip while I am under there.

Ramps are fine on the angled pavement. Lots of surface area on a ramp and less likely for things to tip over.

If I need to do surgery that requires Jack Stands I use my Folks driveway. It is flat, they have much larger trees than I do, and my Dad can help me cuss at the poor work other folks have done that I constantly find.

I'd say make friends.

BTW, it isn't responsible people that Apt complexes worry about. It is the fools who spill all 5 quarts of oil from the drain pan and then don't do anything about it. I've seen it happen first hand. (I was the guy who went and got Kitty Litter to absorb the spill.)

 

[97f150]

I only moved out from an apartment last year. In the 4 years I have lived in that complex I have performed several repairs including oil changes and other maintenance. I've never had any problems, although my lease stated that any vehicle repairs were forbidden. I also didn't leave a mess, a disabled or disassembled vehicle, or any other evidence that anything was ever amiss.

 

[Falken]

For how quickly you can jack a car up with a good trolley jack on the front sub frame factory jack point to drop your oil, nobody will even know or care.

Edit: I do it and I live in an apartment in my assigned outdoor parking spot.

I can't stomach anyone else changing my oil. I like to know it is done right, or to pay for synthetic oil only to be lied to and they only use GTX and charge me synthetic prices. Then strip my pan bolt.

 

[andrewg]

I would be a decent and honest apartment tenant and follow the rules you signed and agreed to. Rules are for the betterment of all in a community like that and just because you are extra careful or never spilled a drop of oil DOES NOT make you above the contractual agreement....or better than other tenants. Actions like that are not ethical nor considerate.
I'd find a friend or family member that would be ok with it. Other than that you could bring your own oil/filter to a repair or lube shop and watch them do the work using what you brought. That way you can be sure they didn't rip you off. You can always double-check that they tightened things up properly before you leave.

 

[stroked93]

AutoZone parking lot like everyone else

 

[exranger06]

That is the #1 reason I could never live in an apartment or condo. Not only do I do oil changes myself, but I do other repairs, from minor to fairly major. I'm currently saving to buy a house and my #1 requirement is a huge garage where I can put a twin post lift and have the ultimate workshop. I couldn't imagine not being able to do a simple oil change because I wasn't "allowed."

 

[FirstNissan]

What about office parking lots on the weekends? Thats been my goto spot for a while

 

[sciphi]

I lived in an apartment that had those stipulations against working on your car. Say I'm an evil person, but I did all sorts of work on my old car there. The maintenance and security folks were always chatting with me about their car problems and how I'd fix it. Even the complex managers asked me about car questions. I always cleaned up after myself, though, and made sure to work far away from everybody else's cars.

You also may luck out and find a place without stipulations against car work. In that case, don't ruin it for everybody else.

 

[eljefino]

Originally Posted By: FirstNissan
What about office parking lots on the weekends? Thats been my goto spot for a while


This! Look at satellite views of your town. There must be an industrial park that's virtually deserted. Usually by a neglected underused rail yard. Read your city ordinances on working on your car on public streets, they might be nonexistent or lenient. Just make your own, safe, parking space maybe with reflective triangle and vest and the cops might leave you alone, or you can beg forgiveness (easier than permission) and ask if you can just finish what you're doing.

Also a week has 168 hours. There must be some where apartment management doesn't care. Maybe when its misty raining at 11 am.

 

[Hootbro]

If you got no other choice and have to sneak and oil change in at an apartment complex, I found Sunday mornings until 10:00am the best window to do it in. Everybody is either asleep or at Church.

 

[Zako2]

In grad school, my apartment management did not allow any car work in the parking lot. My former roommate did his oil changes anyway. No one would really notice if you do it quick on a Sunday. I don't care enough about doing my oil change to walk away from an attractive apartment deal. I do like doing other DIY work on my car as well.

 

[Rick in PA]

I'd add to use a nice sized piece of cardboard to protect the macadam from any oil spills.

 

[cjcride]

Originally Posted By: Rick in PA
I'd add to use a nice sized piece of cardboard to protect the macadam from any oil spills.
I always do this in the garage/driveway.

 

[Falken]

+1 Hootbro

Another trick that I have found is I got a nice toolbox that is only for oil changes and tire change overs.

I have the next oil filter I plan to use, oil filter wrench, 17mm socket, flashlight, high temp bearing grease for the hub so the wheel doesn't rust to it, tire chalk, breaker bar, torque wrenches, pen, small screw driver, some nitrile gloves, a rag, kevlar style gloves for lugging around and changing over tires, crush washers for the oil pan and for the ATF drain plug, 19mm socket, extension, 2 small folding wheel chocks, small breaker, ratchet.

So when I have to do this stuff, I grab that one tool box and I don't have to run in and out of the apartment or always think of what I need.

In Montreal, we have to change our tires over twice a year, and we have to follow severe service for our oil, so each year the money saved ends up paying for the next set of Winter tires if you do these basics yourself.

They charge 40$ generally to switch over tires on rims!! So that is 80$ a year right there. I can get a new Winter tire for 80$, so after 4 years of changing over your tires, you have 4 "free" Winter tires.

Another trick I do is keep old coffee cans to drop the filter and let the central hole drain into and seal it up to bring to school to recycle. My oil drain pan is plastic with a spigot, and I save windshield washer containers to put the old oil into.

I put the snout or spigot directly into the empty windshield washer container to drain it, no funnel, leaks, or mess. Then I cap it tight and put it aside to bring to school to dump into our waste oil bin.

I have these basics down to such a streamlined science nobody even gets a chance to really see what I am up to, and it is already done.

I have an awesome trolly jack, dual piston, that I can have my car up in the air in a few minutes, and it is really low profile and I got it cheap at Canadian Tire.

 

[fdcg27]

We've had a house with a large unattached garage for twenty five years now, but when we lived in an apartment complex I used to work on our cars in the parking lot.
As long as you don't make a mess or leave a dissabled car sit for weeks at a time, I don't think anyone will really mind.
Surely you have a friend with a driveway?
When we were apartment dwellers, I'd use my future FIL's garage for major work and winter stored my MG in there as well.

 

[Falken]

Well, fdcg27, I'd marry a girl with a FIL like that asap myself

Seriously though, an industrial park on the weekends, movie theater or bowling alley in the morning, dead end of a road, or even like someone has mentioned, a NAPA or AutoZone parking lot.

 

[fdcg27]

Or, as someone noted above, a parts store parking lot.
Go in, buy the current oil change special, do the change, dispose of the used oil.
This would work best with something that you can change while its sitting on its tires with no lifting, like our Subarus.
It would not work as well with our other rides, unless you wanted to carry a set of ramps with you.

 

[HerrStig]

I used a dipstick pump which plugged into the lighter socket.

 

[sciphi]

If your car will work with one and there's space enough to store one, a MityVac 7201 works well for cutting down on the mess.