Oil Changes and Ramps

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Do you feel like you get enough oil drained out using ramps? You can always raise the front of the car up higher and get more incline with a floor jack and jack stands, but is the extra trouble worth it?
 
Ramps are safer. I'll leave the 2 extra dribbles of dirty oil in the sump before I go to a jack and stands.
 
Originally Posted by perfect_oil
Do you feel like you get enough oil drained out using ramps? You can always raise the front of the car up higher and get more incline with a floor jack and jack stands, but is the extra trouble worth it?


10-15 minutes jacking and setting stands vs. 10-15 seconds driving up ramps.
 
In real terms there's likely little difference between draining a car at 6.5º vs. 7.3º.

Also, aren't vehicles designed to drain on level ground? Meaning that any incline corresponding to the drain hole's trajectory helps so there's no point in fretting it.

Go the safer way. Peace
 
I don't use any ramps or stands. Your engine won't car either way.
 
I love my cheapo HFramps.
Mainly because with cars in the garage I can't get to the 3 floor jacks.
Of course there are 2 more out back in the shed.
 
depends on the car.. also jack stands can damage many cars if used incorrectly
Ramps are pretty idiot proof provided you dont drive off the front.

the subaru forester drains at the front of the pan 45degree angle.. so you get less out.

Jeep cherokee drains at the back of the pan.. you get more out (ramps vs flat)

etc.


For me ramps or flat I'm not getting under the car on a jack, and jackstands are hard to use on many new vehicles.
 
If you are draining oil with only the front end on ramps, you are doing it wrong. A car should be level for an oil change.

Personally, I hate ramps. Many of the cars I've owned have too much overhang to even begin to get onto ramps. And it's a PITA to have to fiddle with laying out 2x8 boards to raise the front end up high enough to get on the ramps. Can't do any wheel work with ramps. I have never understood why some people like ramps so much.

Buy two sets of jack stands and a floor jack. Study up where the lift points are on your car. Jack up the front, put the front jack stands in place. Repeat for the back. I can do that about as fast as getting out ramps, trying to position them in just the right place, and then trying to get the right run up onto them so they don't skid out from under the tires.

Now the car is level. Not only are you better situated for the oil change, you can also check brakes, flush brake fluid, check or change transmission fluid if needed, change diff fluid. Inspect brake and fuel lines. Rotate tires. And anything else that requires the car to be level or the wheels to be accessible.

Admittedly, not all cars are easy to find good jack stand points. My daughter-in-law's Kia Sedona is one of them. But since it has such a low overhang, it would also be a pita to get up on ramps. So I use the mityvac to do oil changes on it.

I've seen many mistakes when people are trying to get a car on ramps. But I've never seen an instance when a car unintentionally comes off of jack stands.
 
Yes. My drain plug is pointing towards the back of the car. It seems to drain well on ramps.
When I get it changed the oil on the dipstick is as clean as can be.
 
Ramps every time. I've used jack stands in the past, not worth the effort. Most of my cars have had a drain plug on the back of the oil pan.
 
Unless you know the physical design of the inside of the engine your working on.......one does not know which angle is best for draining oil.
How many ga-zillion cars/trucks have had the oil changed on ramps and nothing bad happened?

My Charger and Challenger R/T are too low to jack up. You have to run up on ramps to get a jack under it. Not gunna do that. The 2X8 wood ramps are 4 1/2" tall, that's not that un-level.
Just sayin'.........................
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted by Mr_Luke
Yes. My drain plug is pointing towards the back of the car. It seems to drain well on ramps.
When I get it changed the oil on the dipstick is as clean as can be.


Yup. I get well within 1/2 qt of draining the full engine oil capacity of my car when up on ramps (less what's trapped in the oil filter). Drain plug is at the rear. And if you also leave the filter in for a 2nd OCI, you're leaving another 6-16 oz of old "dirty" oil behind for your next oci. That can't be "bad" because many mfg's now recommend filters going multiple OCI's.
 
I don't worry about "getting enough oil" out of the engine.
I get most of it, but am not concerned with ever last drop.

Originally Posted by BHopkins
If you are draining oil with only the front end on ramps, you are doing it wrong. A car should be level for an oil change.

Personally, I hate ramps. Many of the cars I've owned have too much overhang to even begin to get onto ramps. And it's a PITA to have to fiddle with laying out 2x8 boards to raise the front end up high enough to get on the ramps. Can't do any wheel work with ramps. I have never understood why some people like ramps so much.

Buy two sets of jack stands and a floor jack. Study up where the lift points are on your car. Jack up the front, put the front jack stands in place. Repeat for the back. I can do that about as fast as getting out ramps, trying to position them in just the right place, and then trying to get the right run up onto them so they don't skid out from under the tires.

Now the car is level. Not only are you better situated for the oil change, you can also check brakes, flush brake fluid, check or change transmission fluid if needed, change diff fluid. Inspect brake and fuel lines. Rotate tires. And anything else that requires the car to be level or the wheels to be accessible.
...
I've seen many mistakes when people are trying to get a car on ramps. But I've never seen an instance when a car unintentionally comes off of jack stands.

I use ramps all the time for oil change.
No way it is faster to lift all 4 wheels (jack up, move jack stand under vehicle, adjust to right height, lower jack, then repeat 3 more times. Plus many vehicle have only 1 solid point on each corner to jack/support with, so hard to jack and support at the same time.
Ramps are easy. put ramps in front of tires (it is not hard to line them up), start vehicle, drive forward till on ramp (this can be tricky depending on ramps and vehicle), set brake, change oil.
All my vehicles have the drain plug on the back of the oil pan, so it puts fluid to the back. If it was at the front of the pan, I would just park the vehicle "backwards" in my angled driveway, and that would get it level.
When I am done, I back the vehicle off and am done, instead of getting the jack back to all 4 corners and removing jack stands (which I have seen jack stands cause problems when placed incorrectly or a car rolls when on an angle with front tires up and then rear end lifted).

Yes jacks and jack stands have their place (like when needing to remove tires and such), but I can flush brakes, change ATF and diff easily on ramps (I use the vehicle backwards in angled drive with front wheels up to keep it level for ATF changes), and is what I use. I feel ramps are safer than jack stands when I am lying under a vehicle.
 
Originally Posted by ecotourist
I aim my car down the driveway and then put it up on ramps. It's more or less level.
That's the logical way to get it reasonably level without extra effort. I do the same, except in an inclined parking lot instead of inclined driveway.
 
Help me out here. I'm gathering the whole point of this thread, is over concern that draining oil with the vehicle on a ramp will somehow prevent the pan from completely draining every drop, due to the angle.

I'm just not seeing the worry over this, when we have another thread that shows many here have no problem reusing old oil filters for a second go around. Thereby pumping far more dirty oil through an already dirty filter than the minuscule amount that draining on ramps would cause. If in fact it causes any.
 
With the oil plug being situated at the back of the oil pan on two of my three vehicles I'm pretty certain I'm getting all the oil I possible can out of the engine using ramps. If I were concerned I'd use a jack and jack stands, remove the drain plug and lower the vehicle to drain the oil. As bilt460 said I'd worry more about reusing an old filter and firing up the engine with close to half a quart or more used oil instantly mixing in with clean fresh oil when the engine starts. Or removing a used oil filter to drain it and then reinstall it hoping it doesn't leak.
 
As others have noted, with drain plug at rear of pan can't see there being any "significant" difference in oil drain by using jack stands solely for that reason. Now if one prefers jack stands over ramps for OCs then have at it. But just to get extra oil drained, no. That said, I prefer ramps for oil changes and don't foresee that changing.
 
Mine are well located now … but had one a bit forward at one time. Drained it good, then dumped half a quart of new oil in … clean oil drained from the sump almost right away. No further worries.
 
I'm fortunate enough to not need ramps or a jack to get under my truck to change the oil. Just slide right under and everything is easily accessible.
 
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