Anyone do a DIY oil change yet?

[Okie Boy]

Originally Posted by Old smart

Your LI (JKF APT.) annual mean temperature over the past 62 years is +54F, with a record high of +104F and a record low of –02F.

You can check out the smart oil viscosity chart (left out of the US Operators Instructions) on Evilution to see what viscosities cover your temperature range. 0W-xx isn’t good unless you REALLY need it. http://www.evilution.co.uk/index.php...&men=servicing

I am not trying to pick a nit here but the 0W indicates that the oil pours or flows like 0 weight oil at the specified tempature, it does no mean that its shear strength is compromised. I have used Red Line brand synthetic gear lube in a couple of my suvs and the gear lube flows like 30W motor oil but yet protects like 90W gear lube.

[smarteeny]

NY Smartie, for what it's worth, here's my two cents.

I just changed my oil and it was when I had about 500 miles. I figured the drain plug would be on tight (or I'm just weak) so I actually did use a scissor jack. I jacked it up so I would have more room to use my 1/2 inch flex-handle (breaker bar, I call it) on my 1/2 inch drive 24 mm socket. I think I needed that extra room to rotate the flex-handle, as the drain plug seemed to take a whole lotta my strength. After that, I unscrewed the drain plug only partially, so the oil would not shoot the heck across the room, and drip slowly vertically into the pan I use to catch the used oil. I kept unscrewing the drain plug a little at a time until I was sure it was all going to fall into the drain pan without squirting too far and going onto the garage floor. After a while, I removed the scissor jack, to have the car on a flat surface, so all the oil would drain. I'm cautious.

Next, I had a filter wrench to remove the oil filter, but it just kept slipping when I would try to rotate the filter, so I had to fold a paper towel into about a one by eight inch strip and place it around the filter, and the wrench over the paper towel, just to get some friction. It worked nicely after that.

The oil was pretty dark after only 500 miles, so I'm glad I changed it. When I re-filled the oil, I noticed somewhere a picture of the dipstick that was confusing about where the high and low marks were. On my dipstick, the high and low marks are at the very end of the dipstick, and they are within a cross-hatched area about an inch and a half long. When you reach the end of the cross-hatched area, you're full at three and a half quarts. Oh, yeah, add the oil slowly, half a quart at a time, wait a minute, add the next half quart. Works good. Have a good funnel. I made mine out of a cut off 2-liter Pepsi bottle.

Since I couldn't even find 0-40 Mobil 1, I used 5W-30, which seems to be everywhere, and it works for my local temperatures.

[xcrew229x]

Amen........

[Dunerunner]

Smarteeny...Did you change the copper washer at the drain plug? If so did you get it at your dealer? If not, did you notice if it was deformed by the torque or not? I am near the 500 mi. mark and want to change the oil and filter as well.

[NY Smartie]

@ Smarteeny: awesome post. thanks!!

[Old smart]

There is a specific tool to use on the OEM smart filters: P/N A454589060900. It is a large +/- 2-1/2” socket with 14 facets to engage the 14 flats on the filter can. I don’t know what size the drive is; it may be metric (and maybe there are metric-to-SAE adapters). Perhaps your friendly smart center can order the tool for you. If not, the “454” in the part number indicates that it was originally for the 454 smart forfour. The 454 used the 4-cylinder Mitsubishi Colt engine, and a similar part may be available through a Mitsu dealer (even though the smart/Mitsu filter isn’t). And it may also be available through a Yamaha cycle/scooter/ATV dealer which stocks the identical Toyo Roki filter as the smart/Mitsu (Yamaha P/N 5DM-13440-00).

My local car parts place has similar sockets, but I haven’t seen one yet to fit the 2-1/2” can.

[Old smart]

Originally Posted by Old smart

There is a specific tool to use on the OEM smart filters: P/N A454589060900. It is a large +/- 2-1/2” socket with 14 facets to engage the 14 flats on the filter can. I don’t know what size the drive is; it may be metric (and maybe there are metric-to-SAE adapters). Perhaps your friendly smart center can order the tool for you. If not, the “454” in the part number indicates that it was originally for the 454 smart forfour. The 454 used the 4-cylinder Mitsubishi Colt engine, and a similar part may be available through a Mitsu dealer (even though the smart/Mitsu filter isn’t). And it may also be available through a Yamaha cycle/scooter/ATV dealer which stocks the identical Tokyo Roki filter as the smart/Mitsu (Yamaha P/N 5DM-13440-00).

My local car parts place has similar sockets, but I haven’t seen one yet to fit the 2-1/2” can.

It being a rainy day and no boat maintenance to do, I sallied forth in search of the elusive "cup type" oil filter wrench. Here-to-fore, everything I have found at the parts places were designated "Type A, Type B, etc." They're all either too big or just barely too small. But the last place I tried (for obvious reasons, the last place) I scored. Auto Zone stocks the "AmPro #T70405 65/67mm 14 Flute - 2 Step" cup wrench, with SAE 3/8" socket drive. The new smart/Mitsu/Yamaha Tokyo Roki filter I brought with me fit perfectly into the 67mm portion. The Mobil 1 and Purolator Pure One filters I tried will fit the 65mm ("Type F" size) portion. Five bucks.

[NY Smartie]

sweet! thanks for all the info fellas. these forums are a real pleasure~!

[smarteeny]

Dunerunner:

I did not change the copper washer, because, when I went to the dealer to buy an OEM oil filter (Mr. Mitsubishi), there were no copper washers available. It is still on back order, and it's been a coupla weeks. I figured on changing the oil again, maybe a thousand or more miles down the road, and by then I had hoped the copper washer would come in. It was not deformed from torque, and looked just fine.

[Dunerunner]

Originally Posted by smarteeny

Dunerunner:

I did not change the copper washer, because, when I went to the dealer to buy an OEM oil filter (Mr. Mitsubishi), there were none in stock...It was not deformed from torque, and looked just fine.

Thanks, just the information I wanted to hear. My dealer doesn't have anything over the standard issue sent out by smartUSA. This could be a problem later on.
Who posted the pic of the Grand Canyon?