How to do an oil change on 2007 Corolla ?
Be forewarned, many oil changes turn into nightmares! Over the years I’ve had filters that would not budge [removed in pieces, finishing w/hammer & chisel], a filter that pulled the nipple out with it, new filters that didn’t fit etc. I’ve seen oil miss the drain pan, drain plugs round off &/or strip etc. I’ve seen other people pull the wrong plug or, on 2-sump system, miss 1, etc. Please consider these things before getting into the job. As for oil choice, run Shell Rotella-T, 15W40 unless you’re in a really cold climate. It has better lubricity than synthetics. Hot Rod magazine did a multi-page article about oils, particularly as they relate to camshaft wear, a few months back. Basically car oil is getting worse, due to emission requirements on new cars, diesel oil is still carrying the max amount of what provides lubrication, which is what all, especially used & older, cars need.
The best part of your procedure is the safety “jack stands”. They are the first thing you have to have to do the job safely. You also need some wheel chocks to make sure the vehicle doesn’t roll off the jack stands, just like when you jack up the car. But another option is to use “Rhino Ramps” and drive the car up onto the ramps. Then place the jack stands under the car frame. It takes a little practice and a helper sometimes. The best value is a synthetic blend, but a pure synthetic such as Mobil One can’t be beat. Use the original equipment oil filter from your dealer for the best job. Have a friend around to save you in an emergency that can use the floor jack. http://www.rhinoramps.com/product.
thats all good accept for a couple things, (sorry if i’ve assumed too much) do you know where and how to open the drain (where it is), did you know that when you put the new filter on that you should dip the seal in oil, do you know how tight to put the filter on, when you drain the oil you should have it warm so more comes out and it comes out faster (watchout it can burn), do you know how tight to put the drain plug in.
You pretty much sum it up there. You need to be careful of a few things. When you jack up the car, make sure you dont place the jack on the sump,as it will crush it. Use the crossmember as it is structural. When you remove the oil filter, use a clean rag and wipe over the surface the filter contacts with to remove excess dirty oil. When I install a oil filter, I always fill it with oil first. Not needed, but it gives the oil pump fresh oil straight away. Make sure you do smear some oil (not heaps, just dip your finger in the bottle a little) around the rubber gasket on the oil filter. Be careful not to cross thread the oil filter as they are only a alloy thread and can strip out easily. Dont over tighten too. Never use a wrench to do the filter up. The oil filter should be tightened as far as it can be by hand, then a extra 1/4 turn maybe. Dont bust yourself trying to tighten it.
