Gonna do my first garage oil change on the new '04 Legacy today! Wish me luck! Any tips?

Any tips?

 

Yeah, learn to love oil. You're going to be dealing with it constantly with a subaru.

what's that supposed to mean, Swami? tell your secrets

Does that mean it's a messy job? IME any internal combustion powered appliance will cause you to "learn to love oil". On my Kawasaki the oil change is an incredibly messy job, but it's easy and you need to do it so what the heck.

What type are you putting in?

 

How easy is it to access the filter and pan?

 

I pick mine up on monday and am already thinking ahead. M1 5w30..

Love oil...except when its coming out of every seal on the engine...cam seals...oil pump seals :-X

Do the legacies have the plastic "skid plate" in front? If so there are some plastic push screws you need to remove, and slide out the plate.

 

Otherwise it's pretty easy. Use a new washer on the drain plug they're cheap. Since the oil filter is mounted vertically, i prefill it wil oil before screwing it on (not too tight!).

 

The hardest part is getting an accurate reading on the dipstick, heh.

 

--Nick

oil changes on the ej engines are so easy one could do it sitting infront of the car with it flat on the ground. Dunno bout the other sub engines though. I'd assume the ea would be alright it's just perp to where ours are mounted.

Well, most of the good advice has been spent....new washer, primed filter, but they left out latex gloves!

you shouldnt get htat much oil on your hands anyway but I guess it couldnt hurt

Well, most of the good advice has been spent....new washer, primed filter, but they left out latex gloves!

Latex dissolves in petroleum.

Man, what an incredibly easy job. Even easier than on my old Isuzu Amigo. But it's as messy as my motorcycle. Removing the filter = oil all over your hand!!!

But it's as messy as my motorcycle. Removing the filter = oil all over your hand!!!

Some of us here have the habit of punching a hole in the filter's bottom and letting the oil drain before removing it. A lot less messy. To go faster, i punch a hole (I use a conical center punch but a screw driver works also) in the center and near the edge to also get the oil trapped outside the paper element.

I think I was the first one here to do that - or at least to talk about it - and I remember someone replying that he loved to feel hot oil dripping down his muscular and hairy forearms (or something to that effect...)

If you're that type, than forget what you just read

That's a clever trick, I may try it, though I don't mind oil all over my hands. I can wash it off. The bike has an internal filter so that's not an option there.

Latex dissolves in petroleum.

I've had gas wrinkle the gloves, and maybe if you put them in oil for a while it may cause problems, but I've never had a glove even partially dissolve on my hands, and I've been using them for about 10 years now.

I have to replace the gloves I use for cleaning my bike chain with diesel fuel all the time. They shred apart.

Re: my comment about getting used to oil. These things LEAK all the time, from everywhere! You will be dealing w/ seals and gaskets alot. Get used to it!

Re: my comment about getting used to oil. These things LEAK all the time, from everywhere! You will be dealing w/ seals and gaskets alot. Get used to it!

Dude. My last vehicle was an Audi.

Gonna do my first garage oil change on the new '04 Legacy today! Wish me luck! Any tips?

Get the BIG and WIDE catch pans! When you pull the plug it comes shooting out and the angle changes as the flow slows down. With those smaller drain pans it's harder to keep it all in w/o spilling some

 

FYI gloves are for wussies! You have soap, use it when you are done

Used motor oils have been classified as carcinogenic so do wash up afterwards.

There have also been implications that contact with used oil may cause some people to tackle more complex automotive repair tasks in the future.

Regarding the splashing, I use ramps for oil changes, and I put the catch pan on a cardboard box to get it right up tight to the oil pan. That virtually eliminates any splashing.

 

Gloves for an oil change! Jeesh! Draining the filter! What a waste of time IMO.

 

Now filling the new filter is time well spent.

YIKES! The scary thing about that funny comment is that it's true ;-)

I've had gas wrinkle the gloves, and maybe if you put them in oil for a while it may cause problems, but I've never had a glove even partially dissolve on my hands, and I've been using them for about 10 years now.

Will nitrile gloves resist petroleum?

Gloves for an oil change! Jeesh! Draining the filter! What a waste of time IMO.

Informing people on a board like this on how one performs a particular job can give someone a useful idea if one chooses to use it, no obligation. That's time well spent.

Telling people how they should use their time or what they should put or not put on their hands when they tackle a messy job, THAT is a waste of time IMHO.

If you don't want to get your hands dirty, then the last thing you should do is work on a car. Besides, it's not THAT messy--you get a little on your hand when you pull the drain plug and a little when you crack the seal on the filter. That's key..just lossen it till it starts to run out, and let it drain. You dont need ramps or jackstands for this job... everything is right up front. I don't even use a filter wrench, just loosen and tighten by hand. It's almost a joy changing the oil on one of those!