I have a Toyota Camry 1989. It is leaking oil so I put about a quart in every month. The oil is therefore pretty clean, but it's time to change the filter. Is it possible to change the filter without draining the oil? How? (I'm assuming it's not too hard to change oil...)
Also, would it be bad to drain the oil, change the filter, and put the oil back in again?
2007-10-10 10:34:47 · 0 answers · asked by hrothgarthegeat 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Do the full oil change. If you change just the filter you'll make a huge mess and lose a lot of your oil anyway.
Read the car manual to find out how much oil and what kind you need and buy that much and an oil pan and bucket and oil filter at the store.
Get out the wrenches, roll of paper towels, and all the other stuff you just bought. Take off the top oil cap (where you normally put in oil), put the oil pan under the car where the screw is for the oil and then loosen it and then hand undo the rest (watch out for the washer - don't let it drop!) and let it drain into the pan (this will take a few minutes.) Meanwhile use paper towels to wipe off the screw and washer. Set aside. Once it's drained, reach up under to where the oil filter is and undo this (this could be a little messy even with it drained) - you may need a special oil filter wrench to loosen this. Dispose of this. Put the screw and washer back in TIGHTLY. Get the new oil filter, put a thin coating of oil along the top where it screws in (use your finger to put this oil on) and then put it on where the old one came off of and screw it on as tight as you can. (You can use the wrench to make it tighter if you want.) Now you just add the new oil to the top. (Put in as much as your manual says to.) Run the car, and check the level to make sure it's okay. Add if needed.
Voila! Oil changed.
Empty the oil pan into the bucket and take it to some place that recycles it.
2007-10-10 10:49:25 · answer #1 · answered by IAskUAnswer 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Absolutely! I learned this back in the mid 60's. I drove a company truck (Chevrolet) for an older gentleman who NEVER changed oil. We put a LOT of miles on these trucks and ended with over 200,000miles.
He said that the oil doesn't break down, it just needs to be cleaned. We would change the filter (the oil was black), add the new filter and a quart of oil. After driving 2/300 miles you could pull the dipstick and the oil would be as clean as new oil from the can.
2007-10-10 11:27:21 · answer #2 · answered by boycat99 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
The oil can be changed without changing the oil. Be sure to check the oil level after changing the filter and starting the car. Since you're going to have to get under the car to do this, you might as well just drain the oil from the engine and do the job right with a full oil change>
2007-10-10 10:41:57 · answer #3 · answered by Ron B 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If you wish a new filter just remove the existing one and put on the new one. There will be some oil loss when you take off the filter, only a small amount, so have something to catch it, a large rag will do. You will need to add one quart of oil after the new filter is installed.
2007-10-10 10:44:52 · answer #4 · answered by tronary 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋
You do not need to drain the oil to change the filter. Just replace the filter, start the engine let it idle for a moment, shut it off and add oil to the high mark on the dipstick.
2007-10-10 10:49:34 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
It would be advised that you do both. The filter catches the bad or dirty particles in the oil but it doesnt do it all. Also you may want to replace the pan and gasket if thats where the leak is coming from. With the car almost 20 yrs old, that gasket is probably worn out
2007-10-10 10:42:13 · answer #6 · answered by PLATINUM_PLUS1 3 · 3⤊ 1⤋
You're going to have a big mess and waist a lot of your good oil if you pull the filter without draining it first.
You can reuse the same oil if you make sure your drain pan is clean and no debris falls into it while you're down there removing the drain plug.
2007-10-10 10:43:21 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 4⤋