DIY: First Oil Change w/ Ramps

[Doug Watson]

Nice job! I buy my PUP and Motorcraft filter from Amazon and my dealer only charges me $35 for an oil change. Worth every penny of it to not have to crawl under the car and remove all those fasteners. I've read that Kirkland oil is good stuff so I would not worry about it.

$35 for oil and filter change? I don't know any dealers that charge less then $135.

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[Frogdog1]

$35 for oil and filter change? I don't know any dealers that charge less then $135.

This was labor only and you know there is a dealer out there that will do it for $35 now. I brought my own oil and filter and they let me stand there and watch them do the job. None of this "insurance won't let us crap".

Yes, it is a helluva deal which is why I don't crawl under my car. In fact, Wednesday, I drove off and forgot to pay them. Half way home I called them and they just said, "don't worry about it, we'll just use your Ford Pass points". Yes, they are a great place to buy and have a Mustang maintained.

 

[Westphal]

This was labor only and you know there is a dealer out there that will do it for $35 now. I brought my own oil and filter and they let me stand there and watch them do the job. None of this "insurance won't let us crap".

Yes, it is a helluva deal which is why I don't crawl under my car. In fact, Friday, I drove off and forgot to pay them. Half way home I called them and they just said, "don't worry about it, we'll just use your Ford Pass points". Yes, they are a great place to buy and have a Mustang maintained.

Where in Dixie is this Ford dealer?

 

[robvas]

My local Penzoil only charges like $15 or $20 if you bring your own oil and filter. So if you have a local place you trust, ask them what they charge.

 

[Frogdog1]

Where in Dixie is this Ford dealer?

The Tennessee Valley region of Northern Alabama. Scottsboro, Alabama. Small town, small dealer, big service, very nice people, very good deal. It's several miles down the road from where I actually live.

 

[Abilor]

This is how I started, lol. I remember pulling onto those ramps with boards underneath for height in my Mazdaspeed 3, and I shot the boards across the driveway. Learning experience. I use QuickJacks now and can't say enough about them.

OP, if you do your own change again, I'd try Ultra Pennz Plat or Mobil 1 over the Kirkland stuff; about the same price, but known high quality. Also, a cheap 1/4 inch powered ratchet from Harbor Freight will change your life getting off all those damn 7mm cover screws.

 

[Crew4991]

Excellent write-up and pics. I do question the need for the fuel injector cleaner. Unless you've got just horrible gas, you could cause damage* to the injectors using a cleaner too often.


* - or so I was led to believe from a very experienced mechanic many years ago

Agreed. Was a top rated write up of an oil change all the way up to the part about injector cleaner... who has dirty injectors at 985 miles???
Other than that, very nice review OP.

 

[robvas]

Nothing wrong with the Kirkland/Supertech/Amazon oil at all

 

[Jdio]

I know there are a bunch of posts about oil changes under the maintenance forum but most are having someone else do it. Hence my posting to the DIY forum.

A picture is worth a thousand words so here are thousands of words.

Maiden oil change at 985 miles 10/8/25. Trusting my life to plastic ramps made in China purchased at local Wal-Mart.

Rolled her on.

Engage parking brake, put in gear & chock rear wheels.

I've read that the S550 has a little door in the plastic/fiber bottom engine cover to access the oil filter but not our S650s. A good way to dissuade cheap-ass DIYs like me from doing it themselves so that the local dealer might get the business!?

15 metal screws & 4 plastic fasteners-2 retaining clips & 2 push pins (ripped 1 in half).

I got a fastener kit off Amazon a while back. I replaced 2 push pins with retaining clips.

Pull the plug. Pleased to discover oil pan plug is at the rear of the oil pan. Should adequately drain oil even though front-end is raised!?

Pull factory filter.

My old filter wrench is too big. Rubber glove gave me the grip to loosen.

6"x12" cardboard fastened with duct tape to keep oil off components.

New filter.

Costco oil. Drink up.

Approved for Chevys, WTF.

Lastly, injector cleaner & DONE!

fyi

I know there are a bunch of posts about oil changes under the maintenance forum but most are having someone else do it. Hence my posting to the DIY forum.

A picture is worth a thousand words so here are thousands of words.

Maiden oil change at 985 miles 10/8/25. Trusting my life to plastic ramps made in China purchased at local Wal-Mart.

Rolled her on.

Engage parking brake, put in gear & chock rear wheels.

I've read that the S550 has a little door in the plastic/fiber bottom engine cover to access the oil filter but not our S650s. A good way to dissuade cheap-ass DIYs like me from doing it themselves so that the local dealer might get the business!?

15 metal screws & 4 plastic fasteners-2 retaining clips & 2 push pins (ripped 1 in half).

I got a fastener kit off Amazon a while back. I replaced 2 push pins with retaining clips.

Pull the plug. Pleased to discover oil pan plug is at the rear of the oil pan. Should adequately drain oil even though front-end is raised!?

Pull factory filter.

My old filter wrench is too big. Rubber glove gave me the grip to loosen.

6"x12" cardboard fastened with duct tape to keep oil off components.

New filter.

Costco oil. Drink up.

Approved for Chevys, WTF.

Lastly, injector cleaner & DONE!

I know there are a bunch of posts about oil changes under the maintenance forum but most are having someone else do it. Hence my posting to the DIY forum.

A picture is worth a thousand words so here are thousands of words.

Maiden oil change at 985 miles 10/8/25. Trusting my life to plastic ramps made in China purchased at local Wal-Mart.

Rolled her on.

Engage parking brake, put in gear & chock rear wheels.

I've read that the S550 has a little door in the plastic/fiber bottom engine cover to access the oil filter but not our S650s. A good way to dissuade cheap-ass DIYs like me from doing it themselves so that the local dealer might get the business!?

15 metal screws & 4 plastic fasteners-2 retaining clips & 2 push pins (ripped 1 in half).

I got a fastener kit off Amazon a while back. I replaced 2 push pins with retaining clips.

Pull the plug. Pleased to discover oil pan plug is at the rear of the oil pan. Should adequately drain oil even though front-end is raised!?

Pull factory filter.

My old filter wrench is too big. Rubber glove gave me the grip to loosen.

6"x12" cardboard fastened with duct tape to keep oil off components.

New filter.

Costco oil. Drink up.

Approved for Chevys, WTF.

Lastly, injector cleaner & DONE!

I know there are a bunch of posts about oil changes under the maintenance forum but most are having someone else do it. Hence my posting to the DIY forum.

A picture is worth a thousand words so here are thousands of words.

Maiden oil change at 985 miles 10/8/25. Trusting my life to plastic ramps made in China purchased at local Wal-Mart.

Rolled her on.

Engage parking brake, put in gear & chock rear wheels.

I've read that the S550 has a little door in the plastic/fiber bottom engine cover to access the oil filter but not our S650s. A good way to dissuade cheap-ass DIYs like me from doing it themselves so that the local dealer might get the business!?

15 metal screws & 4 plastic fasteners-2 retaining clips & 2 push pins (ripped 1 in half).

I got a fastener kit off Amazon a while back. I replaced 2 push pins with retaining clips.

Pull the plug. Pleased to discover oil pan plug is at the rear of the oil pan. Should adequately drain oil even though front-end is raised!?

Pull factory filter.

My old filter wrench is too big. Rubber glove gave me the grip to loosen.

6"x12" cardboard fastened with duct tape to keep oil off components.

New filter.

Costco oil. Drink up.

Approved for Chevys, WTF.

Lastly, injector cleaner & DONE!

Nice job! I buy my PUP and Motorcraft filter from Amazon and my dealer only charges me $35 for an oil change. Worth every penny of it to not have to crawl under the car and remove all those fasteners. I've read that Kirkland oil is good stuff so I would not worry about it.

i use Gatorade bottle cut in half over filter and unscrewed no mess! and did you have to take air deflectors off? i did = extra screws! i have pp car

 

[347Stang]

I know there are a bunch of posts about oil changes under the maintenance forum but most are having someone else do it. Hence my posting to the DIY forum.

A picture is worth a thousand words so here are thousands of words.

Maiden oil change at 985 miles 10/8/25. Trusting my life to plastic ramps made in China purchased at local Wal-Mart.

Rolled her on.

Engage parking brake, put in gear & chock rear wheels.

I've read that the S550 has a little door in the plastic/fiber bottom engine cover to access the oil filter but not our S650s. A good way to dissuade cheap-ass DIYs like me from doing it themselves so that the local dealer might get the business!?

15 metal screws & 4 plastic fasteners-2 retaining clips & 2 push pins (ripped 1 in half).

I got a fastener kit off Amazon a while back. I replaced 2 push pins with retaining clips.

Pull the plug. Pleased to discover oil pan plug is at the rear of the oil pan. Should adequately drain oil even though front-end is raised!?

Pull factory filter.

My old filter wrench is too big. Rubber glove gave me the grip to loosen.

6"x12" cardboard fastened with duct tape to keep oil off components.

New filter.

Costco oil. Drink up.

Approved for Chevys, WTF.

Lastly, injector cleaner & DONE!

I know i'm going to get some flack for asking but out of curiosity why did you go with a Fram filter and Kirkland oil, was it an overall price thing?

I've always changed my own oil even on new vehicles and I trust the FoMoCo before I'd trust a fram filter (says it filters smaller microns) and I've always had good luck with Motorcraft Oil.

Cheers and great post.

 

[Abilor]

I know i'm going to get some flack for asking but out of curiosity why did you go with a Fram filter and Kirkland oil, was it an overall price thing?

I've always changed my own oil even on new vehicles and I trust the FoMoCo before I'd trust a fram filter (says it filters smaller microns) and I've always had good luck with Motorcraft Oil.

Cheers and great post.

Not just me lol ;)

 

[347Stang]

Just in case anyone from Ont Canada or the US wants to know the price of Motorcraft Oil 10Q (Full Synthetic) and FoMoCo oil filter in Canadian dollars.

I just stopped at my local stealership and grabbed Oil and Filter for the old DH and nothing else. $153.17 after tax. And that with my discount..... Damn

 

[Wiley Marmot]

First time I've heard that! Plus I'm guessing he's only doing it every oil change.

I would suggest using a cleaner with PEA in it, though. So not that one.

Heck; I drove my Fcous ST for 8 years and ran a tankful of the strongest fuel cleaner I could get through it every 5K miles with no ill effects. Had 60 K miles on it when I traded it in.

 

[TMR]

Super helpful post and comments by all!

Terminus- can you share a link to that fastener kit?

My understanding was Fram filters dropped in quality over the decades. Have they had a come back?

 

[347Stang]

Super helpful post and comments by all!

Terminus- can you share a link to that fastener kit?

My understanding was Fram filters dropped in quality over the decades. Have they had a come back?

This looks current 1 year ago.. Fram vs FoMoCo filters

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