I change my own oil. Yesterday, I decided I had better get an oil change done before the snow moves in later in the week. Usually, it is a pretty hassle-free process. Yesterday...not so much.
First, we're technically not allowed to work on vehicles where I live. I usually get around this by doing the work on Sundays, but it was raining/snowing this past Sunday. I waited until about 5pm to get started (after owners/manager/maintenance go home for the day). It was still relatively warm outside at that point and I had at least an hour and a half of daylight left.
I gathered all of my supplies (oil filter, oil, air filter, blue towels), my tools (breaker bar, sockets, screwdriver, oil pan, funnel) and set to work. I changed the air filter in no time at all. Usually, I have a devil of a time getting it switched out because the Subaru Baja has the air filter in a really stupid, no easily accessible place. Next, I crawled under the car and removed the plastic panels that project the undercarriage. I then realize that I had forgotten that I was not the last one to change my oil. I went ahead and had it done while it was being serviced for something else. Damn, it wasn't one of the Fram filters with the rubber grip that are relatively easy to get off. It was also on there really tight. I was going to go ahead and get the oil draining while I was under there. Of course, the 17mm socket that I needed to remove the drain plug is missing from the set. I clean myself up as best I can and head back into the house to find a 17mm socket and to see if we have a fuel filter wrench. After much search, I can not locate a wrench, so I call Marcus and sure enough, we don't have one. I tried to use a pipe wrench, but there wasn't enough clearance under there to get it around the filter.
I got in Marcus' Escape and trekked over to Advanced Auto Parts. Why are auto parts stores always understaffed? It was a problem when I worked at one and is always the case still. I found a wrench I thought would work, stood in a line for a really long time, finally paid for it and got back home. Too small. Damn! I package it back up, go back to Advanced, exchange it for the next bigger size (after standing in line forever again) and went back home. At this point, it is dark, so I went inside to find my mini LED flashlight that I really like because I can clip it onto things. I had lent it to Marcus the day before and now I couldn't find it anywhere. I had to call Marcus to see where he put it. After the flashlight is found, I go back outside to try it again and now this one is too big. Are you freakin' kidding me?! I almost started crying at this point. It was dark and getting cold and I have tools scattered all over and I just wanted to be done with it. I got back in the car again and went to Autozone. They didn't have a strap wrench that seemed like it would work, so I went with a different kind of tool (kind of like pliers). I stood and waited to be checked out yet again, picked up a couple of tacos from Taco Bell because I was starving and my dinner I had prepared before starting all of this was now ice cold and had to be reheated, got back home and tried again. The damn filter still wouldn't come off. Did I mention that whoever put it on last put it on tight? Jerk. I went back in the house, found some duct tape, wrapped that around the filter and tried again. After a bit, it finally came off.
The rest of it went pretty quickly from there. I was so cold, though, that I spilled oil trying to get it from the pan into the bottle. I gathered up all the tools, took my garbage to the dumpster, ran my car for a bit to get the new oil flowing and went inside to take a shower. Damn, I totally forgot that the handle on the shower broke the day before. Now I had to go find some teflon tape to make a temporary repair so that I could clean myself up.
So, that's my sad, sorry tale. A quick oil change that turned into a 3 hour ordeal. At least next time, the filter will come off easily and now my car has shiny, new oil before it snows tonight.
First, we're technically not allowed to work on vehicles where I live. I usually get around this by doing the work on Sundays, but it was raining/snowing this past Sunday. I waited until about 5pm to get started (after owners/manager/maintenance go home for the day). It was still relatively warm outside at that point and I had at least an hour and a half of daylight left.
I gathered all of my supplies (oil filter, oil, air filter, blue towels), my tools (breaker bar, sockets, screwdriver, oil pan, funnel) and set to work. I changed the air filter in no time at all. Usually, I have a devil of a time getting it switched out because the Subaru Baja has the air filter in a really stupid, no easily accessible place. Next, I crawled under the car and removed the plastic panels that project the undercarriage. I then realize that I had forgotten that I was not the last one to change my oil. I went ahead and had it done while it was being serviced for something else. Damn, it wasn't one of the Fram filters with the rubber grip that are relatively easy to get off. It was also on there really tight. I was going to go ahead and get the oil draining while I was under there. Of course, the 17mm socket that I needed to remove the drain plug is missing from the set. I clean myself up as best I can and head back into the house to find a 17mm socket and to see if we have a fuel filter wrench. After much search, I can not locate a wrench, so I call Marcus and sure enough, we don't have one. I tried to use a pipe wrench, but there wasn't enough clearance under there to get it around the filter.
I got in Marcus' Escape and trekked over to Advanced Auto Parts. Why are auto parts stores always understaffed? It was a problem when I worked at one and is always the case still. I found a wrench I thought would work, stood in a line for a really long time, finally paid for it and got back home. Too small. Damn! I package it back up, go back to Advanced, exchange it for the next bigger size (after standing in line forever again) and went back home. At this point, it is dark, so I went inside to find my mini LED flashlight that I really like because I can clip it onto things. I had lent it to Marcus the day before and now I couldn't find it anywhere. I had to call Marcus to see where he put it. After the flashlight is found, I go back outside to try it again and now this one is too big. Are you freakin' kidding me?! I almost started crying at this point. It was dark and getting cold and I have tools scattered all over and I just wanted to be done with it. I got back in the car again and went to Autozone. They didn't have a strap wrench that seemed like it would work, so I went with a different kind of tool (kind of like pliers). I stood and waited to be checked out yet again, picked up a couple of tacos from Taco Bell because I was starving and my dinner I had prepared before starting all of this was now ice cold and had to be reheated, got back home and tried again. The damn filter still wouldn't come off. Did I mention that whoever put it on last put it on tight? Jerk. I went back in the house, found some duct tape, wrapped that around the filter and tried again. After a bit, it finally came off.
The rest of it went pretty quickly from there. I was so cold, though, that I spilled oil trying to get it from the pan into the bottle. I gathered up all the tools, took my garbage to the dumpster, ran my car for a bit to get the new oil flowing and went inside to take a shower. Damn, I totally forgot that the handle on the shower broke the day before. Now I had to go find some teflon tape to make a temporary repair so that I could clean myself up.
So, that's my sad, sorry tale. A quick oil change that turned into a 3 hour ordeal. At least next time, the filter will come off easily and now my car has shiny, new oil before it snows tonight.
Name: LaDonna
