oil change with car level?

[Rapacz]

Aloha,

This forum has been a huge source of helpful information, and has given me the confidence to attempt some maintenance on my first Porsche.

I'm the proud new owner of an 03 Boxster S, and am lucky to live on Maui, where we still have some incredible mountain roads through relatively undeveloped areas. When I can figure out how to reduce the size of some photos, I'll post them. I also have a CSP prepared 94 Miata, which I autocross monthly. Sunday afternoons are always a difficult time...which car and which roads?

I've been reading the topics on oil changes, and am wondering whether the car should be level, to drain the maximum amount of oil, or whether I can back it up onto ramps and drain it "tilted" that way. I don't have a good floor jack yet (my small Sears jack has been fine for the Miata), so, Tool Pants' advice to jack up the left rear, then lower while draining may not work for me.

How much difference does it make?

As an aside, before your next vacation, check out MauiSCCA.org to plan a Maui trip around an autocross event. We regularly have rental Miatas, etc. attending.

John Rapacz

[Tool Pants]

Yeah, I know you owners want every drop of old oil out, like it is really going to make a difference. :P

Years ago at our work on cars days people would bring the plastic low profile Rhino ramps and back up the car. We were usually in a flat parking lot so the rear was tilted at a slight angle when on the ramps. So maybe there was a cup or two of oil that did not drain out. If we also changed the filter and get in about 9 quarts then whatever did not drain out means nothing to me.

Then people were showing up with small Sears hydraulic jacks that comes in a plastic case. Jacking up the left side then putting it down after the filter and oil change (don't crush your drain pan) is faster than using ramps. I have never used ramps since.

I do not know what type of jack you were using on your Miata. Does it not work with the Box?

[Rapacz]

Thanks, Tool Pants,

I'll give the Sears jack a try. I'll also check the height of my drain pan, and keep an eye on it as I lower the car.

This (of course) raised another question. Where do I place a jackstand (for safety while I'm under the car), if I already have the jack in the left rear jacking point?

I really appreciate your willingness to repeatedly deal with these types of "first-timer" questions, but I couldn't find the answers in the other posts.

Again, Mahalo.

John

[Tool Pants]

You put the safety stand where the yellow X is, and the picture will make no sense to you until you jack the LR and remove the tire. You only need to do this on the LR/Driver's side. We never jack up the passenger side.

After your stand is in place then you lower the jack so that 98% of the weight of the car is on the stand. I never remove the jack when the weight of the car is on the stand, but leave the jack in place, just in case. When you place your body under any car you do not trust your jack and since I am in earthquake country and sometime work on a sloped driveway I do not even trust a stand. Sometime I will even slide the just removed wheel under the car so that it will be next to my body and under the car. The rim is larger than my head and chest.

[Rapacz]

Thankyou.

Maui Roads Photos as mentioned earlier.

John