I personally find it easier to just open the hood take out the dipstick and stick a tube down the hole versus jack up the car or use a ramp. Find the correct size socket, remove the drain plug and wait. Many times people don't check the drain bolt and end up with 2 washers which causes leaks or over tighten the drain bolt. Rest of the procedure is the same. Now when it comes to transfer the oil, you can take the topsider to the recycling place and reverse the flow and give is a few pumps.


I guess it's more of a personal preference but I know the few noobies to doing their oil change were afraid of removing the drain bolt. They were intimidated to even go under the car so the top sider make it easier for them.

 

Welcome to the neo-golden age. Minus M3, all 3 series from 2007 on have no dipsticks, and according to my reliable dealer contact BMW plans to eliminate the DS in ALL of their products--MINI included--within a few years.

Welcome to the future. For some real horror stories on the software glitches re the new oil monitoring system check the BMW forums. Funny, yet tragic.

(Oh and OP how about 3500-ish??)

 

My issue with extractors is that I never know how much oil it is leaving in the bottom of the pan. If the oil is dirty or possibly contains metal shavings that will be concentrated at the bottom of the pan. And if an extractor leaves anything that is precisely what it will leave, the dirtiest portion of the oil.

 

Question to oil extractor people: How hard was it to snake the tube down the dipstick channel? I sucked out a few ounces of oil from mine using a 6 foot segment of plastic hose and it took multiple attempts to get the thing threaded way down in there. It was like there were joints you had to get past.

 

Putting the car up on ramps; crawling underneath; unscrewing the sump drain plug from below; treating your fingers and hands to the flow of hot oil; trying to catch all the exiting oil in your drain pan without spilling; replacing the copper crush washer; crawling under the car again; screwing in the sump drain plug to the correct torque. PITA. Is this worth the extra few cc's of oil you can extract by draining vs extracting? I don't think so.

 

BigNewt- the Topsider comes with a transparent, narrow-diameter extraction hose which slips quite readily down the dipstick pipe, no problem. The trick is to get the right length of hose into the sump so the pickup end is at the correct location in the sump - ie. lying flat in the deepest area - to extract the most oil. After a time or two one develops a feel for this...

 

And I thought I was a klutz, noobie or not don't listen to this rant it is VERY EASY!

MY GOD, it is ONE bolt and ONE washer in a very convenient location, they're already removing the filter. I think any one who does that can handle ONE BOLT!

 

this should only be an issue if you change your oil cold. you should always warm up the engine by driving it then letting it sit for 5-10 mins before changing the oil.

my friend has an e34 525i and around 80K mark he started using the extractor. right now he has 225K miles and the engine is as strong as before and passes smog with flying colors.

 

Thanks smackboy.
So tell me, are the directions really that poorly written as what the customers are complaining about

 

No issue snaking the plastic tubing into the dipstick with the Mityvac, but it was hard to figure out where "bottom" was. I ended up marking the tubing using the length of the dipstick as a guide so I'd know about where bottom was.

 

The Mityvac is very easy to set up, and very easy to use. I read the simple directions the first time I used it and never needed them again. I've used one for years and it's much easier than getting under the car. The Mityvac eliminates handling all the dirty oil, and that alone makes it worthwhile to me.

 

It is a free country and you can change your oil any way you want to and live with the consequences. However most of the crud is at the very bottom of the oil pan and the oil you are leaving is probably the worst stuff in the car. No reputable shop would ever consider using a suction system rather than removing the drain plug.

Having said that, I would still rather have a car with 5,000 mile oil changes with a MitiVac than 15,000 mile oil changes using the drain plug. So if by using the MitiVac you change the oil more often, then by all means use it. I think it would take a very long time to see any differences.

 

Yea, it's almost as bad as turning on a light. From a seated position I have to lean forward, raise myself off the sofa, place my right foot ahead of my left, then my left in front of my right, I repeat that until I reach the light switch. Then I must raise my arm and manually flip the switch. I then have to turn around and repeat the entire grueling step process until I reach the sofa again. I then have to turn around so my back is to the sofa and sit down again! Whew!

 

Directions? We don't need no stinkin' directions

Seriously, I'm a man, I threw out the directions with the box without reading them. It's really simple to use. There is a switch to go between "extract" and "dispense". There is a pump handle to create a vacuum. That's about it. If a person can operate a bicycle pump, they are qualified to use the MityVac.

It's really simple. Warm up the oil and get it mixed up a bit by running the MINI for about 5-10 minutes, then shut it off. If you warm it up to actual operating temp (around 200 F) the tube gets soft and you can burn your hands (ouch!). It's not really necessary to have the oil that hot. Snake the tube down the dipstick tube so it's a little bit further into the sump than the length of the dipstick. Open the oil filler cap to break the vacuum. Pump the handle about 20 times and watch the oil get sucked out. At this point I usually go get a snack or watch TV for 20 minutes. IIRC the oil capacity is about 4.5 quarts. If I come back and most of the oil isn't out, I just jiggle the tube in the dipstick hole a little bit deeper or shallower and continue pumping until I can extract nothing but air. You're never going to get every single drop of oil out of the engine using a pump or through the drain hole, and quite frankly, you don't need to. With a good synthetic, the oil molecules are not "worn out", it's the additive package which gets depleted. Any crap left behind is going to be diluted by the new fresh oil. As for bits of metal, the new oil filter will take care of that. So I ain't too worried about leaving a few oz behind.

The tubing used to snake down the dipstick tube is 1/4" polyethylene tube they sell at Home Depot or Lowes for refrigerators or ice makers. So if it gets kinked or you need more it's easy to replace.

TIP: Get a box of disposable nitrile gloves (petroleum eats latex). Extended exposure to motor oil may cause cancer, and it's also really hot.

 

I agree. That's why I checked to make sure the Mityvac got out all the oil the first time I changed it on my Clubman, and it did not. When I changed the oil on my BMW the first time I also checked the drain plug, and about five drops of oil came out. The Mityvac does not work perfectly on every car, it has to get to the bottom of the oil pan at it's lowest point, and the dipstick tube often doesn't lead to the correct spot. It did on my old 325 wagon, I'm still not sold on using it for my MINI, unless I get better results next time.
By the way, some high-end shops do use oil evacuators, notably Mercedes-Benz. However, I'll bet it's not a $65 dollar unit from Amazon.

 

It's not like the engine is going to grenade just because you didn't change your oil frequently enough. It's just that if the engine is constantly subjected to extra wear and tear from use of depleted oil, it is more likely to develop problems. As any engine gets into higher mileage, wear and tear can lead to burning oil, loss of power, lower fuel economy etc.. So an engine subjected to extra wear and tear might develop problems and need a rebuild sooner. Most times these problems will develop long after the warranty expires, maybe even after the extended warranty expires, which is why so many manufacturers are going to longer and longer OCI. Porsche OCIs are 20K miles and I think they want to extend it further.

It's the law in my state (maybe in most states) that any place that sells motor oil has to accept it for recycling. Same with batteries and other auto fluids e.g. brake fluid. So I just drop old oil off at the local auto shop.

 

Used motor oil is nasty stuff, recycle it!
I use the empty giant laundry detergent containers from Costco. They hold lots of oil, and they're pretty sturdy, with a tight cap. Just drop off the used oil at any auto store, preferably the store you frequent for your purchases. Any place that sells oil accepts used oil for recycling.

 

I could see the convenience of having the oil extractor, particularly if your car is lowered. But for me I see no point, my pan slides under without needing to raise the car up and it's not very far to reach in to get to the drain plug. But maybe I already made this point earlier? hmmm....Just make sure you wear some diposable gloves.

 

Thanks for the explanation. I'm going to place an order for one today.

 

An oil extractor is not a miracle tool, it simply makes the oil changing job a little more convenient for me, and eliminates handling all the used oil. I certainly don't recommend everyone run out and get one. As you note, the MINI drain plug is very easy to access. I already have one, that's why I used it.

 

I did mine at 1200, 5000, 10000.

 

I got the Pela extractor from Jerry B. Leach when I had the Passat. That car has a big belly pan under the engine, which has to be removed to get to the drain plug. Others had done the legwork to determine that the extraction was 95%+ as efficient as the drain plug, which saved shinnying under the car, or running it up on ramps. I alternated between the two methods.

Thanks for the lead on the Fumoto.

For storage and recycling the used oil, I use a vegetable oil "jug" that I got from Chik Fil-A. They get their fry oil in them. My guess is any fast food place will have these. It is probably 7 gallon capacity, with a big opening to pour into, and it is encased in its own cardboard box. Very convenient, especially since I catch the oil from two cars, the pickup, three motorcycles, the mower... When the box gets nasty, I'll replace the whole thing.

 

I've seen those too when employees would walk back and forth with them.. they look very thick and sturdy.

Do they give them out upon request for free? Or do you work for Chik-Fil-A that you managed to just grab one when it was garbage day?

 

Mine was free. They've got to do something with them; if you make nice with the manager, I'm sure they'll save one for you.

 

For those in California, the state gives out containers for recycling oil. You can get one free at most auto supply stores. It comes with a heavy ziplock bag for the filter. In most areas you can put the contain out for trash/recycling pickup. They will empty it, take the filter, and leave the container with a new bag for you.