I see absolutely nothing wrong with waste oil evacuating systems, since we use a Samson Evacumaster system at the Walmart I work at, and it makes changing cartridge based oil filters on top of the engine a lot faster (just remember to keep the drain valve closed or you will have a massive oily mess to clean up!)
@@fauxque5057 so he got more oil out then a traditional drain, so your motor is getting more fresh oil, and any sludge build up is also being sucked off the pan.... so tell me how this is bad? I only see benefits
@@braaapattack2937 because old dudes don't like change. Shit, I'm just happy to learn a new way to do things. Might be ordering one of them units soon.
I just bought a little electric pump off Amazon or eBay and it has worked fine...I should try some time and see how much oil is left in there but I drive beater cars so I'm not all that concerned beyond mild curiosity.
I feel for Gabe! I broke my leg at the ankle and dislocated my knee cap back in 2018. Recovering takes longer than you’ll anticipate but have faith Gabe.
When you're a kid everything is flexible and not completely set so you tend to flex and deflect. Plus your never going to die and are invincible 🤣 I have learned I'm quite breakable after all these years of my life and I don't bounce like I used to and hitting the ground is bad. I have personal experience with that one and got a 4 month forced vacation. I'm sure he'll heal up quickly and won't be doing that again.
Many people, who do not work on cars for a living, do not realize, ALL OIL CHANGES are FRACTIONAL OIL CHANGES. Even pulling the drain plug will leave a Quart or more oil still in the internals. You will never get that oil out. Oil Vacuum is easy, fast and clean. Anyone saying vacuuming the oil will ruin an engine has no basic understanding of engines.
Had to add another reply. Been a while since I serviced a 90's 5.0 Mustang. One came in the shop recently, rare car, 2 Drain plugs because the pan wrapped over the subframe/steering rack. The Front Drain plug had not a single wrench mark on it. That means, NOBODY ever drained that quart in the front of the oil pan. Did that hurt the engine? Nope. Still just another fractional oil change. In other words, oil pans with multiple drain plugs can still be vacuumed from the deep side, but you still have to pull the drain plug on the other locations. Still is easier to suck out what you can, just cleaner all around.
I would almost think that the shops would just use one generic extension to vacuum the oil out? As long as it hits the bottom of the pan and the filter gets changed I see nothing wrong with doing it this way. Certainly cleaner on the hands.
Jiffy Lube manager says JL makes more $ on oil vacuum. Less dwell time for each car in the bay. Less oil burn claims by techs. Less stripped oil plugs. He said vacuum also takes oil off those casted reservoirs around the cams. The last gravity drain job I saw was before COVID.
You really have a fine video presentation. I am 68 years old, and it is great to see a young man really enjoy his work. You have an excellent knowledge of different subjects and I find your program very educational and entertaining. GOD bless you and your family.
Gabe's dad jokes are fire! I hope he recovers quickly, without complications. A lot of modern cars have a bottom cover for aerodynamics that is an absolute pain to remove in the driveway. Couple this with top mount cartridge type oil filter and you have an excellent use case for an oil extractor.
I had a 2016 Mercedes A220d with the 2.2 diesel. Merc would Vacuum the oil as that is their current process. However the tech told me with the miles i was doing (25k a year) he believed the plug should be removed due to the carbon chunks that form on Diesels in the oil. So on the 60k oil change he removed the plug and sent me a video. There was chunks and blobs coming out of the drain hole. It was terrible. So we went with a full pan pull. It was just horrific. The Vac oil process does not get rid of the large deposits that form and would normally flow out of the drain hole. So that made my mind up about this process !.
There was a time when I too had my doubts. However, after talking to an older friend of mine, who’s spent the last two decades of his life running a Euro specialty shop, I no longer had any at all. Quick, easy, and super clean. Hopefully seeing this will convince others as well!
My extractor works excellently on my Mercedes and BMW. I can extract most of the oil out of my Ford Excursion (at least the oil no longer comes blasting out of the drain plug because the extractor takes all but 1/4 quart of the oil). The extractor hose won't seem to go very far down the dipstick tube of our 2016 Honda Civic EX Turbo but at least there is now a channel for the oil of the filter to neatly flow through.
I've always been a pull the plug and drain guy.. I do have a vaccum system. May start using it from now on after this, especially if the oil plug is higher than the lowest spot on the pan! Thanks for the video!
I've been changing the oil on my 2009 Mercedes E350 like this since I bought it in 2011. Has 215K miles and never had any issues when it comes to oil. I now use my extractor on all my cars.
Nothing against it flush or a fluid extraction on a transmission but I think a drop of the pan and changing the filter is still the best way to go. Well it's the second-best way2go. The best way to go is to get rid of that auto and put a 6-speed in it
Oh man, been there, done that on jumping off the roof. I did it multiple times when I was young. Last time I tried it after putting up Christmas lights (about 12-15 years ago), I jumped off and really hurt my hip. Limped around for a month. Thankfully, no broken bones in my case. Hope Gabe is up and going again soon.
I wonder exactly when it occurred to him the jumping off the roof was a bad idea. For a reasonable person it would've been when he was still standing on the ground
That vacuum system would have been super handy to have when doing the DSG Oil change in my Mk 6 Jetta. Or for any car that has a belly pan with 20 bolts/screws in it.
@@300DBenz Interesting, all the automatics I've worked on have had a filter inside the pan that needs changed as well. A cartridge style makes much more sense to use with a vacuum system.
It drives me insane how much time it takes to take it off when I'm working on jack stands. I have a 2017 Elantra Sport and there's a cutout for oil & filter as well as the rear motor mount, however, everything else you have to take it off for and it's just cumbersome. 12 or so plastic push pins and 6-8 bolts.
First, I hope Gabe is healing and recovering well. I recently changed the oil on my Dodge Dakota...and the plug on the 3.9 V6 is aimed toward the transmission/transfer case crossmember...which creates a ton of splash when draining...so vacuuming would address that instead of draining...of course some modern cars are doing away with dipsticks...so that is a consideration.
I love my extractor it works great on the cars that have the oil filter on top. I still do it the old fashion way with the cars that have the filters at the bottom as its still going to make a mess and you still need to pour it in to another container to get rid of it. The one i have is smaller but it has clear tubing so you can see when its done and it has the measurement on the side so you cans see how much oil you have extracted.
Blackstone certainly ought to know what they're doing. My 1987 Mazda pickup was stolen in 1987 and the body shop sent an oil sample to them for analysis way back then so they've certainly got the experience.
This explains why my Fiat has that goofy top-side access oil filter canister instead of a spin-on from underneath. Informative and entertaining! Thanks! 🛢 🚗
Been doing this for about 5 years now makes transmission fluid change easy. Most OEM service manuals do not recommend flushing transmissions anymore even though dealers still try to do that until I show them in the service manual not suppose to do it.
It’s a harsh lesson we men all must learn on that day when we realize we are no longer invulnerable. Best wishes to Gabe for a speedy recovery. That being said, the vacuum oil change is definitely the way to go! Cool system, JR! Looking forward to hearing the results.
Same way I do our Mercedes GLK 250 Bluetec. Shop wants $400 for oil and filter change and $400 to change fuel filter. Fuel filter cost me $121 and 30 min to remove and replace with new! Oil change kit cost me $85. Extractor cost me $77 and worked great, a one time expense. Thanks for the video.
I did this on our Dodge Grand Caravan as the filter is on top. Really great to not have to use ramps and lay on the pavement anymore. Only things I don't like about your unit is it should have a clear hose so you can see when it stops pulling oil, and there's no sight glass to see how full the tank is.
Just got an extractor myself to do my Audi Q7. I went with the manual pump, though, since I don't have compressed air.. It took a little while but still better than jacking up car and removing the ridiculous number of fasteners Audi uses on the pan (20 on my S5). I was worried about remaining oil but the extractor has volume marking and it was right on what it held. Added back the 7.2 quarts and brought it up to level so there wasn't much left behind.
To be fair to Honda on filter changes, they do use oil deflectors to get around either drive axles, control arms or other 'obstacles' to keep a drain clean (some dealerships will not use vacuum since many techs start in the express, extra responsibility I guess).
I work on old wooden boats and this would be amazing for that. The one boat that we run the most leaks so much oil that you don’t even have to worry about an oil change. Got to love rope seals.
I want to see the Oil Analysis Breakdown. What's wearing out fastest, the ring's, the main bearing's, the cam bearing's? Can they narrow it down that close? What will they find? The Oil Vacuum system is a really cool tool for the shop. It looks a lot cleaner than pulling the plug!
I have had a simple harbor freight air-powered oil vacuum unit for many years. It is similar in operation to yours, and has a large capacity.It's worth noting there might be issues with certain vehicles where you can't reach the bottom of the pan with the withdrawal tube -- worse, some don't even have a dip stick!. Nevertheless, I love using the system as it makes removing old oil fast, easy, clean, and simplifies disposal.
Great video. The dip stick could be a dip tube/pipe which can serve as a suction outet and car manufacturers can design filters on top. Saves so much time & money for owners. Even many might actually DO the oil change instead of skipping altogether.
Awesome this solves the problem of changing oil on a surface that isn’t level and doing auto transmission panels drops without making a mess. Ordering one now
I've been using a MityVac pump for about a year. Needed to change ATF on a Yukon and didn't want to drop the pan every time. So much easier with my car too since I don't need to jack the car up for drain plug or filter.
I have 3 Mercedes and I do both with each. I think the vacuum method works awesome. I like to drop the drain plug every other oil change to see if there is any debris on the plug. Some people think ignorance is bliss.
It doesn't. Its the lazy, dealer way. You will have sludge on the bottom of your oil pan, there's many videos proving some models will leave up to half a quart in the pan which is the dirtiest oil that's on the bottom.
I like the vacuum method. Since the oil filter housing is at the top of the motor I don't even have to jack the car up, secure it with stands, remove 15 bolts to get the plastic covers off just to get to the drain plug. I can have the oil changed in about 15-20 minutes and the savings of doing it myself means the vacuum pump has paid for itself several times over.
A friend who is a Mercedes mechanic taught me this years ago and I’ve been doing it ever since. Like you I pulled the drain plug the first time I did it with the same results. So if it’s good enough for Mercedes it’s good enough for me. I like your open mindedness going into this test.
Ya I bought a Mercedes a while ago and saw the filter on top and was like ya I wish there was a way to not have to go under the car and saw a video pulling the oil thought the dip stick tube and I have not looked back.
Oil vac and condition reporting is how logistics have been operating for a long time. If you have access to a vac - great. Using the right tube relative to the dipstick aperture and the shape of the sump is fairly important. As you found with the Civic, you can get more used fluid out with the vac. Also handy for all sorts of other 'nasties' around the shop...
From someone who did oil analysis in the lab for years. Most of the times if there's major wear happening such as a failed component the metals will be in the filter. Versus the very fine normal wear metals that make it through the filter and stay in the oil.
Great video. I just purchased an extractor/dispenser from Harbor Freight and I was interested to see how much oil was left in the oil pan after you finished. Some late model BMWs do not have an oil dipstick, so doing it this way is not possible. I've owned 3 in the past 6 years and not one had a dip stick. BMW designs the undercarrriage plastic protector such that oil changes are easy and it doesn't have to be removed. Just open a cover drop the drain plug and you know the rest.
I haven't been in the industry for years, however for your standard oil changes I think this is great way to do it. But if you have an engine with questions on its future reliability, I think pulling the plug is still nessasary. But standard in and out oil change. That is great! I wish we had one.
Same here, we dropped the plug years back and sometimes you had a cross threaded plug that someone else left you with, spills, hot oil on your hands, etc. I say if it works, it works
I have used vacuum oil recovery systems. They work but I won't use them on my cars. Part of the drain process is to warm the oil so the garbage in the bottom of the pan will flow out with the old oil. Sucking it through the dipstick tube doesn't get the garbage from the bottom of the pan
@@fauxque5057 I have to disagree a lot of pans are like that honda where there is a lip and that stuff collects below that lip. So by the time you get under and drain it that stuff is below that lip. But using a vacuum you can get to the base of that pan and suck everything up. Now I still maintain that if you think there is a problem with the engine draining the oil the old-fashioned way and inspecting everything is the best way to go.
@@X-millennial add to that, that pulling a magnetic drain plug also will let you know, if there are metal shavings. So doing both might be the best way to go.
@@MultiMegafred true a magnetic is a great thing to add to your own car. And if it was my car I would do that I would add the magnetic drain plug and still probably do the vacuum to drain it and then I would inspect it by pulling the drain plug and seeing if there's any thing on it. But the average commuter that they take to work and they take to get groceries and then they take to soccer practice. They're not that worried about it. And it looks like to me when you vacuum it out you get a good look at the oil as it comes out so if there is a problem you should be able to detect it then. If that thing caught the oil change quantity separate from the disposal catch first so you could inspect it for any debris before it mixed into the last eight oil changes that are in that tank that would be great that would be something would make me feel better because then I can catch anything before that car goes back out. But if you really want to know what's going on with that car use your crack the filter open and take a look at the pleats and see what it caught. I mean if we're going to be serious here that's what you should be doing. But we're talking about your basic oil change on your basic grocery getter vacuuming it out is faster and more efficient.
There is up for auction a 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan with 306,000 miles on it. Government vehicle and maintenance shop says it has no know mechanical problems. They just sold one last week with 403,000 miles on it. Goes to show, maintain your vehicle and it can last a lot of miles :)
All that you need now, is the machine that changes Brake Fluid. It sucks out the old fluid from the calipers, while new fluid is pumped into the reservoir. A few years ago, Fram made the Genuine Honda OEM Oil Filters, and Honda was not pleased with the 'quality'.
Back in the 80's when I was in vocational school for Auto Mechanics during high School, we had a canister full of brake fluid and an adapter plate for the Master Cylinder. We put on the adapter, hooked up the air line, and bled out the brakes with it. Easy way to flush out all the old brake fluid quickly.
BMW and VW were doing this back in 2004...that's how all my tech's did oil changes when I was a service advisor. It let them work on a car on their lift that actually needed the lift, as well as clocking an oil change at the same time. That's how the smart techs clocked some 14 hour days only working 8-10 hours.
I've been vacuuming my Grand Cherokee with the 3.0 MB diesel for many years. If you use the drain plug on this jeep it splashes against the transmission then can be a disaster.
Pretty cool but I hate you can’t see the oil coming out, there other extractors have a clear hose that connects to the suction attachment. I had my transmission fluid sucked out last week and it was cool seeing what color it looked like coming out.
I have a large syringe from ravenol which I used for a few cars transmissions. Basically a drain and fill with the same amount so I know my levels match. Honda doesn’t recommend full flush because those can cause issues so I do a few drain/fills over a few months. Works a treat because they don’t take much oil. Will use it for engine too in future. Did service on 2 cars and because I was busy multitasking I forgot to torque down the drain plug on one. Of course plug fell out while driving and luckily wife stopped immediately and no engine damage, just a butload of brake cleaner to clean the undercarriage afterwards. I’m still more confident doing it myself after a service shop stripped a drain plug down to 1/4 turn of thread and had to have sump re-threaded after.
I’m a Mini tech who also does side work on BMWs and I gotta say a vacuum drainer is perfect for older BMWs and it can be used at home or in the shop. Older BMWs (with dipsticks) have the filter on top so you don’t even have to jack the car up and its amazing for someone who’s working out of their driveway. Sadly I don’t think it’s possible with the newer BMWs because of the lack of dipstick. My dad has a hand pump vacuum drainer and it’s great for side work where you don’t have any shop air.
As noted below - the vacuum method is how you change oil in Inboard/Outboard boats - maybe some of the Inboards, too. I'd say the bonus is, unless you flip the suction hose out of the diptube, you're a lot less liable to get oil all the way down your arm!
Thanks, that is good information to know since I have been using the suction method on my 2002 Jetta tdi. The car has over 400k miles on it and still runs perfectly. Your videos are great 👍.
I’m a marine mechanic and the vacuum extractor is the only way to get the oil out of inboard and I/O boats. The dipsticks tubes are threaded for a garden hose fitting. Works really good
First off, Gabe get better real fast!! Second, I worked at a bus company and they sent every bus's oil off to be analyzed. It told them a lot about the engine. When you have over a 1000 buses, you do everything to maintain them. Vacuuming sounds great. Gets everything in the bottom of the pan including maybe metal chips.
Power Boat owner's have used this method for ever, only we didn't have the high powered suction tank....Most of the time we hand cranked a suction pump and collected most of the dirty oil but not all....It was the only way to change oil on an Inboard motor Boat and was better then NOT changing the oil...... Good Video .....
I bought a MiTVac to do oil changes on my boat but started using it on my cars. Now when the wife wants me to do an oil change...I do the normal protest and flailing. Then go out to the garage, tinker around for 20 minutes and do the oil change in 5 minutes. She is thankful for 'all the hard work' and get the brownie points. BTW Jaguar and Land rover have the 'straw' in the filler neck just for extraction purposes.
I tried building one of those vacuum drainers in high school. I modified a harbor freight air compressor into a vacuum pump and built a oil container out of a 5 gallon bucket, a ball valve, a bunch of hose adapters, and surprisingly, it worked when I tested it (it emptied out the water in the utility room sink pretty quickly. But the first time I used it on oil, it sucked the 5 gallon bucket inside out. It worked fine on water and coolant, but cold 15w40 diesel oil was way too much for it.
I can't imagine why anyone would disagree with sucking the oil out of the engine vs pulling the drain plug? Judging from this demonstration JR did it seems like the way to go, especially if you have a free machine to do it with.
I drain the oil pan AND I have an old (superseded) home carpet cleaner that I modified to provide suction via narrow vinyl tube. I use it through the drain plug hole to suck out any residual oil or sludge from the drain pan.
Can’t be as bad as the local oil change place….they literally take out the drain plug and screw it back in less than 45 seconds….leaving tons of old oil left….vacuum pumps are the BEST!
I’m a DIY’er just because I can. Long time good buddy owns H A Specialist, and only works on Honda and Acura. I worked on cars since I started driving when I was 16, so I’ve always changed my own oil on every thing I’ve owned. I’m 72 now, and good buddy Gregg let’s me use one of his lifts when I want to. Regarding oil all over everything when removing the filter; I Mc Giver’ed a drain trough from the filter to the drain pan that took care of every drop. Zero clean-up! Thanks for the proof of the pudding! N.E.OH Bob
It's common and often necessary to extract the oil through the dip stick tube on inboard marine engines. You can use an extractor or a pump. I've done it many many times and never had any issues with it on my own boats.
I’ve not undone a sump plug in years now and use a trusty £30 Pela pump for my oil changes and it’s great as long as you get the oil warm beforehand and actually smart cars don’t have a sump plug anymore. Get well soon Gabe and hope your on the mend mate.
My 1999 Accord has mirrors that fold, but my 2000 Civic doesn't, and the driver's side mirror has broken 3 times: Twice when people drifted into my lane and once when my brother pushed my car into the house. The other drivers got a dent in their car and bought me new mirrors. My brother, though...
I use to use an extractor to change the oil in my 02 TDI I had years ago. It worked well and it was an easy way to change the oil without getting under the car and getting messy. At the time I didn’t have a Jack and Jack stands nor did I have a good place to even lift the car so this was a good solution. I kinda wish I still had it. I might have to get another one.
I'm lucky this video came out today, as I'm looking for one of these today!!! I had an older oil pump that I used in winter for oil changes. I'd still be using it but I moved, it might have gotten tossed out or just misplaced. Anyway, need one for my fleet of 5 vehicles. I have a Mercedes SL500 and my shop uses an oil extraction pump like yours. I asked my mech about it and he told me that this method is totally approved by Mercedes so I'm sold!!! Sorry about Gabe; please tell him we ALL hope for a rapid recovery!!!
I work at a take 5 oil change and we have a vacuum style oil drain. At take 5 we call it an EVAC (evacuation) basically we use compressed air to power a little rolling pump that sucks all the oil out of the dipstick tube. But you see we almost only do it on vehicles that have damaged or difficult to reach drain plugs.
Definitely agree that using an oil extractor is the way to go. You mentioned the German brands with the filters on top, and my VW diesel is the same way with the oil filter cartridge right next to the dipstick. With an extractor an oil change takes 5-10 mins max, and I don't have to lift up or get under the car. On the note of Mercedes, the early Smart cars with 800cc CDI engine (W450 chassis) didn't even have a drain plug on the pan. You had to use an extractor to do an oil change. Rather ironically, since you mentioned samples, I find pulling a sample is easier from the drain plug as you can just put your bottle in the stream and quickly fill it up.
I worked at a Big 10 Tires that was across the street from a Walmart, and we repaired all of the drain plugs that their techs cross threaded. I did so many of them, I can still repair one with my eyes closed.
Poor Gabe! I always thought you should have a RUclips channel with your good way of explaining things clearly with your radio voice. It's always fun when you appear in JR's vids. Feel better, heal quickly!
My Mazdaspeed Miata and every stock NA or NB Miata has a similar issue with the oil filter location. When you remove it, the oil drains out right on top of the front suspension. The MSM has an additional issue in that you have to remove the passenger side front wheel to get to the oil filter.
Thank you everyone for the well wishes!
Truly awesome of you!!
I like the vacuum method, BTW.
Get well soon,Gabe.
Gabe, does this mean I can have your legendary 8-Up shirt? Hahaha...
Gabe is now in "Limp Mode".
@@daddynichol52 WINS THE INTERNET!!!
Looking forward to seeing you back on projects. May you have a full and speedy recovery!
Gabe just learned the hard lesson that he's not a young man anymore lol! Happens to all of us!
Try try try until you fail..
He just looks young.
Precisely what I was thinking Sam.
@@generatorjohn4537 daily moisturizing! 🍻🤣👍🏼
Gravity is a cruel mistress…🍻😂👍🏼
Love the Civic, just a basic everyday car. Gabe learned tying a towel around your neck as a cape DOES NOTHING to slow your fall.
Yeah, he should have used a sheet for a parachute. That would have definitely slowed him down for a gentle landing.
Bwahahahaha!!!
You know that there has to be video of the fall. any chance JR makes it an episode?
Yup, gotta use a bigger towel 💯
I can confirm that an umbrella has a negligible effect on falling from the top of a swingset.
I see absolutely nothing wrong with waste oil evacuating systems, since we use a Samson Evacumaster system at the Walmart I work at, and it makes changing cartridge based oil filters on top of the engine a lot faster (just remember to keep the drain valve closed or you will have a massive oily mess to clean up!)
Plus it can bleed brake systems too
Thanks, I will avoid oil changes at Walmart.
@@fauxque5057 have fun with $100-$200 oil changes, not everyone is made of money.
@@fauxque5057 so he got more oil out then a traditional drain, so your motor is getting more fresh oil, and any sludge build up is also being sucked off the pan.... so tell me how this is bad? I only see benefits
@@braaapattack2937 because old dudes don't like change. Shit, I'm just happy to learn a new way to do things. Might be ordering one of them units soon.
I use a 6 litre hand pump extractor. Oil has to be warm for sure. It's pretty easy, cheap and fast.
I just bought a little electric pump off Amazon or eBay and it has worked fine...I should try some time and see how much oil is left in there but I drive beater cars so I'm not all that concerned beyond mild curiosity.
I feel for Gabe! I broke my leg at the ankle and dislocated my knee cap back in 2018. Recovering takes longer than you’ll anticipate but have faith Gabe.
🍻😉👍🏼
Gabe found out he's getting too old for that stuff. Reminds me of jumping off a roof as a kid and it being no big deal. Get well soon Gabe.
When you're a kid everything is flexible and not completely set so you tend to flex and deflect. Plus your never going to die and are invincible 🤣 I have learned I'm quite breakable after all these years of my life and I don't bounce like I used to and hitting the ground is bad. I have personal experience with that one and got a 4 month forced vacation. I'm sure he'll heal up quickly and won't be doing that again.
Thank you! 🍻😉👍🏼
@@Gabe-ABNCW3 Did you forget to execute a proper PLF? Airborne brother!
Flying is like swimming, you just gotta jump in there...
He needs to invest in Leaf Guard.
I have done this for years, although I primarily did it on inboard/outboard and inboard boats. Hope Gabe has a quick recovery!
Boats had different dipstick tubes.
Many people, who do not work on cars for a living, do not realize, ALL OIL CHANGES are FRACTIONAL OIL CHANGES.
Even pulling the drain plug will leave a Quart or more oil still in the internals.
You will never get that oil out.
Oil Vacuum is easy, fast and clean.
Anyone saying vacuuming the oil will ruin an engine has no basic understanding of engines.
My Mercruiser had a threaded dipstick tube to screw on a hand pump extractor.
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Had to add another reply.
Been a while since I serviced a 90's 5.0 Mustang. One came in the shop recently, rare car, 2 Drain plugs because the pan wrapped over the subframe/steering rack. The Front Drain plug had not a single wrench mark on it. That means, NOBODY ever drained that quart in the front of the oil pan. Did that hurt the engine? Nope. Still just another fractional oil change.
In other words, oil pans with multiple drain plugs can still be vacuumed from the deep side, but you still have to pull the drain plug on the other locations.
Still is easier to suck out what you can, just cleaner all around.
I would almost think that the shops would just use one generic extension to vacuum the oil out? As long as it hits the bottom of the pan and the filter gets changed I see nothing wrong with doing it this way. Certainly cleaner on the hands.
Jiffy Lube manager says JL makes more $ on oil vacuum. Less dwell time for each car in the bay. Less oil burn claims by techs. Less stripped oil plugs. He said vacuum also takes oil off those casted reservoirs around the cams. The last gravity drain job I saw was before COVID.
Concerning to me, they used to ask and I'd say no.
You really have a fine video presentation. I am 68 years old, and it is great to see a young man really enjoy his work. You have an excellent knowledge of different subjects and I find your program very educational and entertaining. GOD bless you and your family.
Gabe's dad jokes are fire! I hope he recovers quickly, without complications. A lot of modern cars have a bottom cover for aerodynamics that is an absolute pain to remove in the driveway. Couple this with top mount cartridge type oil filter and you have an excellent use case for an oil extractor.
I was supposed to have gone to bed 15 minute ago. Gave YT home screen one more refresh and boom.. JR delivers! 13:23 more awake time
I had a 2016 Mercedes A220d with the 2.2 diesel. Merc would Vacuum the oil as that is their current process. However the tech told me with the miles i was doing (25k a year) he believed the plug should be removed due to the carbon chunks that form on Diesels in the oil. So on the 60k oil change he removed the plug and sent me a video. There was chunks and blobs coming out of the drain hole. It was terrible. So we went with a full pan pull. It was just horrific. The Vac oil process does not get rid of the large deposits that form and would normally flow out of the drain hole. So that made my mind up about this process !.
There was a time when I too had my doubts. However, after talking to an older friend of mine, who’s spent the last two decades of his life running a Euro specialty shop, I no longer had any at all. Quick, easy, and super clean. Hopefully seeing this will convince others as well!
My extractor works excellently on my Mercedes and BMW. I can extract most of the oil out of my Ford Excursion (at least the oil no longer comes blasting out of the drain plug because the extractor takes all but 1/4 quart of the oil). The extractor hose won't seem to go very far down the dipstick tube of our 2016 Honda Civic EX Turbo but at least there is now a channel for the oil of the filter to neatly flow through.
I've always been a pull the plug and drain guy.. I do have a vaccum system. May start using it from now on after this, especially if the oil plug is higher than the lowest spot on the pan! Thanks for the video!
Thats exactlly why I started using it on my car, it gets more old oil out.
I've been changing the oil on my 2009 Mercedes E350 like this since I bought it in 2011. Has 215K miles and never had any issues when it comes to oil. I now use my extractor on all my cars.
The oil extractor will work well on transmission's, my GM does not have a drain plug.
No apostrophe.
Nothing against it flush or a fluid extraction on a transmission but I think a drop of the pan and changing the filter is still the best way to go. Well it's the second-best way2go. The best way to go is to get rid of that auto and put a 6-speed in it
@@X-millennial It would still be nice to take the fluid out first to avoid getting an ATF shower.
We used to vacuum the transmission oil before pulling the transmission, saved a lot of messy floors.
Would have saved my driveway. Rip
@@amerixantrash3620 my garage this last weekend just to find out I did not need to do it...
Oh man, been there, done that on jumping off the roof. I did it multiple times when I was young. Last time I tried it after putting up Christmas lights (about 12-15 years ago), I jumped off and really hurt my hip. Limped around for a month. Thankfully, no broken bones in my case. Hope Gabe is up and going again soon.
I wonder exactly when it occurred to him the jumping off the roof was a bad idea. For a reasonable person it would've been when he was still standing on the ground
Probably the second he left the roof
Kevin Barry probably after a 6pack
When he landed and heard something in his foot go SNAP, followed by a lot of pain.
I thought Gabe was the smart, responsible one. Get well soon.
These are hilarious!🍻😂👍🏼
That vacuum system would have been super handy to have when doing the DSG Oil change in my Mk 6 Jetta.
Or for any car that has a belly pan with 20 bolts/screws in it.
Does it not have a filter or magnet to clean? I've only ever messed with torque converter automatics, so I'm genuinely curious.
@@Tracert-mc1hu DSGs have a cartridge filter (located underneath the battery tray).
@@300DBenz Interesting, all the automatics I've worked on have had a filter inside the pan that needs changed as well. A cartridge style makes much more sense to use with a vacuum system.
It drives me insane how much time it takes to take it off when I'm working on jack stands. I have a 2017 Elantra Sport and there's a cutout for oil & filter as well as the rear motor mount, however, everything else you have to take it off for and it's just cumbersome. 12 or so plastic push pins and 6-8 bolts.
Gabe thought he was transferred to the 101st Airborne and was getting in some practice jumps before the final test...
101st?! Ewww… yuck!!
82d Airborne!!
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First, I hope Gabe is healing and recovering well. I recently changed the oil on my Dodge Dakota...and the plug on the 3.9 V6 is aimed toward the transmission/transfer case crossmember...which creates a ton of splash when draining...so vacuuming would address that instead of draining...of course some modern cars are doing away with dipsticks...so that is a consideration.
Please tell me Gabe was holding an umbrella like a parachute when he jumped off the roof. 🤣🤣
LOL!!
I love my extractor it works great on the cars that have the oil filter on top. I still do it the old fashion way with the cars that have the filters at the bottom as its still going to make a mess and you still need to pour it in to another container to get rid of it. The one i have is smaller but it has clear tubing so you can see when its done and it has the measurement on the side so you cans see how much oil you have extracted.
Blackstone certainly ought to know what they're doing. My 1987 Mazda pickup was stolen in 1987 and the body shop sent an oil sample to them for analysis way back then so they've certainly got the experience.
This explains why my Fiat has that goofy top-side access oil filter canister instead of a spin-on from underneath. Informative and entertaining! Thanks! 🛢 🚗
Don't even have to lift the car if you do it like this! 🍻
For nostalgia you could put the pump in reverse and spray a friend via the oil filter container 🤦♂️
Been doing this for about 5 years now makes transmission fluid change easy. Most OEM service manuals do not recommend flushing transmissions anymore even though dealers still try to do that until I show them in the service manual not suppose to do it.
It’s a harsh lesson we men all must learn on that day when we realize we are no longer invulnerable. Best wishes to Gabe for a speedy recovery.
That being said, the vacuum oil change is definitely the way to go! Cool system, JR! Looking forward to hearing the results.
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Sorry to hear about Gabe, rest up and get well soon !
As for oil pumps, much harder on BMWs with no dip stick hole !
Same way I do our Mercedes GLK 250 Bluetec. Shop wants $400 for oil and filter change and $400 to change fuel filter. Fuel filter cost me $121 and 30 min to remove and replace with new! Oil change kit cost me $85. Extractor cost me $77 and worked great, a one time expense. Thanks for the video.
I did this on our Dodge Grand Caravan as the filter is on top. Really great to not have to use ramps and lay on the pavement anymore. Only things I don't like about your unit is it should have a clear hose so you can see when it stops pulling oil, and there's no sight glass to see how full the tank is.
Gabe, as you age, your accidents from past years will visit you so you don't forget them, especially in bone chilling cold weather.
Just got an extractor myself to do my Audi Q7. I went with the manual pump, though, since I don't have compressed air.. It took a little while but still better than jacking up car and removing the ridiculous number of fasteners Audi uses on the pan (20 on my S5). I was worried about remaining oil but the extractor has volume marking and it was right on what it held. Added back the 7.2 quarts and brought it up to level so there wasn't much left behind.
To be fair to Honda on filter changes, they do use oil deflectors to get around either drive axles, control arms or other 'obstacles' to keep a drain clean (some dealerships will not use vacuum since many techs start in the express, extra responsibility I guess).
HV-Flex sells a tool to vacuum out the oil from the filter before you pull it off so you have no mess oil change. Try it you’ll love it.
Have it, I made a video about it
Awe… Gabe our favorite co-star. Get well man. 💪🏼
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I work on old wooden boats and this would be amazing for that. The one boat that we run the most leaks so much oil that you don’t even have to worry about an oil change. Got to love rope seals.
I want to see the Oil Analysis Breakdown.
What's wearing out fastest, the ring's, the main bearing's, the cam bearing's? Can they narrow it down that close? What will they find?
The Oil Vacuum system is a really cool tool for the shop. It looks a lot cleaner than pulling the plug!
I have had a simple harbor freight air-powered oil vacuum unit for many years. It is similar in operation to yours, and has a large capacity.It's worth noting there might be issues with certain vehicles where you can't reach the bottom of the pan with the withdrawal tube -- worse, some don't even have a dip stick!. Nevertheless, I love using the system as it makes removing old oil fast, easy, clean, and simplifies disposal.
Great video. The dip stick could be a dip tube/pipe which can serve as a suction outet and car manufacturers can design filters on top. Saves so much time & money for owners. Even many might actually DO the oil change instead of skipping altogether.
Awesome this solves the problem of changing oil on a surface that isn’t level and doing auto transmission panels drops without making a mess. Ordering one now
Gabe I wish you a good recovery, will be praying for you . Please follow doctors advice and no shortcuts on recovery.
Absolutely!! Thank you!!🍻😉👍🏼
I've been using a MityVac pump for about a year. Needed to change ATF on a Yukon and didn't want to drop the pan every time. So much easier with my car too since I don't need to jack the car up for drain plug or filter.
I have 3 Mercedes and I do both with each. I think the vacuum method works awesome. I like to drop the drain plug every other oil change to see if there is any debris on the plug. Some people think ignorance is bliss.
It doesn't. Its the lazy, dealer way. You will have sludge on the bottom of your oil pan, there's many videos proving some models will leave up to half a quart in the pan which is the dirtiest oil that's on the bottom.
Get well soon Gabe . Those ankles injuries take a while
To return to your Superman antics .
I work for Valvoline. We use the evac method quite a bit and love it. Cuts down on stripped out drain plug and splash shield claims substantially.
I like the vacuum method. Since the oil filter housing is at the top of the motor I don't even have to jack the car up, secure it with stands, remove 15 bolts to get the plastic covers off just to get to the drain plug. I can have the oil changed in about 15-20 minutes and the savings of doing it myself means the vacuum pump has paid for itself several times over.
A friend who is a Mercedes mechanic taught me this years ago and I’ve been doing it ever since. Like you I pulled the drain plug the first time I did it with the same results. So if it’s good enough for Mercedes it’s good enough for me. I like your open mindedness going into this test.
Ya I bought a Mercedes a while ago and saw the filter on top and was like ya I wish there was a way to not have to go under the car and saw a video pulling the oil thought the dip stick tube and I have not looked back.
Good luck Gabe, hope you get back on your feet soon. Godspeed last son of Krypton!
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Get well Gabe. Your always good for a ratings boost to J.R.'s channel. Just don't hurt yourself in the process.
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Oil vac and condition reporting is how logistics have been operating for a long time. If you have access to a vac - great. Using the right tube relative to the dipstick aperture and the shape of the sump is fairly important. As you found with the Civic, you can get more used fluid out with the vac. Also handy for all sorts of other 'nasties' around the shop...
From someone who did oil analysis in the lab for years. Most of the times if there's major wear happening such as a failed component the metals will be in the filter. Versus the very fine normal wear metals that make it through the filter and stay in the oil.
Hoping for a fast, full recovery for Gabe. As bad as that sounds we are glad it wasn't worse!
Gabe, Guess this means the Saturn Sky will be out of service a little longer?
Get well and speedy recovery Gabe!
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Get better quickly Gabe. Prayers for quick and complete recovery. 🙏🙏
Great video. I just purchased an extractor/dispenser from Harbor Freight and I was interested to see how much oil was left in the oil pan after you finished. Some late model BMWs do not have an oil dipstick, so doing it this way is not possible. I've owned 3 in the past 6 years and not one had a dip stick. BMW designs the undercarrriage plastic protector such that oil changes are easy and it doesn't have to be removed. Just open a cover drop the drain plug and you know the rest.
I haven't been in the industry for years, however for your standard oil changes I think this is great way to do it. But if you have an engine with questions on its future reliability, I think pulling the plug is still nessasary. But standard in and out oil change. That is great! I wish we had one.
Same here, we dropped the plug years back and sometimes you had a cross threaded plug that someone else left you with, spills, hot oil on your hands, etc. I say if it works, it works
I have used vacuum oil recovery systems. They work but I won't use them on my cars. Part of the drain process is to warm the oil so the garbage in the bottom of the pan will flow out with the old oil. Sucking it through the dipstick tube doesn't get the garbage from the bottom of the pan
@@fauxque5057 I have to disagree a lot of pans are like that honda where there is a lip and that stuff collects below that lip. So by the time you get under and drain it that stuff is below that lip. But using a vacuum you can get to the base of that pan and suck everything up. Now I still maintain that if you think there is a problem with the engine draining the oil the old-fashioned way and inspecting everything is the best way to go.
@@X-millennial add to that, that pulling a magnetic drain plug also will let you know, if there are metal shavings. So doing both might be the best way to go.
@@MultiMegafred true a magnetic is a great thing to add to your own car. And if it was my car I would do that I would add the magnetic drain plug and still probably do the vacuum to drain it and then I would inspect it by pulling the drain plug and seeing if there's any thing on it. But the average commuter that they take to work and they take to get groceries and then they take to soccer practice. They're not that worried about it. And it looks like to me when you vacuum it out you get a good look at the oil as it comes out so if there is a problem you should be able to detect it then. If that thing caught the oil change quantity separate from the disposal catch first so you could inspect it for any debris before it mixed into the last eight oil changes that are in that tank that would be great that would be something would make me feel better because then I can catch anything before that car goes back out. But if you really want to know what's going on with that car use your crack the filter open and take a look at the pleats and see what it caught. I mean if we're going to be serious here that's what you should be doing. But we're talking about your basic oil change on your basic grocery getter vacuuming it out is faster and more efficient.
Gabe can attest- it's not the jumping off the roof part that caused the issue, it was the LANDING.
That vacuum has to be a game changer for trans fluid removal, before a filter change, and with some clever adapting, probably good for trans flush.
I am pretty sure they use a similar type machine for trans flush
Great point. My 4th generation explorer doesn't have a dipstick or drain for the trans, and it absolutely needs fluid changes every 60k miles.
@@daviddavis1322
Every trans should have a fluid change every 60k miles. Short of brake fluid it might be the most neglected fluid on a vehicle.
There is up for auction a 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan with 306,000 miles on it. Government vehicle and maintenance shop says it has no know mechanical problems. They just sold one last week with 403,000 miles on it. Goes to show, maintain your vehicle and it can last a lot of miles :)
@@trvman1 They didn't tell you how many engines or transmissions it has had in the interim.
All that you need now, is the machine that changes Brake Fluid. It sucks out the old fluid from the calipers, while new fluid is pumped into the reservoir.
A few years ago, Fram made the Genuine Honda OEM Oil Filters, and Honda was not pleased with the 'quality'.
Back in the 80's when I was in vocational school for Auto Mechanics during high School, we had a canister full of brake fluid and an adapter plate for the Master Cylinder. We put on the adapter, hooked up the air line, and bled out the brakes with it. Easy way to flush out all the old brake fluid quickly.
BMW and VW were doing this back in 2004...that's how all my tech's did oil changes when I was a service advisor. It let them work on a car on their lift that actually needed the lift, as well as clocking an oil change at the same time. That's how the smart techs clocked some 14 hour days only working 8-10 hours.
Having myself shattered an ankle and breaking a leg in a fall, I feel much sympathy for Gabe and hope he makes a speedy recovery!
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I've been vacuuming my Grand Cherokee with the 3.0 MB diesel for many years. If you use the drain plug on this jeep it splashes against the transmission then can be a disaster.
Been doing vacuum oil changes for years; lived in Germany for 9 years and this was standard practice .
Pretty cool but I hate you can’t see the oil coming out, there other extractors have a clear hose that connects to the suction attachment. I had my transmission fluid sucked out last week and it was cool seeing what color it looked like coming out.
Sorry to hear Gabe is hurt, sounds painful, hope you heal soon. 🙏
I have a large syringe from ravenol which I used for a few cars transmissions. Basically a drain and fill with the same amount so I know my levels match. Honda doesn’t recommend full flush because those can cause issues so I do a few drain/fills over a few months. Works a treat because they don’t take much oil. Will use it for engine too in future. Did service on 2 cars and because I was busy multitasking I forgot to torque down the drain plug on one. Of course plug fell out while driving and luckily wife stopped immediately and no engine damage, just a butload of brake cleaner to clean the undercarriage afterwards. I’m still more confident doing it myself after a service shop stripped a drain plug down to 1/4 turn of thread and had to have sump re-threaded after.
I’m a Mini tech who also does side work on BMWs and I gotta say a vacuum drainer is perfect for older BMWs and it can be used at home or in the shop. Older BMWs (with dipsticks) have the filter on top so you don’t even have to jack the car up and its amazing for someone who’s working out of their driveway. Sadly I don’t think it’s possible with the newer BMWs because of the lack of dipstick. My dad has a hand pump vacuum drainer and it’s great for side work where you don’t have any shop air.
Hey JR let's see how that device works on transmissions! 👍🏽
As noted below - the vacuum method is how you change oil in Inboard/Outboard boats - maybe some of the Inboards, too.
I'd say the bonus is, unless you flip the suction hose out of the diptube, you're a lot less liable to get oil all the way down your arm!
I vac the oil then pull the magnetic sump plug to check for particles. It is just cleaner and easier.
Thanks, that is good information to know since I have been using the suction method on my 2002 Jetta tdi. The car has over 400k miles on it and still runs perfectly. Your videos are great 👍.
I’m a marine mechanic and the vacuum extractor is the only way to get the oil out of inboard and I/O boats. The dipsticks tubes are threaded for a garden hose fitting. Works really good
First off, Gabe get better real fast!! Second, I worked at a bus company and they sent every bus's oil off to be analyzed. It told them a lot about the engine. When you have over a 1000 buses, you do everything to maintain them. Vacuuming sounds great. Gets everything in the bottom of the pan including maybe metal chips.
Power Boat owner's have used this method for ever, only we didn't have the high powered suction tank....Most of the time we hand cranked a suction pump and collected most of the dirty oil but not all....It was the only way to change oil on an Inboard motor Boat and was better then NOT changing the oil...... Good Video .....
I bought a MiTVac to do oil changes on my boat but started using it on my cars. Now when the wife wants me to do an oil change...I do the normal protest and flailing. Then go out to the garage, tinker around for 20 minutes and do the oil change in 5 minutes. She is thankful for 'all the hard work' and get the brownie points. BTW Jaguar and Land rover have the 'straw' in the filler neck just for extraction purposes.
I tried building one of those vacuum drainers in high school. I modified a harbor freight air compressor into a vacuum pump and built a oil container out of a 5 gallon bucket, a ball valve, a bunch of hose adapters, and surprisingly, it worked when I tested it (it emptied out the water in the utility room sink pretty quickly.
But the first time I used it on oil, it sucked the 5 gallon bucket inside out.
It worked fine on water and coolant, but cold 15w40 diesel oil was way too much for it.
I can't imagine why anyone would disagree with sucking the oil out of the engine vs pulling the drain plug? Judging from this demonstration JR did it seems like the way to go, especially if you have a free machine to do it with.
This technical innovation will finally break the grip of Big Crush Washer from around the home mechanic's neck!
Just bought a vacuum extractor and used it on our 2020 ranger. It removed half the oil. Totally bummed out!
Gabe must have been toasty thinking he was back in the barracks 😂
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I drain the oil pan AND I have an old (superseded) home carpet cleaner that I modified to provide suction via narrow vinyl tube.
I use it through the drain plug hole to suck out any residual oil or sludge from the drain pan.
Can’t be as bad as the local oil change place….they literally take out the drain plug and screw it back in less than 45 seconds….leaving tons of old oil left….vacuum pumps are the BEST!
I’m a DIY’er just because I can. Long time good buddy owns H A Specialist, and only works on Honda and Acura. I worked on cars since I started driving when I was 16, so I’ve always changed my own oil on every thing I’ve owned. I’m 72 now, and good buddy Gregg let’s me use one of his lifts when I want to.
Regarding oil all over everything when removing the filter; I Mc Giver’ed a drain trough from the filter to the drain pan that took care of every drop. Zero clean-up!
Thanks for the proof of the pudding! N.E.OH Bob
It's common and often necessary to extract the oil through the dip stick tube on inboard marine engines. You can use an extractor or a pump. I've done it many many times and never had any issues with it on my own boats.
I’ve not undone a sump plug in years now and use a trusty £30 Pela pump for my oil changes and it’s great as long as you get the oil warm beforehand and actually smart cars don’t have a sump plug anymore.
Get well soon Gabe and hope your on the mend mate.
My 1999 Accord has mirrors that fold, but my 2000 Civic doesn't, and the driver's side mirror has broken 3 times: Twice when people drifted into my lane and once when my brother pushed my car into the house.
The other drivers got a dent in their car and bought me new mirrors.
My brother, though...
I use to use an extractor to change the oil in my 02 TDI I had years ago. It worked well and it was an easy way to change the oil without getting under the car and getting messy. At the time I didn’t have a Jack and Jack stands nor did I have a good place to even lift the car so this was a good solution. I kinda wish I still had it. I might have to get another one.
I'm lucky this video came out today, as I'm looking for one of these today!!! I had an older oil pump that I used in winter for oil changes. I'd still be using it but I moved, it might have gotten tossed out or just misplaced. Anyway, need one for my fleet of 5 vehicles. I have a Mercedes SL500 and my shop uses an oil extraction pump like yours. I asked my mech about it and he told me that this method is totally approved by Mercedes so I'm sold!!! Sorry about Gabe; please tell him we ALL hope for a rapid recovery!!!
I work at a take 5 oil change and we have a vacuum style oil drain. At take 5 we call it an EVAC (evacuation) basically we use compressed air to power a little rolling pump that sucks all the oil out of the dipstick tube. But you see we almost only do it on vehicles that have damaged or difficult to reach drain plugs.
Definitely agree that using an oil extractor is the way to go. You mentioned the German brands with the filters on top, and my VW diesel is the same way with the oil filter cartridge right next to the dipstick. With an extractor an oil change takes 5-10 mins max, and I don't have to lift up or get under the car. On the note of Mercedes, the early Smart cars with 800cc CDI engine (W450 chassis) didn't even have a drain plug on the pan. You had to use an extractor to do an oil change. Rather ironically, since you mentioned samples, I find pulling a sample is easier from the drain plug as you can just put your bottle in the stream and quickly fill it up.
I bought one of those when I had a BMW many years ago and couldn't get under it. Worked great for years and never had a problem with the motor.
Best oil change ever ever. They should all be done this way. The filters are always been a problem not sure what they can do about that
I saw another guy do this on another RUclips channel and was amazed how quick and effortless it was. I say if it works and is affective go for it
I worked at a Big 10 Tires that was across the street from a Walmart, and we repaired all of the drain plugs that their techs cross threaded. I did so many of them, I can still repair one with my eyes closed.
Poor Gabe! I always thought you should have a RUclips channel with your good way of explaining things clearly with your radio voice. It's always fun when you appear in JR's vids. Feel better, heal quickly!
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My Mazdaspeed Miata and every stock NA or NB Miata has a similar issue with the oil filter location. When you remove it, the oil drains out right on top of the front suspension. The MSM has an additional issue in that you have to remove the passenger side front wheel to get to the oil filter.