[Rober]

Hey, hypermilers. Two quick questions about oil changes. How are most of you elevating the Insight to access underneath, and is there a special tool needed for removing the old oil filter? There is a strange looking collar abutting the present oil filter. Thanks for a great forum. Rober

 

[Kevin Dougherty]

I use ramps for the car and a strap wrench for the filter.

Torque on the drain bolt is 25-29 ft/lb (it's important) and don't forget the new crush washer.

 

[Rober]

Thanks for the quick reply. I live in a very remote region, and I just don't trust local mechanics to take the same care of my Insight as I would, so I do it myself with help from this forum.

 

[Rick]

Just tighten the oil filter by hand. I bought one of the special oil filter wrenches which to on the end of the filter and just ended up using my hand instead. I never had any problems with leaking, and this way there's no worries about stripping out any threads.

 

[Resist]

I use Rhino Ramps to get the front end of my cars up. Got mine at WalMart for around $30. http://www.rhinoramps.com/home.html

 

[HafNHaf]

i just did an oil change this morning. i reach the drain plug over the top of the engine with a 17mm wrench. the oil drains into a metal trough i made that guides it to the centerline of the car and into a small catch pan. for the filter i remove the front center aero cover and remove the filter by hand, letting it drain into the same catch pan. then a new filter, lubed with a very small amount of silicone grease (NOT sealant!!!), put the plug back in, and 2.6 qts of 0w20 mobil1. check for leaks, reinstall the cover, and away i go!

 

[Ross]

Oil Change

I used Mobil 1 Synthetic for my Jeep Grand Cherokee. I was very happy. I sold the Jeep to buy my new Insight.

You've talked about changing oil. I plan to use Mobil synthetic. When can I change over to that oil? My Insight has 146 miles (2006).

Also, do you buy filters supplied by Honda, or others such as Fram or Penzoil?

lastly, the owners manual talks about a "Pollen filter change." Where is that filter?



Ross

 

[HafNHaf]

wix, mobil-1, purolator premium, and a very few others are considered the best filters out there. NOT FRAM! do a google for oil filter testing and see the results.

i would wait about 10,000 miles before changing to a synthetic, assuming the oil consumption has stabilized at thet point.

the pollen filter is forward of the glove box door, in the ducting at the bottom of the dash. do a search for cabin filter on this site for more info.

 

[Resist]

I wouldn't worry to much about when to change over to synthetic oil as some vehicles come with synthetic oil from the factory and they don't have any issues.

 

[gomarlins3]

I use a jack and jack stands to raise and hold the car. I use a strap wrench on the filter.

 

[Insightful Trekker]

Honda does use a form of break in oil.

See:

newbie saying hi to the group
http://www.insightcentral.net/forum/vie ... php?t=4373

IMO its not that "critical" if you change it early, but why waste perfectly good oil :?:

HTH!

 

[ron]

Ramps...

If you buy ramps - be careful not to buy ones with too steep an incline. The pair I bought were too steep to handle the lowness of the car.

Ron