Sucker Or A Drainer ?

Roland Butter · 15 Apr 2017 at 20:13

Oil changes that is.

As my advancing years mean ferreting around under cars twisting off oils filters and undoing rounded drain nuts are a thing of the past.

Let the vacuum pump take the strain, and as many oil filters are now situated on the top of the engine rather at the side it means oil running up your sleeve is a now a happy memory of oil changes gone by.

The down side is that you're never quite sure if all the gungy oil has been sucked out.

For or agin ?

rodenal · 15 Apr 2017 at 20:24

When I'm running an older car i tend to use them one in every two oil swaps just out of minor paranoia, but it wouldn't particularly worry me buying a car from someone who had used one regularly either

andybird123 · 15 Apr 2017 at 22:02

The ones you use via the dipstick tube?
Those tubes tend not to reach all the way to the bottom of the sump, so you'll be leaving a fair bit of contaminated oil behind.

If its not a performance vehicle it probably won't make a massive difference though.

Holst1981 · 15 Apr 2017 at 22:04

Drainer but I pay someone else to do it these days.

koooowweeee · 15 Apr 2017 at 22:33

andybird123 said:
The ones you use via the dipstick tube?
Those tubes tend not to reach all the way to the bottom of the sump, so you'll be leaving a fair bit of contaminated oil behind.

If its not a performance vehicle it probably won't make a massive difference though.

This, but if you change the oil more often because it's easy to do it won't make much odds of you leave a bit in the bottom.

chaparral · 15 Apr 2017 at 22:37

Drainer ......

I like to be sure I get all the old stuff out, Plus any crap that at the bottom.

Plus some cars and machines have magnetic drain plugs so they need to be removed to be able to clean them..

bainbridge · 15 Apr 2017 at 23:01

GF's Astra had a seized drain plug so I bought a pump to change the oil, plus the oil filter is on top of the engine so no need to go under at all now.
Provided you get the tip of the sucking tube right into the bottom of the sump I think it gets out 99% of the oil.

I'd use it on my car too except I have to go under to get the oil filter off anyway, so just drain the sump via the plug while I'm down there.

Clarkey · 16 Apr 2017 at 15:03

I've taken an oil shower enough times while removing drained sump pans to tell you that draining via the plug isn't going to empty the pan. Probably likely to get more out using suction than the drain plug tbh.

lordrobs · 16 Apr 2017 at 15:16

I've been using a Pela oil extractor for ages now (7 years IIRC) on two different cars and am completely happy sucking the oil out. After checking the amount of oil that comes out VS the capacity of the sump I'm happy enough that I don't leave much behind. If I had a pit or lift I wouldn't do it that way but it is certainly preferential to grubbing around on the floor.

Dale V · 16 Apr 2017 at 15:29

Theres probably upto 0.5L left in the sump after draining via the plug, so theres not going to be any real difference using either method.

Jez · 17 Apr 2017 at 11:12

I always use an oil extractor, been running cars for hundreds of k using this method and never had a problem. Super clean and easy in comparison to draining. All of my cars tend to use the paper cartridge type of oil filter too making servicing very easy indeed.

snapdragon69 · 17 Apr 2017 at 20:45

I have sucked via dispstick hole for 20 years. Each time I get a new car, I suck it out (hot) and then remove the drain plug. Never more than a spoonful comes out.
When you start, have the tube off the bottom of the sump to get a fats flow and each time it starts gurgling lower it a bit more until on the bottom of the sump and gurgling.
You can also suck out power steering fluid and ullage in oil filter housings.

Jez · 17 Apr 2017 at 20:58

Yep indeed this is also how I usually change pas, and actually brake fluid too, then bleed it heavily afterwards in the case of brake fluid until I am convinced new fluid is finding its way through.

jpaul · 17 Apr 2017 at 21:17

Have used a syringe for the pas, but you just take out from the return/top-up bottle so only get 50% of the total volume - no ?

For the sump, after they started selling the polythene cans with a cavity on the side that cured all the problems of hot oil up sleeve or juggling
containers to catch the oil - providing you remember to take out the air plug on the side of the can before starting the torrent.
if you take wheel off too, can also dip car to optimally lower the side of sump with plug.

snapdragon69 said:
I have sucked via dispstick hole for 20 years. Each time I get a new car, I suck it out (hot) and then remove the drain plug

you loose benefit if the outgoing oil washing out any sludge - no ? (ok it is hot so you hope it is distributed)

jpaul · 18 Apr 2017 at 18:29

found there is a running 30% off deal at Eurocarparts whilst stocking up on next set of filters / coolant today.
- but usually get oil/plugs on ebay.

Jez · 18 Apr 2017 at 19:52

jpaul said:
found there is a running 30% off deal at Eurocarparts whilst stocking up on next set of filters / coolant today.
- but usually get oil/plugs on ebay.

Be careful, ECP is like DFS. 30% doesnt sound great...they have permanent sales on.

Always compare with carparts4less - they are the same company, but CP4L tend not to run silly promotions and just price the stuff at normal prices.

snapdragon69 · 21 Apr 2017 at 15:12

jpaul said:
you loose benefit if the outgoing oil washing out any sludge - no ? (ok it is hot so you hope it is distributed)

There is no sludge in my vehicles, they are all shiny, clean and lightly oiled inside.
The old oil is still looking transparent until it is 6" deep in the container.
Sludge is for cheap oils/abused cars in the 1980's AFAIK.

Jez · 21 Apr 2017 at 15:14

snapdragon69 said:
There is no sludge in my vehicles, they are all shiny, clean and lightly oiled inside.
The old oil is still looking transparent until it is 6" deep in the container.
Sludge is for cheap oils/abused cars in the 1980's AFAIK.

My oil always comes out looking totally black :confused:

Conscript · 21 Apr 2017 at 17:54

Dale V said:
Theres probably upto 0.5L left in the sump after draining via the plug, so theres not going to be any real difference using either method.

Unless the sump is so badly designed that the drain plug us not at the lowest point, or you're using nutella instead of engine oil, how on earth would you be left with that much in the sump? Residues yes, but half a litres worth?

Clarkey · 21 Apr 2017 at 18:35

The drain plug is never right on the bottom or it would be at risk of getting torn off easily. Probably not half a litre but I'd say half a pint might be left in there.