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Oil
Change Guide
Changing the oil on an Impreza has to be one of the easier cars ever to do
it on. Get yourself a oil drain pan and catch the oil to be recycled. I
take mine to the local Jiffy Lube but places like Autozone or Wal Mart will
take it too. You can even get one of those catch pans that have a lid and
pour spout. You can use it to transport the oil too.
It's not necessary to raise the car but, I usually put mine on some Rino
Ramps. It just gives a little more room to move around under there. I
always change the filter when I change the oil.
First let the oil warm up so it flows more easily. I remove the filter
first and catch the oil in the pan. After it stops dripping I wipe the
gasket surface w/ a paper towel. It's good to double check the filter
gasket didn't stick there on the motor. If you need a filter wrench to
remove the filter then it was on too tight. You should be able to remove it
by hand. It should be snug but not that tight. Then I remove the drain
plug, it's a 17 mm. While it's draining I prepare the oil filter. Put a
light coating of clean oil on the gasket, then fill the filter w/ as much
oil as you can. It will take a bit to soak in and you can put in more.
After the oil stops draining from the pan, put on the filter by hand only.
Once the gasket makes contact only go about a 3/4 turn more. Too tight and
you'll squish the gasket and start to hit the metal of the filter. If that
happens you can get leaks or worse strip something. Put the drain plug back
in. You are suppose to replace the crush washer that's on the plug but I
only do that every 5 or so changes. I haven't had any leaks so far. I don't
actually torque the bolt in there, I just make it snug. Fill the rest of
your oil down the filler tube, start the car and let the oil light go out.
Shut the car off, start it again and look under there for leaks.
That's the way I do it anyway. Oh yea don't forget to record your change in
your handy dandy car log book.
