Anyone using a fluid extractor to change oil?

Over the years here have gone from the dealer oil change (purchased 5 year / 100k maintenance warranties) to quick oil change places (over the last few years) to thinking about using an oil extractor.
 
I have changed oil once under the vehicle and it is a PITA to get underneath the car (old age thing now).
 
Prices for the oil extractors are $50-$400 or so.  Manual pump or electric pump.
 
Questions I have (if anyone is doing this).
 
1 - where do you get rid of the old oil
2 - It appears to take maybe 10 minutes
 
Here on two vehicles the oil filter is just a canister on top of the motor.

Up until recently I had never heard of using a pump to extract oil from an engine but I don't see anything wrong with it as long as you can get a hose deep enough into the engine to get most of the oil. I have always removed the drain plug and I still think that it is the best thing to do but not absolutely necessary. The heavy contaminants/residue in the oil will collect in the lowest part of the oil pan near the drain plug and I think that removing the plug is the only way to remove this stuff. Also some drain plugs have magnets in them that collect particles that have worn from the engine and can be removed with the plug.
 
On the other hand I am thinking of using an extractor pump on my Mercedes V8 engine. The engine holds 7 quarts of oil and when you remove the drain plug the oil rushes out so fast and strongly that it can be difficult to catch. I even warm up the engine to thin the oil and make it drain better so it can be downright dangerous to pull that plug. The first time I did it I barely managed to avoid a big spill.
 
I collect drain oil in a 5 gallon plastic drum that pool chlorine comes in. At the end of the season I take it to a nearby haz waste recycle center.
 
Mike

I bring used oil to walmart. I also buy it there, but they don't check. I used to bring it to a garage that had a waste oil burner for heat- but they couldn't always take it in the summer. ;-)

Here's a link that discusses a little about pumps and speed.
 
https://mbworld.org/forums/e-class-w211/390639-top-side-oil-extractor.html

If you save the oil to be used in a space heater you need to keep it separate from transmission fluid or anything else or it will gum up their burner.
 
Mike.

Thanks Mike.
 
Yeah here just called a couple of local Jiffy Lube places and they said I could leave the old oil with them.
 
Here had read about doing this a while ago but never bothered to follow up on it. 
 
Watched a couple of videos (relating to the BMW) and it looks easy to do.  The pump comes with a small diameter plastic hose that gets most (all of the oil) out.  I could flush it to with same amount of oil (well then it would be two oil changes).
 
After extended warranty BMW used to charge some $200 plus for an oil change (thinking now it is cheaper).  Then I started to go to a Jiffy Lube place than charged around $100 (which is still too much anyhow).
 
There isn't really anything different to changing the oil on a BMW than a non BMW.  (same for a MB).
 
I have not DIY'd an oil change in some 20 years maybe doing it twice.
 
Been using synthetic oil since the beginning and still changed the oil every 3000 miles anyhow.

pete_c said:

1 - where do you get rid of the old oil

2 - It appears to take maybe 10 minutes

Click to expand...

Hmmm, if it was me, I would not use an oil extractor. That is one of those things that sounds good in the Air Mall magazine, but isn't in real life.  You have lots of hoses coated with oil to store.  Plus, are you REALLY sure your getting to the bottom? You know, when the real bad stuff stays.
 
I do mine the old-fashioned way, but if you can't, there are plenty of places that can.  Use synthetic oil and follow their change recommendation. With modern engines and oil, you just don't need to change as often as you did 30 years ago.
 
1 - where do you get rid of the old oil
 
By law in AZ, anyone that sells oil, must recycle oil, if you bought it there or not. Walmart or auto shops work fine. Usually you carry it to some back area and pour it in their tank.
 
2 - It appears to take maybe 10 minutes
 
I'd give it 30 minutes. Change the filter as well. Put newspaper down first to catch any drips.
 
I I store it in a 5 gallon gasoline container, and only need to dispose it every 4 or 5 times.

Pete
 
The problem with Jiffy Lube and other places including some dealers is that they use cheap oil. My 2003 Nissan Frontier came with  lifetime free oil changes. By the end of the first year the engine had a tappet noise. I complained about it and they said the mechanic heard nothing and when they gave me the car back the noise was gone. By the next oil change the noise was back and suspected that they used an oil additive to silence it. I let them change it again and the noise came back. It was very loud starting the engine cold and just a ticking noise when it warmed up.
 
The next time for an oil change and I did it myself with Mobil 1 and the noise disappeared again. From that point forward I did my own changes and used synthetic/dyno blended oils and the noise never returned. I just bought a 50/50 blend, whatever was on sale at the club stores. I hated giving up the free oil changes and they even ran it through the car wash but I couldn't let them ruin my engine. I remember that Shell blended oil that I got at Costco was good even on cold starts.
 
Now I have a new Ford truck and I have had the dealer do the first couple of changes for about $50 each and they claim to use a synthetic blend  but I will do my own in the nice weather.
 
Mike.

Thanks Ano and Mike.
 
Been combing the BMW E46 forums relating to using a fluid extractor and have not seen any issues posted relating to said endeavor.
 
I have also read too about using a magnetic oil plug any how.
 
The quick oil change place I go to (not Jiffy though) uses my request of Mobile 1 5W30 by the quart when they change the oil (I watch) and it has been around $100 a change. 
 
The real test will be how much oil the fluid extractor gets out.  Total here on E46 is 8 quarts or 7.5 liters.  Extractor is 6.5 liters.
 
Found a combo pneumatic and hand pump combo on Amazon that will probably be purchasing.  And while at it purchasing the oil filter wrench, oil filter, air filter and cabin filter.  (~ $150 plus around $50 for 10 quarts of Mobile 1 5w30 = $200)

I personally would never use a suction device for an oil change.  In addition to not getting all the oil out, it is also not going to get most particulate out that settles at the bottom of the oil pan.  Regular changes helps flush that out as the oil drains.
 
Don't you have to still get under the car to change the oil filter or is it top mounted?
 
Check out http://www.fumotousa.com/ for their "fumoto valve".  Their valve replaces your pan drain plug and is a quick open drain valve.  It makes it much easier to reach under and drain the oil.  They've been around a long time and are proven devices.

Understood Jon.
 
Lately driving much less (two years between oil changes is still less than 3000 miles).
 
Last time that I had car jacked up to work underneath it made it so comfortable fell asleep...extraction is really about 30 minutes....jacking up the car is probably 2 hours...quick oil change place is about one hour....cars still have dip sticks...no transmission oil dipstick (life of the car transmission fluid nowadays).
 
Don't you have to still get under the car to change the oil filter or is it top mounted?
 
No SUV and sedans now have oil filter on top.  It is a canister than holds a paper filter.

pete_c said:

No SUV and sedans now have oil filter on top.  It is a canister than holds a paper filter.

Click to expand...

 
Only my Toyota truck has a top mounted filter and 3 other vehicles are all underneath.
 
The reason you don't have a transmission dipstick isn't because it is filled for the life of the vehicle.  It's because the thermal expansion of the fluid is so much that when reading the dipstick you also must know the exact temperature of the fluid and look up the correlated fill value in a chart.  Most end-users are not equipped to do this properly.
 
If you're changing your oil that rarely, why wouldn't you just keep going to a quick oil change place?  I can't see any real benefit for you to invest in equipment that would rarely be used.

pete_c said:

Thanks Ano and Mike.
 
Been combing the BMW E46 forums relating to using a fluid extractor and have not seen any issues posted relating to said endeavor.

Click to expand...

The problem is your sticking this hose though the dipstick tube, and sucking out the oil. The oil goes through the pump then into a container.  O.K. now what?  You have to somehow clean this oil-filled pump and tube covered with oil. And if you live in California, you can't even touch the oil because its a cancer cause. (Only in California, apparently.)  Its MESSY MESSY. you will see. Post some pictures when your done.

The reason you don't have a transmission dipstick isn't because it is filled for the life of the vehicle.
 
Understood.
 
BMW states this though.  BMW Mechanics though say you should change it at 60K.  BMW states if you change it it should be at 100k-120k.
 
For the transmission change it is recommended that you change:
 
1 - transmission pan gasket
2 - transmission filter and magnetic pad
3 - transmission plug to a magnetic plug
4 - rinse through twice to clean transmission fluid (making it a nice red).
 
This is not really a DIY thing.  Called the quick lube place and mentioned process above and they said they are not equipped to do this.
 
@ano,
 
The you tube video shows no oil mess and guy is using gloves to change the filter.  I know though I would get messy dumping the oil from the extractor so some container (will use milk gallons and a funnel to do this).
 
Many of the BMW CC folks DIY all of their maintenance these days but do not sleep with their automobiles. (yet - )

Many year ago I lived up North, and would pour the waste oil into our home's oil tank which fed an oil burner for the furnace.  Never cause any problem.  Its only like one gallon to 100 gallons in the tank.