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[Markjay]

Did an oil and filter change today (it was wet, cold and dark afternoon and I did it in the street if anyone is interested). The car has been serviced since new by Vx main dealers and this is the first time I did the oil change myself on this car - though I've done it many times before on other cars.

Note to Vauxhall mechanics:

15NM is almost finger-tight. The fact that I had to pull with both hands on a foot-long 24mm spanner to get the filter cap off, suggest it was tightened to anything but 15NM. I was lucky the whole thing didn’t come off as did happen to others here…

The T40 sump plug on the newer models (with the rubber washer) is also supposed to be tightened to 15NM. Again, much leverage was needed top release it, which explains why I had to add 1L of oil recently – overtightening the plug causes the rubber washer to perish and this in turn results in an oil leak and a wet cross member.

So there….

On re-tightening, I realised again just how little effort is required to cause the Torque Ratchet to break at 15NM…

[Auto Addict]

Did an oil and filter change today (it was wet, cold and dark afternoon and I did it in the street if anyone is interested). The car has been serviced since new by Vx main dealers and this is the first time I did the oil change myself on this car - though I've done it many times before on other cars.

Note to Vauxhall mechanics:

15NM is almost finger-tight. The fact that I had to pull with both hands on a foot-long 24mm spanner to get the filter cap off, suggest it was tightened to anything but 15NM. I was lucky the whole thing didn’t come off as did happen to others here…

The T40 sump plug on the newer models (with the rubber washer) is also supposed to be tightened to 15NM. Again, much leverage was needed top release it, which explains why I had to add 1L of oil recently – overtightening the plug causes the rubber washer to perish and this in turn results in an oil leak and a wet cross member.

So there….

On re-tightening, I realised again just how little effort is required to cause the Torque Ratchet to break at 15NM…

First time I changed my oil I had to use a breaker bar on the sump plug.

Oil filter wasn't too bad.

[Auto Addict]

I only tighten my sump bolt now to 10Nm.

The range is 10Nm to 15Nm.

[Markjay]

I only tighten my sump bolt now to 10Nm.

The range is 10Nm to 15Nm.

I read somewhere that at 10NM the sump plug falls off - have you checked your oil lately?  

(AA rushing-out in his pyjamas to check the oil)

 

Just kidding, yes this is correct, Autodata say 10NM-15NM.

[Auto Addict]

I only tighten my sump bolt now to 10Nm.

The range is 10Nm to 15Nm.

I read somewhere that at 10NM the sump plug falls off - have you checked your oil lately?  

(AA rushing-out in his pyjamas to check the oil)

 

Just kidding, yes this is correct, Autodata say 10NM-15NM.

At my age I need a breaker bar to undo 15Nm

[Markjay]

The oil change obviously left me with two containers of rather black engine oil. Being a responsible citizen, I looked up recycling in Westminster. I really don't understand why people dump old car batteries and plastic containers full of used oil in the street or in petrol stations - just the other day I saw a pile of four Castrol oil containers full of black oil that were left near a tree in our road.

Well, it turned-out that they don't actually have a recycling centre in Westminster... though there is one in neighbouring Camden. So on Saturday afternoon I set off to Camden Town Regis Road Recycling Centre, after checking the Council website for the opening hours which showed that on Saturday they close at 6pm.

Cambed Town is not ver far away from me, so after 30 minutes of negotiating heavy post-Christams Saturday afternoon high-street traffic, I arrived at 15:50 at the site's gate just to find a makeshift sign saying that they operate 'Winter Hours' and they close on 15:45.

Now I ask you - what kind of thing is 'Winter Hours'? Why can't you recycle in Winter all day long? The site was well lit... I only imagine what would happen if I told my customers that in the winter we operate 'Winter Hours' and they can't get support after 15:45... Also, these sites are usally operated by a single attendant, how much does it cost to keep him on site for another couple of hours or so? And why doesn't the Council website say that they close early in winter?

I don't like to drive around with old oil in the boot, and I wasn't going to be in London today (Monday), so I thought might as well stop at one of the garages in Kings Cross, and ask them to take the oil of me for a Fiver. Well it was Saturday and by 16:30 they were all shut.

I then looked-up recycling in Gillingham, where I am working today, and found that the local recycling centre is not too far away from where I was going to be, so I drove there at lunchtime and deposited the used oil in the waste engine oil container. All's well that ends well.

Not quite... I was determined to dispose of the oil properly, and so I did, but I can now see why some people are tempted to just dump it... the London Councils should really make recycling much easier and not rely on people being determined to recycle oil and batteries properly.

There, I said it...

[x25xe]

Markjay

Fully agree with you.  We are told that we have to do things properly (like car batteries, oil etc) and then every obstical is put in the way to prevent us from doing it.  Our local dump also operates this "winter hours" thing.  Heaven knows why.

I like to do things correctly and I keep a large 50 litre container into which I pour the oil from an oil change.  Being as I have 5 vehicles to look after and therefore 10 changes per year, it soon fills up.  When full, I then take this to the dump and pour it into the waste oil container.

[Markjay]

Thanks for the moral support...  

My problem is that I live in a flat, so no garage, and bringing in to the house containers filled with balck engine oil will not make me popular with the rest of the family... driving with the stuff in the boot isn't very apealing either as a long-term option.

[x25xe]

Thanks for the moral support...  

My problem is that I live in a flat, so no garage, and bringing in to the house containers filled with balck engine oil will not make me popular with the rest of the family... driving with the stuff in the boot isn't very apealing either as a long-term option.

No Worries.

Not having much space must be hard.  Although we have a driveway at home (2 spaces of which are taken by me) I do all my work on the road outside so I know what that is like, particularly in the cold and wet.

Yep, you would have to dispose of the old oil fairly immediately then.  If one of the containers were to open whilst driving along............

Oh, and by the way, I also agree about the sump nut torque.  This times that I have had to wrestle with a breaker bar when "somebody else" has changed the oil.  I have even asked for a service without an oil change for this very reason but they still change it.  They also have a bad habit of doing the filter up to within an inch of it's life.

[Andy B]

.....
Not quite... I was determined to dispose of the oil properly, and so I did, but I can now see why some people are tempted to just dump it... the London Councils should really make recycling much easier and not rely on people being determined to recycle oil and batteries properly.

There, I said it...

I have to say then that not all councils are the same. Bury (Lancs) has different sections at the local 'tip' (which contrary to popular belief isn't actually run by the council) for all different kinds of waste. We have a huge oil can shaped waste oil container for used oil, there's even a wheelie bin at the side of it for your empty can. The down side though is that it's policed though by two of the most obnoxious, self opinionated city bankers you could ever meet.  :-?

[Marks DTM Calib]

.....
Not quite... I was determined to dispose of the oil properly, and so I did, but I can now see why some people are tempted to just dump it... the London Councils should really make recycling much easier and not rely on people being determined to recycle oil and batteries properly.

There, I said it...

I have to say then that not all councils are the same. Bury (Lancs) has different sections at the local 'tip' (which contrary to popular belief isn't actually run by the council) for all different kinds of waste. We have a huge oil can shaped waste oil container for used oil, there's even a wheelie bin at the side of it for your empty can. The down side though is that it's policed though by two of the most obnoxious, self opinionated city bankers you could ever meet.  :-?

Lol....we have the same at our local one in West Bridgford.....I took some Cement board off cuts there and they told me I could not put them in the hardcore skip, fair enough I thought, perhaps they dont want cement products.....so I put them in the household.....

He then tried to hand it back to me saying I couldn't leave it there to which I replied 'it was in the skip so it is now yours and if it was something I wanted you wouldn't let me have it so sod off.....' and drove away....they wouldn't let me in again whilst I had the Nova!

They also refused to take some old cam tensioner backing plates and seat bases (with all the fabric and sponge removed).....these are pretty much pure steel or Alloy!.....they ended up going in the wheelie bin.....and hence were not recycled!

[Ghosts in my machine]

I have noticed that a lot of garages are heated with waste oil burners. It might be worth finding one and offering them your waste oil on a cold day (just in case they run out!).

I have a mate who paints his garden fence and shed with his waste oil. Reckons its just like creosote, just takes 3 months to dry out (I try not to lean on his fence!).

[Bo Bo]

I have a mate who paints his garden fence and shed with his waste oil.

My Dad does the same.

[Marks DTM Calib]

Thats the old trick, you should add some creosote to it as well......looks bloody awful though, I wouldn't get that past the wife!

I would also be painting it every few months!

[Admin]

This is quite a pertinent thread considering the news today stating we are the worst recyclers in Europe.

Before the government starts on one of its "we should recycle more" crusades, it might want to look at the.... "facilities" they offer us!

The above experiences are typical examples. I have also suffered similar problems with our local recycling site!