Changing oil without tools in a parking lot

Last Updated on July 22, 2024 by Mutiara

Warning! This should only be done in your own parking lot, or a parking lot where you have received permission, or a parking lot where you “accidentally” spilled all of your oil!

Curb types A, B, and E, are the most safe of choices.

An oil spill in someone’s driveway provides an accurate representation of the aftermath.

There comes a time when you have to change your oil in a parking lot, without any tools other than the wrench that opens your oil drain plug (or vise grips, crescent wrench, pliars, etc). Chose one of the following procedures which suits you best, and you’ll be on your way to a fresh oil change in no time.

Curb & wrench

The vehicle should be brought to a stop in a parking space. Preferably neighboring empty parking spaces, as to avoid confrontation and inconvenience to the other drivers. Note the ground level, and distance from the establishment. An asphalt parking lot is best for concealing the sight of dirty oil spreading about the surface.
With a very slow speed, the vehicle should be brought forwards and climb the curb. The curb must have nothing behind it, such as planted grass, in order to have the necessary clearance to facilitate an oil change.
As the vehicle reaches the highest level, it should be stopped immediately and the emergency brakes engaged.
The center of the wheel should not be directly over the middle of the curb, rather slightly behind it. Thus if the vehicle loses control of the brakes and begins to roll backwards, no injury to the driver will be caused.
A wrench should be used to remove the bolt at the bottom of the oil pan, commencing the oil change. The procedure should be done from the front of the car, where there will be plenty of easy access and safety for the driver. Once the bolt is almost about to come out finish removing it with your hands as quickly as possible, avoiding the stream of hot oil as it exits the oil pan.
- Caution: The oil will be slightly hot, depending on car make. Prepare to have a rag handy to wipe your hand against to cool it down and clean it up. Used oil is carcinogenic!
- If one is fortunate, the oil will drain right on or behind the curb, sparing the pavement in front of the vehicle and ensuring clean access when the time to plug the oil pan comes. Otherwise, material such as newspaper or a blanket will require placement over the oil spill for access if one is concerned with the state of their clothes.
Once the oil has drained for the most part (as time my be crucial in such a task) it’s necessary to put the bolt back in and open the hood to fill the oil. Somewhere among these these steps the oil filter should be changed as well, if a complete and proper oil change is desired.
Closing the hood, the driver should make time to the driver’s seat, disengage the emergency brake, and continue on to the next destination.

2.0 Zetec oil pan

2.4 Dodge oil pan.

Drain plug valves

A great advantage to this procedure is that it allows for draining just a little bit of oil with ease, if the oil is ever overfilled.

Remove the oil pan of the vehicle.
If the threads are destroyed on the drain plug bolt, find a suitable tap and either put in a helicoil or if there is enough extra material, thread it to the next size up.
- One of the best places to get taps for any thread is either Ace Hardware or Harbor Freight. Do not waste your time going to home depot or Lowes, as they will not have pipe taps, or any taps large enough.
- For the best quality ball valves to prevent them from getting loose or leaking, go to Goodyear Parker. They have every kind of valve and thread adapter imaginable. The first example image shows a ball valve from Goodyear Parker that was installed on a Zetec engine in a Ford Contour.
- If the threads crumble from poor material, get the valve as tight in as possible and use plenty of epoxy putty around the valve, this has worked successfully in the 2.4 Dodge Caravan without any leaks.
Reinstall the oil pan.
Open valve, commence standard oil change procedures.

Through the filter

The most tool-less and easiest method, suggested by an ingenuitive user at the Dodge Neon forums. This is not as efficient of an oil change however, because the oil sump cannot remove all of the oil from the oil pan. There will always be quite a bit left beneath it, depending on vehicle type, the amount will probably be 1-2 qt.

Remove & discard oil filter.
Turn on the engine and let the oil flow out of the oil filter opening, then immediately turn it off after oil has stopped coming out. Or skip this step if you feel it’s dangerous and try the next.
- An engine can run for a while without oil (not a while to you but a while to an engine). In one experiment a Briggs flat head was run w/o oil to use as a cutaway later, it ran for 20 minutes at 3,000 rpm before it began knocking. After that it didn’t take long for the rod bolts to go. There have been stories of cars running for up to 45 mins without oil. However it only takes a few seconds to ruin rod bearings because they depend on a cushion of oil between the two metal surfaces to avoid any grinding.
Unplug the coil or disable the fuel pump, and bump the starter. This will rotate the oil pump and achieve the same effect but at much lower rpms and without much stress being put on the components due to lack of combustion.
- The advantage of this method is that it makes it look like you’re having engine trouble, so if someone comes up to you, you can claim the car shut off because superlube didn’t tighten the plug. It fell out and the oil pressure switch shut it off, thereby explaining the Exxon-Valdez thing going on under your car.
- You can also get free undercoating by finding some fresh asphalt thats still hot and doing a burn out.

Put on the new filter (preferably primed with oil).
Put in the new oil, but check the oil dipstick earlier through the process than usual as there will still be old oil in the oil pan below the sump.