hpr-knowledge-base/hpr_transcripts/hpr2108.txt

Episode: 2108
Title: HPR2108: Changing the Oil on My Wife's Car
Source: https://hub.hackerpublicradio.org/ccdn.php?filename=/eps/hpr2108/hpr2108.mp3
Transcribed: 2025-10-18 14:24:04

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This is HPR episode 2,180 titled,
Changing the Oil on My Wife's Car.
It is hosted by John Culp and in about 32 minutes long.
The summary is, listen and enjoy my change the oil on my wife's Honda CR-V.
This episode of HPR is brought to you by an Honesthost.com.
Get 15% discount on all shared hosting with the offer code HPR-15.
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All right, is this thing up? Looks like it is. Excellent.
Hey everybody, this is John Culp and Lifehate Louisiana.
And since the HPR show Q has gotten so low,
I'm going to subject you guys to an episode where you listen as I change the oil on my Honda.
Funny, the last time I did this, I put in this synthetic oil that says it's good for
10 to 12,000 miles or something. But of course, the car has its own little alarm, not alarm,
but a little dashboard alert system that tells you, I guess it checks for 5,000 miles or a certain
amount of engine. Anyway, it tells you you've got 10% oil life left or 5% and what now.
Well, recently it got down to zero and started going negative and now the wife is starting to
get concerned about it. So even though I think technically I could probably let it go while longer.
For the sake of my wife's peace of mind, I'm going to go ahead and change the filter and then
reset the counter thing and that'll be that. Right now I'm putting wheel chocks behind the back
wheels of the car. So I'm going to, I don't strictly have to. It seems like last time I was able to
get under there and undo the drain plug without jacking the car up. But I think I'm going to jack
it up anyway this time because I got this nice jack and I want to use it and also it's just more
comfortable getting under there if it's a little bit higher. So I have jacked, no I've chocked
the wheels. It's like putting wedges behind the tires in case you're not familiar. Oh my jack is
around back here. Yeah, I need to justify the purchase of this jack that cost me 70 bucks or
something by actually using the thing sometimes. It makes sense doesn't it? I think weighs a ton
so I have to be careful carrying it around. It's on wheels but it's the super heavy kind of wheels
that it feels funny when they are rolling on the ground so I don't like to roll it on rough ground
any more than I have to. Put it on and down here like that. Okay, this is a heavy duty three ton
floor jack with rapid pump technology or whatever. I got it at Harbor Freight for 70 bucks or something.
It's probably a cheapo but it's not too bad. Seems to do the trick. I'll position it under
and right in the center of the front. I looked online to see where you're supposed to do this before
I got out of start doing it earlier today. So I see where the jack is supposed to go and then
where you're supposed to put the jack stands. Got two different sizes of jack stands. I'm not
sure which ones I'm going to need here. Look under and see how high this goes up.
I think I might want to use, well I'm going to jack it up a little bit more and then see.
Right now the wheels aren't even off the ground yet.
Okay, the wheels clear. Not quite yet.
Okay, I think the wheels might be clear now.
Yep, wheels are clear to the ground. It looks like there's some air conditioner condensation that
has come out. Now these little jack stands would fit but man they sure look skimpy next to the
boot. I think I'm going to opt for my own personal safety to use the big sturdy ones.
How does that sound?
I'm pushing it under the jack point. I might raise it up just a little bit more. Why not?
So I can go one more notch on the jack stand.
Okay, that's good. Now I need to get the other one out.
Put it on the other side. By the way, I'm doing this on the wife's car, not my truck,
I'm waiting. Super all my car maintenance things have been about my own truck but this is
one thing that the wife will let me do on her car. You know, oil changing is not rocket science.
She got to drain out the old, put in the new, put on a new filter and that's that.
Okay, so the jack stands are in place now. I'm going to gently turn the handle to the left to
let go of the car and let it sit down on it. Okay, so the car is elevated.
And now, I think I'm going to put down one of these giant pieces of cardboard that I've got back
here to catch any kind of splatter. So I won't get all over my driveway. Not strictly necessary,
I guess, but the sake of cleanliness I think I will. Okay, here, an oil drain pan made of plastic
that's how to describe it. So it's not an open pan. What happens is the oil comes out
and pulls in this reservoir and then drains down into the bottom.
And there's the hole in the top that allows it to drain through is too small for the drain plug
to go in. So it'll catch the drain plug when it comes out. The thing is the oil is pretty hot and
it's hard to get the drain plug out without getting oil all over your hand and losing, you know,
it's so hot that sometimes it makes you drop the drain plug and you don't want to drop it down
in the hot oil and then have to fish around for it. So this nice well designed drain pan
helps with that problem. You can just let it fall out and it'll catch it that way you don't
have to worry about it. Of course, I'm also going to put on some diamond grip polytext gloves
to keep the oil off my hands. Not that it won't keep it from getting hot, but at least it'll be
easier to clean up afterwards. And I did an online search beforehand to see what size socket I was going
to need. I can never remember these things. It said 17 millimeters, so that's what I've got locked
in loaded here. And I hope it works. If it doesn't, then I will just get a different one that does
work. So right now, I've got the creeper on the floor. I'm going to use the creeper to roll
under there. The car that you're supposed to also turn on the engine and let it go for a little
bit to get it up to a certain temperature so that the oil will drain out easily. And what I did
was just let my wife go to the farmer's market like she always does and then come back.
And that gets it warm enough. Okay, so I see the oil filter there and where's the drain plug?
Okay, engine oil. I think that's the drain plug right there.
See if the socket fits. Yes, and I've got it. Now we're it's going to tighten us the loops and
so let's turn it around. Let's see.
Did that loosen it? Oops, I think it did. Okay, so I'm going to position the drain pan a little bit
because it comes out pretty fast. So you don't want to have it centered perfectly under there
at the very beginning of the drain process or else the oil might overshoot your drain pan.
And it'll go flying off onto the driveway. So I'm going to start turning the drain plug pretty
soon. It's probably going to start dripping. I'm kind of off to the side here. Just kind of tipping
with my finger. Yep, here comes some oil dripping. And here comes more. There we go. It's out
and draining. Okay, so I'm going to let that drain for a bit. Once that's drained most of what
it's going to drain, then I'll get under there and undo the the oil filter. I'm going to change that
while I'm at it. It's really coming out now. Okay, started splashing there for a sec. I think I should
fish out the drain plug and clean that off. Okay, I've got it. Ooh, pretty hot. That's
you been. Get a shop rag here. I've got some disposable shop rag. So I should probably get
cloth on. I wonder if I'm supposed to put a new drain plug in there every time. They bolt
itself. It's fine, but the little rubber washer is the thing that could probably use replacing
periodically. If it starts getting too dry and hard, it would allow oil to leak out.
But this one, I don't do what they always say to inspect these things.
Yeah, it looks okay to me. Looks fine. Hot. Oh, that oil sure gets hot. You don't realize
until you start handling it. Back in here, it's still draining. It's come slow down to trickle.
It takes a while though, even when it gets out of that trick, a little keep doing that for a while.
Before it's all drained out. Oh, you know what I forgot to do that I really should is take the oil
cap off up top. That's pretty stupid of me. You're supposed to take the cap off of the oil reservoir
up top. And that will allow to drain better also. Open up the hood. Okay, release the hood.
And now open it up.
Oh, I don't want to come off, do I?
Hmm, I'm going to have to get a wrench or something. That's pretty stupid.
Make it a yeah. Did you send your mom and dad the picture of my backyard?
Oh, I don't think I did. I should. I sent them one of ours. But I haven't sent them. I will.
I'll do that. They'll get a they'll get a kick out of that. Is it going to have to come down
or anything or you're just going to leave it? Is it going to are you going to have to tear it down?
Or is it going to be okay? You're shed. I threw everything that was at the bottom of the way.
And I had a lot of stuff, uh, wood, uh, suckers and all that, but it was high. Oh, good.
They didn't touch that. So I got rid of all of the stuff like those barbells and all that stuff.
Yeah, so yeah, the guy came back and got the barbells in.
Yeah, that was for, uh, Phillip and I called him and I said, do you have any money?
I remember he used to work out on those back when we first moved here.
He had told us and he said, no, I don't want to be too stupid.
Yeah, well.
So what a cool way we're nothing. That's really that important.
Yeah, well, it looks like good.
Yeah, it looks like those guys were glad to have the, uh, barbells.
Good deal. I need to get a pair of channel locks to open up the oil reservoir. I can't believe
it's so tight. I wonder if it feels that tight because I forgot to take it off first thing or so.
I don't see how that would happen. I think it just got screwed down really tight.
I must have done that myself last time I changed the oil and get some pliers to get a little bit
more leverage here. Oh, of course, when you got leverage, it comes right off. Okay.
Now I have the oil reservoir cap off on the top side of the engine.
What I'm going to do is a tip from my next door neighbor who I was just talking to.
I'm going to put the replacement oil container on top of the car here,
on like on top of the engine compartment. And that is, you may have heard of people
draining out the oil and then closing everything and back up and starting it back up,
having forgotten to put in the new oil. And by putting the oil up here on top of the engine
compartment, it will remind me to put in the new oil. Very important. Damage your engine
in a big hurry if you don't do that. Okay, so now the next messy bit is getting the oil filter off.
Got an oil filter wrench. Seems like last time the oil filter wrench was not grippy enough to get the
thing to get the thing off. And so I had to use my channel hot pliers and just destroy the old
filter to be able to turn it. And I may end up doing that again. I don't know. We'll have to see.
I wonder if I should put the, it looks like it's pretty much stop draining. Maybe I'll put the drain
plug back in now or that'll keep me from getting dripped on while I'm trying to get the
oil filter off. Back on the creeper. Back under a little bit. Let's put the drain plug back on.
Come on. There we go. I need to get it seated in the right grooves there.
Very slippery. Okay, now wipe my hands off a little bit before I pick up my wrench.
And on the wipe off around the drain plug to kind of clean it up a little bit. Stop it from dripping
anymore. Move the oil thing out of the way. Flip my soccer wrench the other way for tightening.
Tighten it down.
Okay, I think that's tight enough. Now the oil filter, if I did this right before I should be able
to do it by just using my hand, but I think I did it. I don't know if it tightens up while
you're driving around for several months or what. It feels like it's not going to come off that way.
So I'm getting in position the oil thing back under there. Let's try and catch it if it comes off. How does this work?
Yeah, okay. The wrench is this crazy thing. You know, this wrench might not be.
It's too big, Ram. I'm going to have to use the channel lock pliers.
And the question is whether the ones I brought out here are big enough. I've got one larger pair.
Put these out so they're widest bit right there.
Oh, that looks like I would get it.
There it goes. Now I have to destroy it again to get the thing off. That's all right. I've got a new one.
And here it comes more oil. There's a lot more oil inside the filter than you would think.
And you got to watch out so you don't burn yourself on that oil. It's pretty hot.
It's a little bit uncomfortable here. I've got to get my hand over to the side,
twirling the thing around. There's a lot of threads on there. And it'll fall down in here just a second.
Oh, that's hot oil. There it goes. Okay.
And here comes more oil out of the area. There's a bit of splatter there.
Blatter put down the piece of cardboard because it did splatter all around outside the
outside the drain pan when that oil filter fell down in there.
Okay, so the next thing to do is put on the new oil filter. Where is it?
You who oil filter? Where can I put the thing? Oh, there it is. It's right behind me.
A little bit of dopus. Okay. So they say that when you're putting on the new filter,
you want to rub some oil around the seal. Take some oil. I don't I don't guess it matters a ton
where they use the old oil or the new, but I think I'm going to use a little bit of the new oil.
So it's nice and clean.
And rub a little bit of that all around the seal. And then you spin the thing on and hand tighten it.
You're not supposed to tighten it with a wrench. Let's see, how can I get some of this on my
finger without spilling it everywhere? Tip it up just a little bit here. Okay, I've got a coating
the oil on my finger, which is inside the glove. Rub it around the seal of the oil filter.
Now I'm ready to go back under there and put the filter on.
Okay, let's see what the back I'm doing here. Okay, I'll put it up.
Hmm, I may have to move this out a little bit further under there on my creeper.
I can't see what I'm doing. It's really hard to put an oil filter on when you can't see it directly.
Okay, now I'm right under the car.
I shouldn't feel like it's threaded on enough.
The other one took a whole lot more turning before it was settled on there.
That was not falling off in the turn, turn, turn. There we go.
Okay, now we're getting there.
All right, it's hand tightened. We wipe it off a little bit with my rag.
Okay, I think that's tight enough. Wipe around the drain plug again.
Wipe the rest of this area around there as well. All right, okay,
should be ready to put the new oil in there.
I'll get the cardboard out from under there.
But I'm so happy that I have this creeper. I've mentioned in a previous episode about
putting the fuel filter on my truck that I wouldn't even consider doing the job until I had
ordered a creeper. I'm too old to be crawling around under there. Now the creeper makes it very easy.
All right, so now we've got the new oil thing up top. It says to put in 4.4 quarts.
There's a little gauge on the side that says how many you've done, but it's pretty much the whole
thing. I've got a five-quart bottle here and very helpful. I have a long goose nick funnel.
This is critical in importance because you try to pour this oil in there without a funnel.
Man, you're going to make a huge mess because the fill hole is right in the center of the engine
compartment here. It would be really hard to pour this in there without making a giant mess unless
you had a funnel. I like this one because the funnel is really long. I don't have to bend over
the compartment too much. It's like almost just standing normally pouring it in there.
There's one of these annoying seals. There it goes. I have to punch out seal to access the oil.
All right, ready to pour. I'm going to go too fast. I want to overflow. And we're pouring.
Oh, the engine says this tastes so delicious. Thank you so much for the fresh new oil.
So clean and refreshing. Man, that's going to feel good when we're driving around.
And I say you're welcome.
Yep, Culp is talking to his car and his oil now.
What happens when you have to record too many HPR shows?
Start talking to inanimate objects and then they have conversations in your head.
Still pouring. Still pouring.
Now where do we stand here? We've got almost two quarts left in the thing so that's not enough.
We need to pour some more.
Okay, down to one quart. About a half quart more should do the trick.
A little bit more. In my shed before I started this, I found like five of these
five quart oil containers, each of which had like less than a quart in the bottom.
And so I poured those out into the oil drain container down there so I can recycle the containers
and clean out my shed a little bit. Let's see. That should be a little bit more.
That's a little bit more still. So once I'm done with this, I will then
check the oil fill level on the dipstick to see what it reads. Give it a chance to drain down in
there a little bit. Okay, I think that's all I'm going to put in for the moment.
Now where's a rag? Use this rag. Actually, I think it's this one.
So I was talking to my neighbor just now and he was asking me if I'd sent a photo to my
parents. It was a picture I took of his backyard and it shows his storage shed down in the
bottom of the backyard, nearly completely submerged in water. I don't know, it was at least six feet
deep in water. We said there a bunch of the stuff that was stored up higher was okay.
And then he just got rid of all the stuff that was stored down on the floor.
But it's a very dramatic picture. Thankfully, it didn't get near our houses. As I mentioned in
the episode I recorded yesterday, you know, it came up in our yards but it stopped and went back
down well before it actually got in the house. But I mean a lot of people around here are not so
lucky. It's been really awful. All kinds of relief efforts and food drives and donation
drive and stuff like that to help people get back on their feet, get back fine places to live,
get back in their houses and that kind of thing. Okay, so I've just pulled the dipstick out, cleaned it
off and now I'm sticking it all the way back in. Oops, man, there's some crap in here right
around where the dipstick goes that's keeping it from going all the way in. Okay, now I'll pull
it all the way back out and check and see where the fill line is. All right, it looks good.
It's at the right level and that looks, man, I can just put the end of the dipstick in some dirt.
That's not, I don't really want dirt to start out in my nice, fresh oil right away.
I don't know how this crap got around the edge of the dipstick hole.
That's kind of annoying.
This is supposed to go that way. There, there we go. Okay, so last thing to do, pull out my funnel,
turn it up around this way so it doesn't drain out everywhere.
Wipe carefully around the area where I put the oil cap back on and then put the cap back on.
Oops, there we go.
Okay, the oil has changed. Close the hood back up
and check one more time under there for cleanliness.
Oops, I can hear the used oil splashing all around. What I'm going to do here in a little while
is I'll make a run out to auto zone where they will recycle this oil for me at no charge
and then I'll be all done. First, I'm going to roll back under there and clean around the sites.
Looks good. I don't see any leaking at all. Wonderful.
Yep, that looks pretty good.
All right, I've got a jacket back up a little bit to get it off the jack stands
and then pull the jack stands out and then let it all the way down to the ground.
And get away, your big bumblebee.
Bumblebee buzzing right around my head.
This one, the jack.
Okay, the jack is lifting the car now.
One jack stands out.
Around the other side.
Two jack stands out.
And now we'll do the trick where you turn the jack stand, the jack handle to the left gently
to release the built-up hydraulic pressure and the car is back on the ground safely.
Excellent. Go remove the wheel chocks.
Wheel chock number one.
Wheel chock number two.
I'm going to take off these yucky oil gloves and then start the car up.
Let the oil go in there. It's funny you have to the car has been jacked up like that.
The front suspension looks really funny.
Okay, there we go.
The last thing to do is to reset the service-minder.
Now in the world do I do that.
Let's see.
Do I just press and hold?
I'm going to try pressing and holding.
I didn't seem to do it.
I'm going to have to turn.
I'm going to have to look up how to do that.
Sorry, I don't want to sit here trying to figure that out.
Well, we're going. I should have looked that up beforehand.
I've done it before, but I just can't remember how to do it.
It's one of those things that you do it so seldom that you have to do it all over again every time.
You have to learn it all over again every single time.
All right, well that's it.
I have changed the oil in my wife's car.
And if you don't want to hear any more boring episodes like this, then please go
recording the episode of your own.
Okay? Bye. See you next time.
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