Oil Change - Sump Drain or Vacuum Pump?
 

The guy who did my oil change yesterday used one of the vacuum pumps rather than remove the sump plug and drain from the bottom. I have noticed is that the oil was still black very quickly after the 'new' oil had been added and am a little concerned as to whether this method has actually resulted in an 'oil change.' It has been suggested to me that these devices never remove all the oil and therefore any new oil is quickly contaminated. I am no expert.

My car is a diesel so am aware that the oil blackens more quickly but if, as suggested here, his method of using one of these has resulted in old oil remaining in the sump is that anything I need be concerned about as the car is not due another oil change for 12 months now?

Would I be better forking out (again!!) for another oil change using the sump drain or are the vacuum pumps acceptable for an oil change? If they are I'll buy one myself.

Thanks in advance.

PS: If I drain the sump do I need a particular sump plug tool or will a socket set do it? S40 2008 2.0D.

I always remove the sump plug to drain the oil and let it drain for 10 to 15 mins the more old oil you get out the better, any old oil in the sump will contaminate the new oil and reduce it,s life

Thanks Pete I am tempted to give it another drain. Are there any special tools I need or is a normal wrench sufficient?

Hi there, you'll need an 8mm allen key or allen head socket to remove the drain plug. Also a new 14mm internal diameter sealing washer, copper or aluminium for the drain plug.

Not a fan of these suction pipes down the dipstick hole myself but I know lots of garages do use them now.

To be honest I am ignorant of whether they are as effective as a traditional drain or not but, as I take care of my car, I need to know if the fact that he has used one on my oil change is likely to result in it not being as effective as a traditional oil drain.

There seems to be evidence to suggest that any oil left after using the suction method is completely insignificant. If that is the case then I'd be tempted to invest in one myself as it will save me significant cost and allow me to change my oil myself more frequently.

Does anyone else have a view or experience of using one?

I guess the experiment is to use one THEN remove the sump plug and see how much remains. I am just not sure how much 'old' oil is enough to render 'new' oil contaminated.

Thanks again.

to be honest either way youll stilll have a little old oil even when you drain sump ,,i do it both ways but vacummm is easied ,£47 for 6 litre drain vacum pump from amazon ,

Some new cars don't have sump drain plugs (I don't think the smart car ever did)

I was told that the vacuum can often get more out than the drain plug. The only advantage with the drain plug is seeing what is stuck to the magnet, but then most manufacturers don't even bother with magnetic plugs these days.

I fancy getting a vacuum though as both my cars now have undertrays which double the time to do the job.


Just over £40 for this 6L one from Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pela-6000-Pu...1091894&sr=8-1

Seems to get good review too

I think that's my dilemma to be honest. The car has a full Volvo Service History and has been very well looked after so I am keen to extend its life as much as possible. It's done 54k miles so I'm looking to keep it another couple of years.

There seems to be a very split opinion on whether the vacuum type devices actually do a good enough job - some say yes, some no.

Having just paid £92 for new oil I'm not thrilled at the news that it may have been contaminated by oil not extracted by using the vacuum rather than draining the sump.

Would any of our knowledgable friends advise that I drain the oil again via the sump (myself!) or is it likely to be ok with the method that was used? If I drain again will it need another new filter? That's another job I haven't done before but presumably it's just a case of removing the filter housing with a hexagonal socket and removing the old one/popping a new one in?

As an aside what do Volvo dealers do? They quoted me £165 for oil and filter change - I may just get them to do it for me.

Sorry for so many questions - I just had it in my head that the service I had was good for another 12 months and it's annoying me that I may have been short changed.

Thanks for the responses so far.

I own and use an electric vacuum pump, I did a service on my own car last week, oil and filters etc.
Today I dipped my oil to check it was up to the full mark on the dipstick, the oil is still clean.
Incidently after I have drained the oil, upon removal of the oil filter, the oil in the filter canister is all there is left in the sump.

When using the vacuum pump it is worth pushing the tube hard down through the dipstick tube until it stops dead that will ensure the tube is all the way to the bottom of the sump.
It is also a good idea to go for a drive around the block in order to get the oil hot and also to ensure the oil is well agitated prior to using the pump.

This is the pump that I own, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Electric-O...item27c890b003

Thanks for this. I guess one of the reasons I am considering another change is that the oil was black very quickly. This just makes me wonder how much of the old oil was actually left in the engine.