How to use car ramps for changing oil?

Question

What are the purpose of the car ramps? I would like to buy them so its easier to maintain my car, however when changing the oil (my main maintenance job) I know the car needs to be horizontal, not on a slope that way you can tell when you have the correct amount of new oil in.

How do you use it for changing oil?

Answer 1

Drive car on ramps, chock rear wheels (extremely important) drain oil change filter etc, roll car off ramp fill oil check level and there you go.

Answer 2

I use car ramps all the time when I'm changing my oil. It makes it very convenient to be able to just crawl under the car and see everything, especially on my 626 where the filter is way on under there. The best way to do it would be to read in your owner's manual what the capacity of your engine is and put that much oil in there and if you're that concerned about it, after you fill it up you can pull your car off the ramps and check the oil level and add as needed. After one or two times you should be able to figure out exactly how much it took and be able to just put that much in there once the car is on the ramps. When you first get the ramps have someone help you pull the car on the ramps until you get a feel for how far it is up the ramps. My trick is to keep constant pressure on the gas with one foot, enough so it barely crawls up the ramps, and the other foot on the brake to help control the car going up the ramp. This works with an automatic, so I'm not really sure how a clutch would work with this. If your car is really low it the ramps might not fit so the car can start to go up them, so what I've found best to do is to find a raised surface such as the part where a garage floor meets the driveway and put the ramps on the lower part so you can give your car a head start on the ramps. Once you get the ramps you'll find how useful and convenient they are. They really do give you a lot more room underneath the car when you're working on it, plus I always feel a lot safer under them than under a jackstand

Answer 3

Borrow a set from a friend and roll it up on both ramps and roll it off... The car does not have to

be horizontal, most drainplugs will drain all of the oil just fine on ramps or on an auto shops lift.



Whenever you embark on something you are learning for the first time, always have a mentor

to direct you the first time even the second.



Avoid, overtightening the drain bolt, burning yourself, removing the oil filter and leaving an old

gasket behind, overtightening the oil filter, not having the proper filter removal tool. etc.. etc..



Even a simple oil change can cause major damage if done wrong.



And never roll over those ramps too far, that can really mess up your fenders or other parts.



The proper steel ramps for your car are important too. Some are designed for lower sitting cars



And personally, I think those plastic ones are garbage.... This is just the tip of the iceberg....



There's even more things you may need to learn depending on what kind of car you have.



Been changing my own oil for over 28 years..... and have made stupid mistakes when I first



started doing them too....

Answer 4

Car Ramps

Answer 5

The ramps are used to get car high enough so you can fit under it, and to safely support the car.



You drive up on the ramps

Drain oil and change filter

Push car off ramps

Fill with oil.



Or if you know about cars, you know how much oil your filter and crankcase holds, so you just put the correct amount in while car is still on ramps, then back the car off ramps.



Like I know the short oil filters for a chevy v8 is 1/2 qt, and the long filters are 1 qt.



The crankcase holds 4 qt on some and 4.5 qt on others.



So I would fill the new filter up with oil before installing.



Then put 3 qt of oil in if I used the long filter, 3.5 qt. if I used the short filer.



Move it off the ramps to level ground, check oil level and fill to full as needed



Ramps alsp helps a great deal if replacing transmission or doing trans service, replacing starter, exhaust, or any other job under the car

Answer 6

Use the ramps for draining the oil and replacing the filter. Roll the car back down to put the oil back in.

Answer 7

Drain the oil on the ramps, then push the car off before filling

Answer 8

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i was in your same shoes awhile back, but my problem was a bit more difficult. i had a car that was very low to the ground, and big 8" tires, but also, the house i lived in was on a private road on a lake, and it wasnt paved. so i looked for years for a set of ramps that would be wide enough to fit the tires, low enough to the ground to clear my bumper, and had a widebase that wouldnt sink in the gravel driveway. So i came up with the decision to make my own. I went to the lumber yard and bought some 6x6 treated timbers, some galvanized bolts/screws, and some cedar shims (wont rot),. I borrowed a friends chainsaw, and cut the timber to 4' lengths, i bolted two peices together, and cut them at an angle that would clear my bumper.... i cut up the shims, and stagared them on the angle, so my tires had something to grip. $30 later, i have a set of ramps that are 12" wide, has a broad base that wont sink in gravel or soft soil, and have an angle that wont rub any bumpers. its just a suggestion

Answer 9

You drive the car on the ramps slowly. Drain the oil. Put half the bottle in and roll off it then slowly fill it to max level on the dipstick while it is off the ramps and level on the ground.

Answer 10

You really don't need to take the car off the ramp to fill the oil up, you can put oil in while your car's on the ramp but for some cars you'll need a funnel to put the oil in, but for some cars if you tilt the oil bottle on it's side, if go slowly pouring the oil,you really don't need a funnel. thanks.

Answer 11

depends where the oil drain plug is if it is at the back of the pan it will drain faster and better on ramps

Answer 12

Hey I'm here for the first time. I found this question and I find the answers truly useful. I hope to offer something back and help others too.

Answer 13

You don't as you said the car needs to be level, the sump for most cars is easily accessed without the need to raise the car