USING OIL EXTRACTORS
An example vacuum oil extractor.
There's another way of getting the oil out of your car's engine during an oil change - oil extractors. The typical extractor uses a vacuum mechanism either generated by you pumping a handle to build up a vacuum in the reservoir, or by a powered vacuum pump. The example on the right is a manual style. Basically you pump the handle to build up a vacuum, then poke the extractor hose into the oil and let her rip.
Extractors are a convenience item designed to eliminate the need to get your vehicle up on a ramp, or for you to crawl under it and deal with the drain plug. The only problem with an extractor is that you can never be 100% guaranteed that you get all the oil out. For it to work best, the suction hose needs to be in the lowest point of the sump pan, where the drain bolt is. The problem is that first of all, the sump isn't transparent, so you can't tell where the suction hose really is. (Remember you'll be feeding it in through dipstick tube). Second, a lot of sumps have anti-slosh baffles in them both horizontally and vertically. If you don't get the extractor pipe through one of the baffle holes, you'll be leaving the entire sump's-worth of oil in there. Third, and finally, any congealed oil, clogs or clumps of sludge will likely get stuck in the extractor hose causing a blockage. That would mean taking the hose out, cleaning out the blockage, then feeding it back in again which subjects you to the initial two problems all over again.
Oil extractors are more commonly used for getting oil out of smaller engines like lawnmowers. I've never used one in a car engine but because of the problems mentioned above, I can't imagine it would be especially efficient. Having said that, the Smart car has no sump drain so the only way to get oil out of those things in a service is to use an extractor.
FINALLY, AND JUST AS IMPORTANTLY: DISPOSING OF USED ENGINE OIL.
[oilcare]
Think about it for a minute. What did you do with that last oil change? Pour it away down a drain? Seal it and bin it? The annual average for oil which is just washed away is 720Million gallons! About 120Million of that is from tanker spills which leaves another 600Million from domestic and business disposal. This all ends up polluting the groundwater.
So what can you do? Well, you can dispose of your used oil properly. Firstly, it's worth noting that engine oils which have been used are mildly carcinogenic. This means cancer, specifically skin cancer. To be safe, wash any off quickly with a de-greaser like GUNK. For heavens sake, don't use petrol (gasoline) - most fuels contain long chain hydrocarbons, which when exposed to skin pass right through to the blood stream. (This can mean liver damage, and possibly failure) Better still, wear protective gloves. Once the oil is drained into a suitable container, try your local garage. All garage workshops must have disposal barrels and many will allow you to dump your oil into their barrels. In the UK, many DIY superstores now have oil disposal banks where you can empty your used oil, and it's collected every couple of days by a tanker. So next time, just think about first. If only for the fact that in most civilised countries, it's actually an arrestable offence to dispose of oil in the public sewerage system. If you live in the UK, phone 0800 663366 to find the location of your nearest oil bank. Alternatively, you can use the postcode search on the oilbank website.
Αρχικό μήνυμα απο Nick bmwlover
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