Date:         Sun, 10 May 1998 15:14:08 -0400
Reply-To:     thetrans <thetrans@INAME.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <Vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         thetrans <thetrans@INAME.COM>
Subject:      Re: Changing the engine oil
Comments: To: JordanVw <JordanVw@AOL.COM>, Vanagon@VANAGON.COM
In-Reply-To:  <691898da.3555f36e@aol.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"

At 02:34 PM 5/10/98 -0400, JordanVw wrote:
>
>Hi, Kathy, it is always good to see a female listmember, and especially one
>that is willing to work on her own van :<)  the drain plug is located at the
>bottom center of the engine, towards the back. its a bolt with a recessed
>circle area around it.
>Your best bet would be to get a Bentley book, the factory repair manual for
>the Vanagons. Do you have one?

I'd second what Chris said. Even for those not inclined to do major
maintenance on their VW's the Bentley adds a bit of security to road trips
and is an invaluable source of information when things go wrong.

The oil plug is at the bottom of the engine block, and depending on your
plug type may have a small ring of rubber or soft material acting as a seal
(though if your engine is grimy you may not see it). Unbolt with a socket
wrench and prepare to get covered with oil if you're directly underneath
[grin].

Recommendations:

a) Have a big pan to catch the oil
b) Have a few containers (old 2 liter soda bottles or big OJ containers) to
put the spent oil in for recycling
c) a funnel for pouring the old oil into your recycling container and for
putting in the new oil
d) A new oil filter (BTW a large screw driver puncturing the old oil filter
works well to unscrew the old oil filter if you don't have a fancy oil
filter wrench). Most important if you are changing the oil.
e) rags for cleanup
f) Cold Fosters (or O'Doul's.. we're all so damned sensitive here as of
late ;}}) to celebrate afterwards!!

Let me know if I can help further.


"Once in a while you get shown the light in the strangest of places if you
look at it right"

Hunter/Garcia