NorthValley

I guess I am just lucky. In my 35 years of owning cars I've never had a leaky engine and never been left on the side of the road except due to tire issues. I am also guessing the majority of Q5/SQ5 owners who don't do their own maintenance have also not suffered problems with their cars? I leave my twice yearly oil change to the dealer. If there are other issues then I'll just use one of my other cars. I appreciate you wanting to minimise the risk for you, but luckily for me there is no risk. If the car starts playing up beyond what I consider acceptable it gets sold! Cheers!

eric strauss

… I have been using that technique for years. Our S4/S5/RS5, etc all have filters that point up. I shine a very bright shop light and get a peek at the underside and do a pretty thorough inspection at tire rotation (I do oil changes and rotations at the 5K mark). My oil reports from Blackstone provide great feedback on a host of wear factors. Its great insurance and peace of mind for $25.

The belly pans have become so integrated that dropping them is a real pain. Funny though, my Mitsubishi Montero Limited's both had thick skid pans with an access door for the oil pan and a sliding panel for the filter. the gap was so tight, however, that the filter was tiny - about the size of an 8 ounce juice bottle. Any bigger and I would have to go remote.

After I stopped owning British sports cars, International Harvester Scouts and German off-road motorcycles, oil leaks became nonexistent. Imagine, no kitty litter or speedy dry in my garage - just a shiny coated floor from which spills just wipe up. No more acrid oil smells at start up from the oil that pooled around the valve guides. Back in the day (1976), that was part of the design and even brand new Scouts with the 345/392 engine V8 family started off their day with a healthy puff of smoke.

Happy Motoring

Eric

Pacific Fisher

Thanks for the replies.
I guess I am old school and have always drained.
It sounds like extraction would be easier. Any recommendations for the best brand of extractor and where to purchase?

hilld

That might be true, but that is not the issue here. The person (OP) wants to do it themselves, so you might as well do it right. Of course this is my opinion and just like buttholes everyone has one.

To me that is like taking a shower and not taking your underwear off.

hilld

Good for you that you have never had a leaky engine in 35 years. Even having had several VW's and Audi's, many of them have had oil leaks, especially valve covers, cam seals and cam follower seals/plugs. Often you cannot detect those leaks from the top of the engine. Granted those leaks often don't appear on cars with less than 40-50k miles, but I have seen them much earlier, but then again, I worked in a dealership as a technician for many years.

NorthValley

But that way you get everything washed in one!

HZ60

In 5 years or so, you may not have to worry about either. This looks pretty cool.

Castrol Nexcel gives you a 90 second engine oil change, debuts on Aston Martin Vulcan - Pocket-lint

Redd

We use the suction pumps on marine engines, where federal safety rules prohibit drain plugs since a loose plug might result in an oil discharge into the bilge water and the environment.

And if you've ever wrestled with the curly plastic suction hose that whips around and sprays used motor oil. And then tried to keep the whole thing someplace clean without leaking until the next time you need it.

I mean, they're wonderful devices and given some paper towels and contractors bags and a little extra care, they can be clean and neat and very effective. Still, on my car I'd rather open the drain plug, then just empty out the collection pan after dumping the used oil at the collection site.

I'm thinking of doing this the easy way: Cut out a round access hole, install an access plate (any marine chandlery can sell you one) or else just place a piece of metal flashing tape over the hole every time. One roll should last about 20 years. Ain't fancy, but it is simple, quick, and effective.

I'm not checking for hydrazine vapor leaks after a space shuttle lands...I'm just changing the damned oil.

DennisMitchell

That Nexcel system looks expensive. What would the oil change cost... $500 or more?

Redd

Looks like they've gone to a dry sump system, which could be for many reasons, and then simply made the oil reservoir and filter into a cartridge that can be replaced in a snap. A clever idea, if you've gone to a dry dump system for performance reasons in the first place.