ITs time for an Oil change,,What NO, I am to Low??>>>>

Thought I would share this experience with you. 
 
So today I wanted to take my car in to have the oil change on it. I went to one place and after about 10 min of waiting the manager comes out and said to me..Did you know your car only has like 3 inch of clearance as he was shaking his head..He handed back my keys and said we cant do it..like he was all upset..So I laughed a little and went to one of those places you just drive up and they have an underground bay..I thought OK this not a problem you simply drive up and as long as you can clear the little are in between the wheels its all gravy. That ledge must me about 3 inches or so...honestly..anyways after about an hour of waiting he sais ok get in and move it in...I went slow just being careful and sure enough I hit started scrapping my cats....All the mechanics and manager and customer gathered around to see what was going on..anyways after many odd and strange looks me and the mechanic decided just to reverse it and come back when its raised up more....Thanks god I was standing right outside other wise I am sure one of the attendants would have driven up all fast and effed my cats all up....you no how those young punk kids drive in customers cars..I always make it a point to watch them when they pull my car around for any work..
 
I just laughed and said damn does this make me hardcore because now I have to go home take the wheels off adjust the 
coilovers put the wheels back on drive down have them do the oil change , come back home take off the wheels adjust the coilovers back down and put the wheels back on?
 
So I know what most of you all are going to say...GET AIR! I know I know.... Anyways what a waiste of a nice saturday morning.
 
Any of you have similar situations where you were just to low????

With all that time wasted you could of changed it yourself. If you need extra clearance to jack it up, drive the car up some 2x4s.

it took me a long time to find a place where i could get my car aligned, at least 3 places turned me down before i finally found one :shrug:

You gotta change your own oil man. The 2 times in my life I've taken my car to get it changed by someone else they stripped my oil pan both times! Those kids working at those Quik/Jiffe Lube's suck!

Check this out too: [url]http://mfile.akamai.com/12924/wmv/vod.ibsys.com/2006/0503/9152183.200k.asx[/url]

yeah that was my next thing to do..and now I am not sure if I will be able to find somwhere where I can get that done..because in order for them to do a correct allighment the car has to be at the driving hieght right? you can raise the car have it allighned and then lower it back down..that would just through off the allighnment right??????

ahhh...the perks of having bags :)

[quote=zion_97;74992]can raise the car have it allighned and then lower it back down..that would just through off the allighnment right??????[/quote]
 
yes...and why would you even want an alignment?  aren't you gonna roll with your car cambered front and back?  looks good like that...

[quote=Burn619;74991]You gotta change your own oil man. The 2 times in my life I've taken my car to get it changed by someone else they stripped my oil pan both times! Those kids working at those Quik/Jiffe Lube's suck!
 
Check this out too: [URL]http://mfile.akamai.com/12924/wmv/vod.ibsys.com/2006/0503/9152183.200k.asx[/URL][/quote]
 
MAn I just got done seeing this video and that sucks...I was actually at a Jiffy Lube. damn...scarry shit man..
 
 
[quote=VIP-UCF;74994]yes...and why would you even want an alignment? aren't you gonna roll with your car cambered front and back? looks good like that...[/quote]
 
does it do no justice to allign when having camber?  I thought you still were supposed to have it done from many of the threads I have read? Not to familiar with allignment ..so if you could explaine to me a about the allignment that would be cool..
Thanks

I was gonna suggest you doing your oil your self for all that time you waisted! Sucks!
I usually go to the Infini dealer where I have a buddy who will change the oil, filter and carwash for around 30 bucks! :biggthumpup: 
 
You will lose camber when you get the wheels aligned! I got turned done at Nissan cause my wheels were to big! hhaahha! 
:shrug:

Yeah I use to take it to the dealership but I found that they just could not work on the car anymore and allways gave me crap about why this and that..I found that smaller mom and pop shops can do more for me now than ever..just like the place where I had them instal my coilovers..dont know if you remember the headaches I had but they were able to machine the abs sensor location on the spindle and no were elese would touch it....Just going to have to learn how to change the oil my self I could not imagine it beeing that hard..I just need to be able to get under neat the car so I suppose its time to but jackstands...

Yea, I feel you on mom and pop shops! :biggthumpup: :biggthumpup: :biggthumpup: 
I like doing my own oil alot cause for one I know it's getting done right and for C it brings me closer to my car and gives me a sense of pride!
 
BTW-The olifilter can be reached throught the top of the engine compartment!

you need an alignment. your toes(LOL) are off/crooked. whether negative or positive. but you need an alignment. alignments dont only do camber, they do thrust angle and toe.
Charley

Charley is right.  Toe not camber, is the biggest killer of tire life.
 
Oh yea, oil changes and regular maintance played a 25% roll in why I went with air rather then coilovers.  Why go through all that trouble when you can just hit a switch ;)

[quote=VIP-UCF;74993]ahhh...the perks of having bags :)[/quote]
 
[quote=widebody_Q;75027]Charley is right. Toe not camber, is the biggest killer of tire life.
 
Oh yea, oil changes and regular maintance played a 25% roll in why I went with air rather then coilovers. Why go through all that trouble when you can just hit a switch ;)[/quote]
 
air is a nice convience that I would like to one day add..but on the side not CoilOvers dont leave you stranded...One of the reasons I chose Coilovers over air..I dont have to worry about a bag popping and now I cant drive anyware..
 
WidebodyQ, to be honest with you after seeing what happend to your front sus It kinda makes me more sceptical than before. hopefully everything goes right this time around and you can prove me wrong....
 
My lx470 has factory air and yeah its comftorable but no wear near as stable as my Q is..and I actually prefer driving my Q more  but when we are with the family we dont all fit in the Q..

[quote=zion_97;74996]does it do no justice to allign when having camber? I thought you still were supposed to have it done from many of the threads I have read? Not to familiar with allignment ..so if you could explaine to me a about the allignment that would be cool..
Thanks[/quote]
 
yeah...what everybody else said...it doesn't hurt to get an alignment but you'd only be correcting the toe...most people get alignment for toe, caster, camber, etc.

i have less clearance than you and i change it myself
your not hardcore, you just put coils on and slammed it
if u were hardcore you wouldnt be able to get over the ledges in the oil change place

to get an alignment on my car we use wood planks to get it up
its a pain, but thats the cost of being low


im not nearly the lowest car here, nor VIP, therefore i could care less of what my under chassis looks like, but why make a post about this?

[quote=battleaxe;75055]i have less clearance than you and i change it myself
your not hardcore, you just put coils on and slammed it
if u were hardcore you wouldnt be able to get over the ledges in the oil change place
 
to get an alignment on my car we use wood planks to get it up
its a pain, but thats the cost of being low
 
 
im not nearly the lowest car here, nor VIP, therefore i could care less of what my under chassis looks like, but why make a post about this?[/quote]
 
It's not hardcore it's stupid! Too me riding dumped or insanely low doesn't really look all that great compared to riding at a even leveal where the edge of the lip is at the fender, IMO! Also it's no fun when your riding that low and messin up some part of your car (Trust me I learned, I'm always pushing the limits!)
 
He placed the postin GETTIN' OFF-TOPIC! Anything goes! Even if he wants to share his day or whatever! If you don't like it than don't read it or read it but don't comment! I'm just sayin, at least he didn't post it in the forsale section or photo galllery!
Just my .02
:shrug:

Lol @ being hardcore.  It's true, riding that low is gangster, especially when you scratch every where you go and on the smallest dips and people turn their heads to see what the noise was.

[quote=battleaxe;75055]i have less clearance than you and i change it myself
your not hardcore, you just put coils on and slammed it
if u were hardcore you wouldnt be able to get over the ledges in the oil change place
 
to get an alignment on my car we use wood planks to get it up
its a pain, but thats the cost of being low
 
 
im not nearly the lowest car here, nor VIP, therefore i could care less of what my under chassis looks like, but why make a post about this?[/quote]
The hardcore comment was inside comment from another thread...and was purely a joke..and I am not trying to compete on being the lowest around here but, uumm this is a VIP site not an offroad site and 3 inches off the ground is pretty damn low..any lower and you might as well just take pictures of it and look at it parked in your driveway..
 
BTW, if you read the first thread properly you would have read that at the second shop I could not make over the ledges in the bay...
 
MAn you must be pretty damn skinny to fit under your car to do your own oil changes..:smiley-rofl:

Good lucking getting to the damn oil filter in the Y33. I have a bitch of a time doing it under my car on jacks. Way easier if it was on a lift.

[quote=VIPete;75063]Good lucking getting to the damn oil filter in the Y33. I have a bitch of a time doing it under my car on jacks. Way easier if it was on a lift.[/quote]Get at it from the top. I usually pull my air filter vent off and you can see it and unscrew from there. Rich, if you haven't done your own oil change yet, its pretty quick and simple. Download a factory service manual, you can get one here: [URL]http://phatg20.net/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=viewdownload&cid=62[/URL] I do them because its peace of mind when I know its done correctly.

hate taking my car to shops... only time i take my car is when i have to get new tires.... punks dont know how to drive.. they just step on the gas and chirp around.... assholes...

yeah best way is useing the 2x4 and setting it up to something bigger till you can jack up your car and put some kinda saftey stands.

i feel much better workin on my own cars.... cause then the only person you can blame is you when something goes wrong :) wish i had coilovers... i would drive around till my exhaust has a big hole in it cause its the small stockies !

I've changed my own oil since I can remember, cos then i can choose which oil, and which filter to put in my car, rather than the generic stuff they put in all cars at the mechanics. Its real easy and once you learn how, you will be wondering why you paid $50 to get it done for you
 
Alignment i started doing myself since i change heights every second weekend, and no point paying $60 each time for them to correct my toe.
 
I also carry 2x4s in the boot because i cant even get a jack under my car at the current height. I have to drive onto the blocks of wood before i can start jacking it up... I think i posted this pic up before, but that phone is 45mm wide and wouldnt make it under the cat. Something like 1.5" for you Imperial people :)
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Cedric/CIMG3013.jpg[/IMG]
 
The good thing about coilovers is that you DONT scrape with every dip in the road. Only when there are things sticking up out of the road or speedhumps...

[QUOTE=zion_97;75058]The hardcore comment was inside comment from another thread...and was purely a joke..and I am not trying to compete on being the lowest around here but, uumm this is a VIP site not an offroad site and 3 inches off the ground is pretty damn low..any lower and you might as well just take pictures of it and look at it parked in your driveway..
 
BTW, if you read the first thread properly you would have read that at the second shop I could not make over the ledges in the bay...
 
MAn you must be pretty damn skinny to fit under your car to do your own oil changes..:smiley-rofl:[/QUOTE]


i take my bumper off and made a custom oil retreival unit
from an old bin lid HAHAHAHA

i have a 7ft arm span it comes in handy


ALSO - the way most ppl and I used to do it.
JACK THE CAR UP and drain it on a level field


im at about 2 1/4 and i drive it to tracks and drift on said tracks this way
i never hardpark it to just take shots and never drive it


good on u for inside jokes
makes the world go round
like alcohol, i love alcohol.. matter of fact, i be drinkin right now

[QUOTE]WidebodyQ, to be honest with you after seeing what happend to your front sus It kinda makes me more sceptical than before. hopefully everything goes right this time around and you can prove me wrong....[/QUOTE]
 
Your right, its no fun at all at this point.  You have to keep in mind that many people ran UAS on the Y33 with no issues.  Y33 and F50 suspensions are different.

[QUOTE=Benji;75065]Get at it from the top. I usually pull my air filter vent off and you can see it and unscrew from there. Rich, if you haven't done your own oil change yet, its pretty quick and simple. Download a factory service manual, you can get one here: [URL]http://phatg20.net/modules.php?name=Downloads&d_op=viewdownload&cid=62[/URL] I do them because its peace of mind when I know its done correctly.[/QUOTE]

YES, thanks man

[QUOTE=widebody_Q;75099]Your right, its no fun at all at this point.  You have to keep in mind that many people ran UAS on the Y33 with no issues.  Y33 and F50 suspensions are different.[/QUOTE]
good to hear that..like I said I wouldnt mind having a set for my coilovers for times like this..
 
Well, life is all back to normal. Did the oilchange this morning at 8am got home and lowered the car back down checked tire pressure..checked tires and everything is wearing nice and car is running excellent...Next on my list is fuel injectors and transmition flush..she should be real happy with me very soon..heheheheee

i don't know man, scraping all over the place sucks ass thats why i picked up air suspension for my first mod. i love my UAS setup. i can adjust all corners with just a switch. my rides kinda bouncy because i havent replaced my original struts but other than that it's almost close to stock ride. as for riding low with UAS. i dump it 1/2''-1'' above all the way slammed. heres some pictures of my ride. sorry for the bad pics my camera sucks. 

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v450/rideordie619/DSC00323.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v450/rideordie619/DSC00324.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v450/rideordie619/DSC00326.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v450/rideordie619/DSC00333.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v450/rideordie619/DSC00337.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v450/rideordie619/DSC00343.jpg[/IMG]

^^^wow, love that color Q

[QUOTE=Dominik;75084]I've changed my own oil since I can remember, cos then i can choose which oil, and which filter to put in my car, rather than the generic stuff they put in all cars at the mechanics. Its real easy and once you learn how, you will be wondering why you paid $50 to get it done for you.[/QUOTE]

I completely agree with Dominik, most places that do oil changes use some generic oil filter (white with black letters). Plus some use some BS regular oil Texaco, Quaker State, etc. You pay that much money for that BS? I like to go to Wal-Mart by a 5 quart jug of Mobil 1 or Valvoline synthetic / blend oil and extra quart, since it requires 5 5/8th with oil filter change. For oil filter OEM is probably best, but Bosch/Mobil 1 will do fine too. You end up paying almost the same price doing it yourself and end up with better quality oil and filter. One thing I also do before the oil change is GUNK motor flush to get rid of sludge and excess build up.
I have seen too many people (the kinds that never open their hoods or don't want to get dirty) that have taken their cars to these lube shops and have heard "They didn't put my oil cap back on and now there's sand in my engine", "They didn't tighten my oil plug enough and alot of my oil leaked out and almost damaged my engine", "They crosstreaded my oil pan" etc.

I retrieve my oil filter from the top too, by removing the air filter intake vent (remove 2 nuts and leave the sensor in) and lay it on the engine cover. Changing oil is a piece of cake!!!

You do get a sense of pride doing your own work, plus you can check out the underside of the car to inspect Tie Rods, Ball Joints, Suspenision Leaks, Exhaust Leaks, etc.

I do recommend carrying 2 short 2x6 plank around with you if your not on air, it does help you out of tight situations. For working under the car, my solution is 2x6 planks directly in front of some plastic ramps (Rhino) and drive up slowly and cautiously. Be sure to put wheel chocks behind the rear wheels too. :biggthumpup:

For a transmission flush does that include changing the transmission filter? Is changing the transmission filter difficult? That is next on my list as well as changing the fuel filter.

Oh yeah if you don't like getting your hands dirty by some disposable blue/purple (less prone to tear) nitrile latex gloves. You can get them at most automotive stores or Harbor Freight.

[QUOTE=zion_97;74996] does it do no justice to allign when having camber?  I thought you still were supposed to have it done from many of the threads I have read? Not to familiar with allignment ..so if you could explaine to me a about the allignment that would be cool..
Thanks[/QUOTE]

Unless you have adjustable toe rods and tension (caster) rods it will do no good to get an alignment. I suppose Camber is where you want it, so I would just leave it as is. I heard that a maximum of -5 degrees is acceptable as long as you can adjust your toe. OEM toe rod has no adjustment as well as the tension rods. 

Incorrect Toe (top of car view)

/       \


/       \

Correct Toe

l         l


l         l

I cannot fully explain caster, I know it has something to do with how the angle of the front suspension leaning either forward or backwards. I believe it has some affect on your speed. 

An excerpt from Wikipedia:
  The purpose of this is to provide a degree of self-centering for the steering - the wheel casters around so as to trail behind the axis of steering. This makes a car easier to drive and improves its straight line stability (reducing its tendency to wander). Excessive caster angle will make the steering heavier and less responsive, although, in racing, large caster angles are used to improve camber gain in cornering. Caster angles over 10 degrees with radial tires are common. Power steering is usually necessary to overcome the jacking effect from the high caster angle.

The Q does have adjustability for the toe...heres a diagram
[IMG]http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j298/q45t07/rearsus.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j298/q45t07/frsus.jpg[/IMG]

stock suspension only has limited adjustability (except front toe on most all cars)

caster is what tension rods adjust
the more caster u have; the more stable at higher speeds but harder to turn in
less caster u have; the easier it is to turn but higher speeds are a lil more sketch

in terms of racing and drifting 'correct' toe is a matter of preference, either 0 toe or toe out in most cases
and toe in the rear is personal as well, most run 0 and for some they either toe it in or out to preference

camber is well known so dont need to explain