Long & possibly worthless writeup of today's oil change ... (why? maybe cause I like to type ... *shrug*)

First .... lifting the car; tricky. There are 8 lift points on the Elise. Do you know them all? Check the manual - it's hilarious. I have only a single jack and 2 jack stands ... so this was a PITA. I ended up jacking at the rear Blue sticker position, unbolting the forward underpanel, then setting that side of the car down on a stack of 1 foot square 1x12s just aft of the blue sticker. (might sound rickety, but it was very solid.). Then I repeated on the other side. I just couldn't trust using the jackstands on jacking position 'B' (or was it position 'C'??? Manual is out in the car so I'm not sure...). Took me 30 minutes to jack the car and set it down so that I could get under it.

Second - once securely in the air I undid all the bolts (and the 4 large hex bolts). I ended up dropping both the diffuser and the forward underpanel onto my head as I undid the last bolt for each one. Whap!

Note to aftermarket parts people: these panels were aluminum ... but they were still pretty heavy. Can someone make some lightweight replacements???

Anyway...

Once inside I find that SVAG used the Toyota 10004 filter on my last oil change (7,500 mile service). It's SOOOO tiny! Maybe that's fine - it's just a 4 banger - but today I'm armed with the large K&N that Stan and others recommended.

Drained the oil - but the darn filter is on too tight to remove by hand. So I get my filter wrench - but there is NO space to turn a filter wrench up in there. I try and try .... 15 minutes of struggle. I go looking for my monkey wrench ... and can't find it. Then I go looking for a large nail to drive through the filter so I can turn it ... but I can't find anything bigger than a 4 inch spike. So ... to get both hands on it ... I have to rejack the car another 5 inches into the air. 10 minutes later I put both hands on it and am able to remove the toyota filter. Sheeze. Filled the K&N with Mobil 1 5-W40 ('Truck and SUV oil - WTF is up with that??) and oiled the gasket. Once it threaded all the way on I gave it 1 extra turn and it was pretty snug.

Then ... I rebolted all the panel and the diffuser back on. Was a PITA to hold the forward under panel up with one hand while threading the screws in at the same time while you are trying keep the leading edge of it inserted in the catch ... whine, grumble, boo-hoo, ... *sigh*. Tightened it all up.

There's a sticker that greets you under the car once you remove the forward underpanel saying ...

[-------------------------------------]
[ Dear weary mechanic: You
[ know all 429 bolts you just undid?
[ THOU _MUST_ RETIGHTEN THEM TO
[ 22Nm OR ELSE!!! OR ELSE!
[-------------------------------------]

There's also another sticker warning you never to drive without the diffuser or underpanel installed.

I poured in 5 quarts of 5-W40. After awhile I checked the dipstick. The oil, that used to be solid black and easy to read, was now crystal clear and hard as hell to read. _seemed_ to be between the dots ... but who knows?

How does oil get pitch black with only 4,000 miles on it? I drive like an ass and rev it every chance I get so maybe it's just natural wear / burn. Oh well.

Drove to the nearest gas station ... filled up, checked the level while I was there ... also checked for leaks/ oil drips ... all seems fine. Then picked up Sara and took a celabritory drive up Mt Hamilton to the telescopes and finally got to see the 36'' and 120'' scopes face to face. I agree about the dipstick being hard to read. Oil should have some color to it so we can read the stupid dipstick, or, a different method for measuring oil. Any suggestions? I considered drilling a bunch of small holes along the length of the lower stick so I can see which holes got filled in with a film of oil. Long & possibly worthless writeup of today's oil change ... (why? maybe cause I like to type ... *shrug*)

First .... lifting the car; tricky. There are 8 lift points on the Elise. Do you know them all? Check the manual - it's hilarious. I have only a single jack and 2 jack stands ... so this was a PITA. I ended up jacking at the rear Blue sticker position, unbolting the forward underpanel, then setting that side of the car down on a stack of 1 foot square 1x12s just aft of the blue sticker. (might sound rickety, but it was very solid.). Then I repeated on the other side. I just couldn't trust using the jackstands on jacking position 'B' (or was it position 'C'??? Manual is out in the car so I'm not sure...). Took me 30 minutes to jack the car and set it down so that I could get under it.

Second - once securely in the air I undid all the bolts (and the 4 large hex bolts). I ended up dropping both the diffuser and the forward underpanel onto my head as I undid the last bolt for each one. Whap!

Note to aftermarket parts people: these panels were aluminum ... but they were still pretty heavy. Can someone make some lightweight replacements???

Anyway...

Once inside I find that SVAG used the Toyota 10004 filter on my last oil change (7,500 mile service). It's SOOOO tiny! Maybe that's fine - it's just a 4 banger - but today I'm armed with the large K&N that Stan and others recommended.

Drained the oil - but the darn filter is on too tight to remove by hand. So I get my filter wrench - but there is NO space to turn a filter wrench up in there. I try and try .... 15 minutes of struggle. I go looking for my monkey wrench ... and can't find it. Then I go looking for a large nail to drive through the filter so I can turn it ... but I can't find anything bigger than a 4 inch spike. So ... to get both hands on it ... I have to rejack the car another 5 inches into the air. 10 minutes later I put both hands on it and am able to remove the toyota filter. Sheeze. Filled the K&N with Mobil 1 5-W40 ('Truck and SUV oil - WTF is up with that??) and oiled the gasket. Once it threaded all the way on I gave it 1 extra turn and it was pretty snug.

Then ... I rebolted all the panel and the diffuser back on. Was a PITA to hold the forward under panel up with one hand while threading the screws in at the same time while you are trying keep the leading edge of it inserted in the catch ... whine, grumble, boo-hoo, ... *sigh*. Tightened it all up.

There's a sticker that greets you under the car once you remove the forward underpanel saying ...

[-------------------------------------]
[ Dear weary mechanic: You
[ know all 429 bolts you just undid?
[ THOU _MUST_ RETIGHTEN THEM TO
[ 22Nm OR ELSE!!! OR ELSE!
[-------------------------------------]

There's also another sticker warning you never to drive without the diffuser or underpanel installed.

I poured in 5 quarts of 5-W40. After awhile I checked the dipstick. The oil, that used to be solid black and easy to read, was now crystal clear and hard as hell to read. _seemed_ to be between the dots ... but who knows?

How does oil get pitch black with only 4,000 miles on it? I drive like an ass and rev it every chance I get so maybe it's just natural wear / burn. Oh well.

Drove to the nearest gas station ... filled up, checked the level while I was there ... also checked for leaks/ oil drips ... all seems fine. Then picked up Sara and took a celabritory drive up Mt Hamilton to the telescopes and finally got to see the 36'' and 120'' scopes face to face.
Good for you mate ! the next time you can leave the rear defuser in place
and just remove the eng service panel.It's a good idea to also r+r the drain
plug washer.
All the best, Don Good for you mate ! the next time you can leave the rear defuser in place
and just remove the eng service panel.It's a good idea to also r+r the drain
plug washer.
All the best, Don
Yeah, at first I was afraid that the oil pour would hit the diffuser as it arched out of the oil pan ... but once I drained it I could see that you were right - it would have missed. I did regret not getting another washer - next time.

-doma To make your next oil change easier, get a Fumoto oil valve. Never replace the bolt gasket or get hot oil on your hands and wrench:
http://www.fumotovalve.com/

And like others mentioned, you only have to remove one obnoxious panel.

With an 8mm socket chucked up in a cordless motor, it's pretty fast to spin all the bolts out. It's putting them BACK that's a pain -- starting the threads on each one, especially the outside ones.

For lifting the car, I just raise one side at a time using the blue-sticker center points, then put blocks under the front/back wheels on that side. Works great, and very fast. Taller and more stable than jackstands. I've seen a similar product sold with a quick disconnect hose so that you plug in the hose, turn the valve, and can drain the oil very cleanly into any container. Neat idea. I would consider it for something like the Elise with an undertray. I do not like them for cars with exposed oil pans. For lifting the car, I just raise one side at a time using the blue-sticker center points, then put blocks under the front/back wheels on that side. Works great, and very fast. Taller and more stable than jackstands.
is there enough clearance to back up onto some regular old cheapy walmart car ramps? Yes, cheapy Walmart ramps work great on the rear (don't work on the front). I have had the under-panels off several times while backed up on the ramps and would highly recommend them as a simple solution. To make your next oil change easier, get a Fumoto oil valve. Never replace the bolt gasket or get hot oil on your hands and wrench:
http://www.fumotovalve.com/


Exactly what model of Fumotovalve did you get (size, length, ...). I like this solution... Exactly what model of Fumotovalve did you get (size, length, ...). I like this solution...
There are a lot of variations of these, your local auto parts store probably carries them. The one I got on my daily driver is Fram i believe.
remove the brass coverscrew in the drain tube (which opens the valve on the fitting on the oil pan)drain. no tools needed, though i use a pliers to get a little more torque on the brass cover "just in case". the fitting i thread-locked to the oil pan, it ain't coming out without a torch. What's the part number of the K&N filter you used? What's the part number of the K&N filter you used?
K&N PerformanceGold Oil Filter
HP-2009 I think this is a good idea. Anything to make it easier to see!

I agree about the dipstick being hard to read. Oil should have some color to it so we can read the stupid dipstick, or, a different method for measuring oil. Any suggestions? I considerd drilling a bunch of small holes along the length of the lower stick so I can see what holes got filled in with a film of oil. FWIW, I had the diffuser off on Sunday (brake bleeding - car on jackstands), and agree that the number of bolts makes it a burden to remove the tray without a power wrench...so I went to shop for a good cordless wrench.

At Home Depot, they are having a special deal on Rigid - a set that includes a right-angle impact driver AND a more normal looking drill - both 12V - for $149. The right-angle driver (same make and model) by itself sells for about $139. Set includes charger and two batteries.

ed You could always use a cheap ($20) 1/4 inch air ratchet: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=34900. You do have an air compressor don't you??? I agree with you all re the automatic tools. I was wearing out my arms using a 1/4'' drive ratchet while swearing that I needed to upgrade my toolbox. A cheap air ratchet would do the trick. You could always use a cheap ($20) 1/4 inch air ratchet: http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=34900. You do have an air compressor don't you???
No...and I'd rather not have to use the space an air tank would take up when traveling to the track w/ the Elise.

ed My compressor is in the white closet on the far wall. Air tools = goodness! If your switching to a non stock filter this may not matter but for all others, get a filter wrench which sits on the end of the filter (like a big socket) and then you just attach it to your ratchet to loosen the filter.
Had the same problem reading the dipstick after my first oilchange as well. Have'nt done it yet but I'm planning on using something sharp to cross hatch the bottom of the dipstick which should make it easier to see the actual level.

Jim A. No...and I'd rather not have to use the space an air tank would take up when traveling to the track w/ the Elise. You need to drop the undertray at the track?

A good way to read a dipstick is to use a paper towel. After you pull the dipstick, lay it on a clean piece of paper towel held in your hand - the oil will "flow" from the dipstick to the towel and you will be able to see where the level of the oil is on the dipstick...