Here is a short step by step guide on how to change your oil on a Mitsubishi 380.

Step 1:
You will need 1 x Mitsubishi 380 with no warrantee left and a pure resentment for paying 130 dollars for something which takes 20 minutes of your pitiful existence.
http://i.imgur.com/c2hKZ.jpg

Step 2:
Either take a floor jack and jack up the front end of the car via the rear cross member, or employ a small person and / or Hobbit to crawl underneath and inspect. In utter surprisement, you will find the oil filter dangling right there in front of your filthy face, as opposed to crammed underneath an intake manifold which you could never possibly reach without taking off said manifold.
http://i.imgur.com/1vIGy.jpg

Step 3:
Marvel at your shear brilliance at saving 70 dollars by reaching for an oil catch pan and placing it underneath the inevitable torrent of carcinogenic fluid which is about to spew forth from the bowels of your mediocre transportation.
http://i.imgur.com/LwIZ8.jpg

Step 4:
Reach up and grab hold of the oil filter with your hairy mitts, and turn anticlockwise. Now, if you're a girly girl, then best go back inside and go cry in the corner. If you're man enough, then use all your might and undo it. Easy right?
http://i.imgur.com/JXtjq.jpg

Step 5:
Carcinogenic fluid will spew forth from the aforementioned filter. You will get some oil on your hands which is inevitable, so if you don't like this, (and you are a little bitch) then put some rubber gloves on before hand. If you are a man, lick the oil off your hands.
http://i.imgur.com/AimvN.jpg

Step 6:
Once all oil has drained from the oil filter, unscrew it fully so that it comes off. Then proceed to throw the used filter at the dog next door which, by now, is barking uncontrollably for no reason at all.
(I don't have a photo of this)

Step 7:
Move the drip tray underneath the oil sump plug, which you are about to unscrew to let out the pure concentrated evil juice.
http://i.imgur.com/SB1eo.jpg

Step 8:
Once all the oil has stopped dripping out of the sump, fish out the oil sump plug which you clumsily dropped into the oil catch pan. Screw this back on and tighten. (Not too tight you idiot! just enough so it doesn't fall off. Idiot.)

Step 9:
Replace the oil filter with a new one. You bought one right?

Step 10:
Get your Kmart brand / hi performance budget $9.99 oil and proceed to unscrew the oil cap from the top of the engine. Pour oil in the hole. Proceed to make a mess and drop new oil all over the exhaust manifold and other hot engine parts. Swear, then clean up your mess with a rag. Put oil cap back on.

Step 11:
Check oil dipstick and ensure that the oil level is within the two dots. Now go and start the car, and wait until the engine heats up to operating temperature. Check oil again. You will notice it has gone down! Why you ask? Because the oil has now been circulated throughout the engine. Top up the oil again and recheck.

Step 12:
Bask in your shear utter heroic manliness. You have just saved yourself 70 dollars so that your wife can go buy more shoes. Well Done!

This is how all DIY should be written!!

Your an absolute legend the way you wrote this DIY !!

This is how all DIY should be written!!


Your an absolute legend the way you wrote this DIY !!

I ****ing love this write up so much you've convinced me to do my own next time! Well done, but I think the write up needs a picture of the barking dog!

I've been dying laughing at work. Thank you. You've just proven what I always preach. Do it yourself. It's easier than you think and cheaper.

Yep, great write up.

Just wondering about removing the old oil filter before removing the sump plug.
I've lost count of the number of oil changes I've done, and I've always removed the sump plug first and drained most of the oil before removing the filter. Much less mess that way.
My technique is to crack/loosen the oil filter first while my hands are still clean and I can get a good grip on it, but not undo it yet.

And fill new filter with oil prior to fitting. :P

you've convinced me to do my own next time!

I don't believe you said that!

Smear the oil filter seal with some oil, the filter should have a message on it to say how much to turn it once the seal touches the oil pump body. As the filter points up, it's a good idea to fill it with oil first.

$70 saved? 3 oil changes per year, 30 years. . . . that's like $6k! (goes off looking for the $6k )

Yes,
You have saved $70 for doing an oil change yourself BUT please before you start putting the motor trade down and insulting people in the trade consider that there is MUCH more to a minor service than just dumping oil, filling and putting on a filter.

When we do a service, we also do a FULL check over of the vehicle, this includes brakes, suspension bushes, seat belts, lights and many more items which a trained eye can detect issues BEFORE your $70 saving turns into a very expensive repair or even worse, a failed part causing you to have a serious accident

While there is nothing wrong with changing your own oil, you still need someone who knows what they are doing to check the car oer for any issues or potential issues. Only issue also, what do you do for safe disposal of the filter and used oil, it is illegal to thrown in the bin

Write up was very funny, full credit for being creative lol

you may have saved $70 , but if you get step 8 wrong , your wife wont be buying new shoes for the next 3 years!!

Yes,
You have saved $70 for doing an oil change yourself BUT please before you start putting the motor trade down and insulting people in the trade consider that there is MUCH more to a minor service than just dumping oil, filling and putting on a filter.

When we do a service, we also do a FULL check over of the vehicle, this includes brakes, suspension bushes, seat belts, lights and many more items which a trained eye can detect issues BEFORE your $70 saving turns into a very expensive repair or even worse, a failed part causing you to have a serious accident

While there is nothing wrong with changing your own oil, you still need someone who knows what they are doing to check the car oer for any issues or potential issues. Only issue also, what do you do for safe disposal of the filter and used oil, it is illegal to thrown in the bin

Write up was very funny, full credit for being creative lol

No one is putting the professional trade spanner-wielders down .
Those things mentioned I check on a regular basis. It's also a good time, while the old oil is draining, to check the 4 driveshaft boots and 2 steering rack boots for integrity and leaks. I lie under there and talk to the car, but then I'm mad. lol
Old oil filters go in the bin (eek) but the old oil gets stockpiled and trailered to the local dump once every 10 years. It gets recycled apparently.

Good work with the DIY...hope this one of many to come from you...it goes to show that the DIY does not have to be overly technical or difficult to be documented...thank you for providing it in a humorous and entertaining way...I would hope that everyone at the least does a "minor" service in between major mechanic services in this way to save money. But as Mal says, do not overlook making good use of resources or those people experienced in this line of work also. And that's one reason we have these forums.

hahaha - Brilliant!

I don't believe you said that!

Smear the oil filter seal with some oil, the filter should have a message on it to say how much to turn it once the seal touches the oil pump body. As the filter points up, it's a good idea to fill it with oil first.

$70 saved? 3 oil changes per year, 30 years. . . . that's like $6k! (goes off looking for the $6k )
3 oil changes a year? Times that by atleast 3 and you have the yearly amount of oil changes for my 380 lol

I agree with Mal, while an oil change may be what it now for me seems pretty basic, I will be doing it with someone with the "know how" to supervise me first. I will still get Mitsu to do my log book services where the mentioned checks are checked by someone who deals with that kind of stuff everyday of the week and knows what to look for. As for the "in-between" services I think I've got this!!!!

3 oil changes a year? Times that by atleast 3 and you have the yearly amount of oil changes for my 380 lol



If you really are doing 9 oil changes per year, and paying someone, maybe consider changing to a good oil - fully synthetic, like Mobil 1 - and changing less often?
What ya think?

I've spent nearly $1500 on oil and filters (just for the engine) for my car whilst I've owned it (100+ thousand k's, every 5 thousand k's and nearly 3 years worth of ownership), but thats money well spent considering how hard I flog my car every single day. And thats me doing my own services too!

Never ever had a breakdown (apart from blowing a diff at the dragstrip from sheer abuse, but even then I still drove it 40k's home...).

If you look after your car, it'll look after you!

one more quick pointer, another prob I have come across a number of times is when you go to take off the filter but its too bloody tight to get off by hand. Always a good idea to keep a filter wrench in your handy little tool kit, nothing worse then having all your oil drained out and cant put on that new filter along with your new oil, and supercheap is 10mins drive away....

I changed my oil / filter for the first time the other day. Sump plug was really tight and the spanner slipped off and i almost broke my jaw lol.
Anyway It was a pretty good experience and if i'm short of money in future i will do my oil this way. Possibly every second oil change i will do myself.

Sump plugs can be a nuisance for the novice. You often find that they are too tight and a bad fitting spanner will slip and round off the head. A six point socket is best, and the right tightness is good too. If you have NFI how tight, go buy a torque wrench with the money saved by DIY. Overtightening seems to seize the little dear up somewhat chronic.

Best thing for a stubborn sump but is a gentle knock with a mallet to shock it off

Sump plugs can be a nuisance for the novice. You often find that they are too tight and a bad fitting spanner will slip and round off the head. A six point socket is best, and the right tightness is good too. If you have NFI how tight, go buy a torque wrench with the money saved by DIY. Overtightening seems to seize the little dear up somewhat chronic.

Tell me about it!

Went to change the oil on my old TE v6 a few years ago and that !!**%$%_()&!! 24mm "no land to speak of" sump plug would not budge!

Hacked and bashed away at it with just about every tool I had for over four hours, no joy.

Took the car to an exhaust shop and he couldn't budge it either.

In the end he welded a 24mm nut onto the sump plug, took three goes before it stuck hard enough to do the trick.

I don't think I over-tightened the sump plug after the previous oil change, I reckon it was knocked when I hit a bump and as a result wedged tight. I had superlows on the front and it used to hit things all the time.

But the moral of the story is still the same, don't over-tighten the sump plug on a 3rd gen or you're in for a world of pain.

Tell me about it!

Went to change the oil on my old TE v6 a few years ago and that !!**%$%_()&!! 24mm "no land to speak of" sump plug would not budge!

Hacked and bashed away at it with just about every tool I had for over four hours, no joy.

Took the car to an exhaust shop and he couldn't budge it either.

In the end he welded a 24mm nut onto the sump plug, took three goes before it stuck hard enough to do the trick.

I don't think I over-tightened the sump plug after the previous oil change, I reckon it was knocked when I hit a bump and as a result wedged tight. I had superlows on the front and it used to hit things all the time.

But the moral of the story is still the same, don't over-tighten the sump plug on a 3rd gen or you're in for a world of pain.

Unless you reversed into something i have no idea how you could hit the sump nut

That 24 mm sump plug is rather skinny, and most spanners have recessed teeth so there's not much overlap or grip. Buy a 6 point socket and have a good look at where the ridges start. An angle grinder can cut the socket down so the teeth start right at the opening.

I found the best way to undo a seized plug is to use a pipe wrench (after buying a new sump plug). The worst one I found, I cut the head right off with an angle grinder, slicing the thickness of the head down. When it was paper thin the plug unscrewed by hand. Got to be careful to not damage the sump though.

Oh and to the OP, please update your original post. NEVER get under a car supported only by a jack. It needs axle stands at a minimum, even then I tuck a rim under each corner to stop the car from dropping right down if everything fails.

If you check the photos on page 1 you will see a hydraulic jack and axle stand being used, so no worries there.

Unless you reversed into something i have no idea how you could hit the sump nut

Got it in one!

That 24 mm sump plug is rather skinny, and most spanners have recessed teeth so there's not much overlap or grip. Buy a 6 point socket and have a good look at where the ridges start. An angle grinder can cut the socket down so the teeth start right at the opening.

I found the best way to undo a seized plug is to use a pipe wrench (after buying a new sump plug). The worst one I found, I cut the head right off with an angle grinder, slicing the thickness of the head down. When it was paper thin the plug unscrewed by hand. Got to be careful to not damage the sump though.

Yep, that's what I did after my adventures with the jammed plug. Otherwise known as a hex socket.
No such problems with the 380 sump plug, it's 14mm and a lot thicker/taller than the 3rd gen plug.

If I can add, if you are worried about resale value and Log Books, fill the book out yourself and staple or tape the oil/filter/parts receipts to the service page in the book.
Even if you say you service it every 5,000, which some people do, you'll have a hard time convincing a buyer with out them..