The huge thread on oil extractor pumps

jmreire

popa smurf wrote: »

Hi mick used your suction pump today on a kia ceed 2015 only got out 4 Litres tried for a few min to get more out so thought it was empty so filled up new oil and only took 4 litres but manual said it should take 5.3 so must have left a litre in there someplace . Fast and clean job alright but hard to know when empty.

First thing to remember when using a vacuum pump to extract engine oil is to do it on level ground, then you HAVE TO identify exactly where in the sump the dipstick is going.....and then you must make sure that car is placed in such a way that this point is the lowest, so gravity will channel the oil down into this area.. For example, if the dipstick is at the rear of the engine, then the car should be faced uphill, and vice versa if the dipstick is located at the front. Then if its going down the left or the right side of the engine. Other wise you could have as much as a Litre or more left behind after draining...your case is a pretty good candidate for that, I'd say popa.

popa smurf

It's done now and it's going to have to do for this year. Should I have jacked up front wheel.

jmreire

popa smurf wrote: »

It's done now and it's going to have to do for this year. Should I have jacked up front wheel.

For me popa, the back yard in my house slopes away from the house, so when the car is parked parallel to the house, it's higher on the drivers side than the passenger side, and the dipstick is on the drives side, so when I'm changing the oil, I have to jack up the passengers side, and not just to the point where the two sides are completely level, but to have the passengers side even much higher. It can make a very big difference, as all the oil will flow to the lowest point. Next time you have it on a lift, have a look at the sump, and see where the dipstick enters it.....that's the point that you need to have as low as possible. What make of car is it?
If I were you now, I'd find a perfectly flat area ( check with a spirit level) allow the oil to settle, and then dip it and see what the dip tells you. And if it's much over the maximum mark on the stick...I'd suck some out.I'm happy with the level in mine if it is 1/4 and 1/8" below the max mark, but I'd never accept anything over the max mark ... too much oil causes damage.

Kat1170

jmreire wrote:

and the dipstick is on the drives side,

So we heard, so we heard

jmreire

Kat1170 wrote: »

So we heard, so we heard

And not only that Kat, but now ye know the layout of my house and back yard !!! :P:P:P

Oh... My.... God...

How have I never heard of an Oil extractor pump

Anyone recommend (apart from reading the entire thread) how/which to buy?

And anyone know where the Oil sump is in a Mk3 TT 2.0 TFSI engine (front or back)?

Edit: to ad, I was doing a lot of mileage so would like to do an oil change myself before going to main dealer.

corks finest

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Oh... My.... God...

How have I never heard of an Oil extractor pump

Anyone recommend (apart from reading the entire thread) how/which to buy?

And anyone know where the Oil sump is in a Mk3 TT 2.0 TFSI engine (front or back)?

Edit: to ad, I was doing a lot of mileage so would like to do an oil change myself before going to main dealer.

Sealey vacuum pump

jmreire

Deleted User wrote: »

Oh... My.... God...

How have I never heard of an Oil extractor pump

Anyone recommend (apart from reading the entire thread) how/which to buy?

And anyone know where the Oil sump is in a Mk3 TT 2.0 TFSI engine (front or back)?

Edit: to ad, I was doing a lot of mileage so would like to do an oil change myself before going to main dealer.

For the vacuum pump, check out Micks Garage, and see what they have in stock. Personally, I use a draper brand, 10 ltrs capacity.
The oil sump is directly underneath the engine, and the drain stud is at the rear of it , ( if you are going to vacuum the oil out, you dont need to get under the car ) the dipstick is at the drivers side of the engine, has a red pulling loop on it. Thats where the vacuum tube will be going down into the sump., for more info on changing the oil in your car, google youtube :- Oil change s in a Mk3 TT 2.0 TFSI engine . Unless it's something you have done before, I would not recommend you doing a first change by your self,,,,,,get some one who knows what he /she is doing first, Good Luck :):)

Wheelnut

jmreire wrote: »

...the back yard in my house slopes away from the house, so when the car is parked parallel to the house, it's higher on the drivers side than the passenger side, and the dipstick is on the drives side, so when I'm changing the oil, I have to jack up the passengers side, and not just to the point where the two sides are completely level, but to have the passengers side even much higher. It can make a very big difference, as all the oil will flow to the lowest point...

Why not just turn the car to face the other way, then the driver's side (dipstick side) would be the lower side further from the house?

jmreire

Wheelnut wrote: »

Why not just turn the car to face the other way, then the driver's side (dipstick side) would be the lower side further from the house?

Because the patio in my place is a bit short, so if I reverse back on to it,,which would as you point out, place the dipstick in the correct position,but would leave me workin on the pebble drive way.....so as a man who is fond of his comforts, I drive it on to the patio, and jack it up to the level and even higher than needed to drain the maximum oil out. ;);)

The pump came in the post, but even the smaller of the two tubes wont fit down the Dip Stick hole *insert crying emoji*

The tip of the Dip stick hole is pretty wide, but the tube, which is fairly sturdy, wont fit where the tube narrows about an inch or so in.

Any Bodge suggestions?

jmreire

Deleted User wrote: »

The pump came in the post, but even the smaller of the two tubes wont fit down the Dip Stick hole *insert crying emoji*

The tip of the Dip stick hole is pretty wide, but the tube, which is fairly sturdy, wont fit where the tube narrows about an inch or so in.

Any Bodge suggestions?

Not wanting to go back through the posts, which pump did you go for???
Its not a big problem to go to a motor factors or hardware store ( even in the lockdown ) via the internet, if not an actual store it self, and get a plastic pipe that fits your dipstick. If you went for the draper pump, they give range of probes, and I've used them on different makes, no problem.

jmreire

jmreire wrote: »

Not wanting to go back through the posts, which pump did you go for???
Its not a big problem to go to a motor factors or hardware store ( even in the lockdown ) via the internet, if not an actual store it self, and get a plastic pipe that fits your dipstick. If you went for the draper pump, they give range of probes, and I've used them on different makes, no problem.

Thanks. I've ordered from Amazon (albeit 2 meters :pac:) of 3mm tube which should fit.



I went with a 4l Silverline oil & Fluid Extractor Pump. It was around £25 from Amazon. Seems sturdy enough.

jmreire

Deleted User wrote: »

Thanks. I've ordered from Amazon (albeit 2 meters :pac:) of 3mm tube which should fit.



I went with a 4l Silverline oil & Fluid Extractor Pump. It was around £25 from Amazon. Seems sturdy enough.

They will all pump, as they are designed to do, but as you found out, not all supply a good range of suction tubes, but that's not a major issue, only an annoyance after getting it and mad to try it out, and getting stopped like this. There is one more thing you will need to watch out for, and that is the fact that it has only 4 ltrs storage capacity..most modern car's have a larger oil capacity than 4 ltrs....so you will have to stop the process at some point, empty the container, and start over again. Its not an insurmountable problem, just means more messing around with dirty engine oil. Bear in mind that you will need to measure the amount of oil that you get out...and match it to what the manufacturer recommend's, not only in terms of being the correct oil, but by volume too. If the engine manufacturer says 7 ltrs inc filter, then thats what should come out, or very near that, Its important that you dip it before you start draining it. Good luck

jmreire

jmreire wrote: »

They will all pump, as they are designed to do, but as you found out, not all supply a good range of suction tubes, but that's not a major issue, only an annoyance after getting it and mad to try it out, and getting stopped like this. There is one more thing you will need to watch out for, and that is the fact that it has only 4 ltrs storage capacity..most modern car's have a larger oil capacity than 4 ltrs....so you will have to stop the process at some point, empty the container, and start over again. Its not an insurmountable problem, just means more messing around with dirty engine oil. Bear in mind that you will need to measure the amount of oil that you get out...and match it to what the manufacturer recommend's, not only in terms of being the correct oil, but by volume too. If the engine manufacturer says 7 ltrs inc filter, then thats what should come out, or very near that, Its important that you dip it before you start draining it. Good luck

Exactly, rearing to go. I tried the suction tube a few times after I knew logically it wouldn't fit :pac:


Cheers, it's hard to get a clear answer re my car. I think it's 4.5litres, but as you say I'll need to match what comes out. I have the right oil, they give that information at least, god bless their cotton socks.



Thanks for your help.

Esel

3mm bore sounds very small?

Esel

Esel wrote: »

3mm bore sounds very small?

5mm is too big But, even if it takes all day... I'll have nothing better to do on the Saturday after it arrives. Hopefully the weather holds up.

jmreire

Deleted User wrote: »

Exactly, rearing to go. I tried the suction tube a few times after I knew logically it wouldn't fit :pac:


Cheers, it's hard to get a clear answer re my car. I think it's 4.5litres, but as you say I'll need to match what comes out. I have the right oil, they give that information at least, god bless their cotton socks.



Thanks for your help.

As Esel says "3mm seem's a bit small, it does to me too. The most common probe that I use is 1/4 " ( nearest measurement off my head ) and even at that, it takes a bit of time, but no problem, sit down and have coffee . One other thing to remember is that before you start sucking the oil out, make sure that you have removed the oil filler cap to allow air to circulate within the engine itself. Let us know how you get on, OK?

Esel

I said 3mm seems 'very small', not 'a bit small'

I would think the oil would have to be at full operating temperature, not just warm, for 3mm to work. Hope I'm wrong! What does the pump manufacturer's literature say?

Have a big flask of coffee on standby!

Edit: See strikethrough above

jmreire

Esel wrote: »

I said 3mm seems 'very small', not 'a bit small'

I would think the oil would have to be at full operating temperature, not just warm, for 3mm to work. Hope I'm wrong! What does the pump manufacturer's literature say?

Have a big flask of coffee on standby!

You have a problem with the wording" A bit small " as against " very small" ???
That all your troubles may be small one's.....
The hotter the oil is the easier it will flow,that's true, if you are opening the sump drain stud, operating temperature is fine ( aside from getting a nasty oil burn, as I ( and many other mechanics as well) have had happen many times in the past , before vacuuming became fashionable, Plus, used engine oil is carcinogenic,. and hot engine oil even more so
Have you ever tried pushing a flexible plastic pipe down a hot dipstick tube ? Good luck with that !!!
First step for me always:
Dip engine oil , and for this I like it cold.
Run engine for a few mins, just enough to warm it up, but not to operating temp, or as I have mentioned, it will soften the plastic probe.
Insert probe, pushing it in and out to make sure that it has reached the max. then extracting it a fraction ( a few mil ) to allow it to suck the oil.
It may be necessary to move the probe around during the draining...it will all depend on how much you have managed to extract, as against how much is supposed to be in there.

Esel

Was trying to edit my post there but kept getting 503 errors... wanted to remove the 'full operating temperature' bit, as was thinking about the tube (and container) being adversely affected by heat.

3mm is a small bore, I didn't mean to come across as nitpicking; I know you were agreeing with me on that.

As an aside, how would you rate the 12V pumps in comparison with the 'manually activated' pumps?

jmreire

Esel wrote: »

Was trying to edit my post there but kept getting 503 errors... wanted to remove the 'full operating temperature' bit, as was thinking about the tube (and container) being adversely affected by heat.

3mm is a small bore, I didn't mean to come across as nitpicking; I know you were agreeing with me on that.

As an aside, how would you rate the 12V pumps in comparison with the 'manually activated' pumps?

Yes 3mm is small anyway you look at it..I'd like to see the dipstick TBH. One of the extractor probes I got with mine, is 3/8" wide, and i use for lawn mower's.

If you mean the the Aldi / Lidl one's? I find them fine for occasional use. Generally I'd use them for pumping / topping up gearbox or back axle oil levels ( I don't have the manual professional pump for that job, but then again, I've only had to do it once in the last 2 years, so the 12 V pump is fine. Also if you happen to inadvertently put diesel into the petrol tank or vice versa, they are fine for that too. Plus, if after an oil change, if I find that after checking, the level is fractionally over the MAX, I'd hook up the 12v to siphon a small amount,
They are fine really for occasional use.

The literature with the pump said 40 degrees, so probably a few minutes running, I imagine the 3mm will work although, it may need a flask of coffee rather than a cup

I'll take a picture of the dip stick hole later. Audi possibly being a little awkward. I'll still take the car to them for the full service once required.

corks finest

Esel wrote: »

3mm bore sounds very small?

Bet there's a filter of sorts blocking you,I had similar problems,but made a hole in the filter near the top where the oil goes in,(not exactly a filter but a plastic mesh)
No more problems getting the thing down
Reason I forced it was I rounded the 27 mm sump nut and was at it for over an hour so got the mads and drastic measures ensued,,,,,yes I made double sure nothing fell into it etc

Thanks. I'll give a look later tonight - it'd be the dog's danglies if I could do this tomorrow.

No mesh, but it does narrow...

jmreire

Deleted User wrote: »

No mesh, but it does narrow...

In my Audi A6, I have only ever used the probes that came with the Draper Pump (( see pic ) The blue one is the narrowest, but the plastic one beside it is the one I use most often. The blue one, BTW, has a metal lining...just like what you would find in a curtain cable.
There is mention of draining through the oil filter....I presume that is after removing the oil filter, you inserted the probe down into the sump that way? Not something that I have ever tried, but you live and learn,

corks finest

[Deleted User] wrote: »

No mesh, but it does narrow...

Strange one

jmreire

jmreire wrote: »

In my Audi A6, I have only ever used the probes that came with the Draper Pump (( see pic ) The blue one is the narrowest, but the plastic one beside it is the one I use most often. The blue one, BTW, has a metal lining...just like what you would find in a curtain cable.
There is mention of draining through the oil filter....I presume that is after removing the oil filter, you inserted the probe down into the sump that way? Not something that I have ever tried, but you live and learn,

What engine is in the A6? I'm working with a 171 TFSI 2.0 lump (think that's the technical term )


Yeah, your pump looks a lot more complicated than mine, and wouldn't look out of place in a cardiology operation theatre. :eek: I'll give a look at the oil filter inlet to see what it looks like. I don't need to move this car anytime soon, so if it removes less than 4.5l I can just let it be until the 3mm arrives. I was able to take it for a 20 min drive about 5 days ago (Have been using the company car for day to day stuff).

Good news and bad news - going in through the oil filter proved the vacuum pump works very well even when it was sucking a good chunk of air, and when the oil was at ambient temperature. When cleaning the pump with water and fairy liquid it filled its 4 litres up in less than 2 minutes.

Unfortunately the tube wasn't getting near to the bottom of the engine. So, hopeful for success with the 3mm tube.