How to change the oil of a 1998 Honda CR-V
Hello again people, today we will be changing the oil on my 1998 Honda CR-V! She's an ugly bastard but she's my daily, and I wanted to get the oil changed before winter was too bad.
Tools and Required Items:
- Oil
- Oil drain pan
- 17mm socket on a ratchet
- Rags
- New drain plug crush washer
- Filter Wrench/remover (I didn't change my filter because I changed it last time!)
Oil Change
First step is to jack the front end up, or drive your car up on some ramps. I really liked using these ramps, didn't have to worry about my 20 year old jacking points.
Locate your oil drain plug. As you can see, mine is NOT leaking. I happen to use the OEM Honda drain plug crush washers, but I've had good luck with copper ones.
If you plan on removing the oil filter, it's above the intermediate shaft. It is a major pain if Honda has done the service because they must use red Loctite and a 20 foot breaker bar, because they are TIGHT.
Go ahead and remove the 17mm drain bolt, and have your oil drain pan ready. It is a good idea to warm your car up first, so any particulates in the oil aren't settled.
Drain the oil into the pan. This pan has a nice design to keep your drain bolt on it and a little spot for your filter, it's wonderful.
While your oil is draining, go ahead and replace the crush washer on your drain bolt. Once the oil is drained, go ahead and screw it back in. The OEM specification is like 30 pound feet of torque, but you really don't need to tighten it that much. Do the bolt hand tight, and go a little extra. All that matters is it doesn't leak.
The b20 engines hold under 5 quarts of oil in total. Because we are only changing the oil, without a filter change, we need 3.5 quarts.
Go ahead and remove your oil fill cap and it's nice to slap a funnel. Because this is my shitbox, I like to test out oil additives. I put some seafoam in the oil to try to clean some gunk out, and if you saw the colour of the oil, I'd wager it did a decent job. This oil was being changed like 3k before the recommended change. I put a quart of DURA LUBE in before adding the rest of the oil (2.5 quarts).
After adding the amount, check your oil before you start the car. I am on ramps, so the visual indication will be off because my car was tilted back. I put it into neutral and just rode the breaks off the ramps. Make sure you're not leaking anywhere and your oil level is between the dots on your dipstick, and you're good to go! Don't forget to reset the service light on the speedo cluster by sticking your key in the little slot. Happy Wrenching!
