First DIY oil change (Or, You could have picked a better spot)

[Mondaveo]

Just completed my first ever DIY oil change in the dying hours of 2019 on the Mondeo.

I realised at Christmas that I'd accidentally missed the annual service date (it was due in November), and as it was just an 'A' service and I didn't want to miss 2019 in my service record, I figured I could try doing it myself. Reading my Haynes manual, and forum threads like rondeo's DIY notes was a big help in demystifying the process.

It turned into something of a debacle over two days, as, leaving aside that I initially picked the wrong oil filter in Supercheap, I had to keep making trips to Bunnings trying to find sockets and spanners that would fit. They must seriously be having a laugh with the access space to unscrew that oil filter. Eventually got the job done with an adjusting tri-grip wrench, but I intend to look for a low-profile 27mm socket like LordFordNZ mentioned in the other thread.

I picked the oil meeting the prescribed WSS-M2C913-B(/C/D) spec. Will worry more about what the oil 'should' be for the DPF if I come back to do it again. At least this bottle didn't have a specific warning against it.

I used just the OEM scissor jack to lift the car and placed jack stands under the big bolts at the rear of the subframe. The seams on the sill jacking points were a bit mangled from some prior joker. The undertray was fixed by only six of its eight screws and there was no washer on the sump plug. I put it all back as it was and will look into sourcing replacements down the line.

Think I spent about 6-7 hours struggling to get things apart on Monday with four trips to Bunnings, ending with the oil drained. About 2 hours to put it back together with fresh oil and the right filter the following day. I also changed the air filter (though not sure it was needed) and have a cabin filter ready to go when I feel like attempting that puzzle. And need to look under the back to drain the fuel filter?

Next service (Nov 2020) will be when my Powershift fluid is due to be changed, and the following (2021) will mark ten years when the coolant and drive belts need to be renewed. So not sure if I'll be attempting those, will need to step up my game to do so.

A pic from where I was finishing up (after nightfall on new year's eve, and under the bushfire smoke haze that's been slamming Canberra all summer)...