I've never owned a vehicle I couldn't change the oil on without jacking it up and I've had some low cars. You can usually reach in to get what you need to get to. Try that first.
You may not get all the old oil out.The drain is usually positioned to be done level.Get a floor jack and four jack stands and the rotate your tires at the same time.
Never, never, never crawl under a car on a jack. Scarryyyyyy!!!!
Use ramps. Get yourself a nice thick pad to lay on. Trouble-light, huge drain pan, sockets / ratchet, filter wrench & rags. Have your new filter almost full of oil, ready to go, little grease on the "O" ring seal.
That jack in the car is for an emergency and I have seen them fail even when used properly. They are pitiful. Floor jack is the way to go. With jack stands of course. I have read where some cars don't have spares any more. They hare a can of fix a flat instead and a little air inflator. So apparently no jack.
The jack is based on personal preference I would believe. A scissor jack is light and compact, takes a while to jack up the car but just like any other jack, you should not trust getting under a car with just the jack holding it up, ESPECIALLY a scissor jack. They do job they were made to do.
A piston hydraulic jack works good as well, slightly faster than the scissor jack but has a higher elevation so some cars it may be difficult to get it under but is also small and compact.
Last but not least in the list of options I am giving is the floor jack. It is also hydraulic, had wheels, and takes up a lot of room. It can also be hard to get under some vehicles but not as hard as a piston jack but will jack the car up very fast and with little ease.
The most important part is the jack stands. Get them, use them and you are perfectly fine to use any jack you have at hand.
However keep in mind that jacks are rated at a certain weight limit. If you use a little scissor jack on a large pickup truck, it will most likely crush the jack.
buy a better jack and jack stands
and car ramps
Use ramps, they are $40, or you could use lumber to make your own.
I want to change my own oil, you know to start learning and experiencing more with my car but I'm worried if I should use my cars jack to jack up my car.
I know I have to buy jack stands to hold up the vehicle, but should I also buy a jack or use the jack that my car comes with?
My car comes with a jack just incase I need to change the tire for the spare in the back...
Mazda 3S 2005
