I bought a 1998 Ford Ranger during college as a winter beater. Shortly after buying it, I decided to change the oil. The filter, placed high on the side of the four-cylinder engine, would not budge. Without a lift, I contorted my body on the ground, twisting the filter, failing to dislodge it. I tried an oil-filter wrench to no avail, and with daylight and my patience fading resorted to drastic measures – stabbing it with a screwdriver until puncturing it. I finally got enough leverage to twist it off. It was a nightmare – my worst oil change experience ever. However, it’s nowhere near as complicated as changing the oil on a Ferrari 488 Spider. It’s a whole different beast.
How other supercars get their oil changed
The video above shows the necessary steps to change the supercar’s oil, but it’s nothing something you can do on a Saturday morning in your driveway. This is a car that requires all the right tools and dedicated workspace. The filter, better located than on my Ranger, is on top of the engine tucked in the engine’s V just under a body panel. It’s easily accessible. However, draining the oil is the real challenge.
The Ferrari’s undercarriage is covered in plastic aerodynamic panels, making access to the bottom of the engine difficult. But that’s not all. If you use a hydraulic lift to raise the Ferrari, for easier access underneath, you make it impossible to remove the lower panel covering the engine because the lift point locations sandwich the panel between the lift and chassis.
See it race:
To remove the panel, you first have to remove the rear diffuser, which allows access to a metal cross member. Next, you have to lift the rear of the Ferrari off the rear hydraulic lifts and move them out of the way. Then you can remove the underbody panel before replacing the hydraulic lifts at the rear and leveling out the car. With access to the bottom of the engine, you can drain the oil through the four plugs.
The video shows how easy it is to work on a car when you have the right tools. Not only does it make the job easier, but it’s safer, too. I doubt many Ferrari owners will change their own oil, opting instead to have the dealership deal with the hassle. However, it’s still a cool thing to know.
Source: Royalty Exotic Cars via YouTube
