Buying an expensive car often means it’s equally as expensive to maintain. There are nightmarish stories of costly repair and maintenance bills – they haunt the dreams of personal financial managers everywhere. But not every expensive automobile requires you to remortgage the house to afford to rotate the tyres. With the right tools and knowledge, you could save a ton of money as Videobob Moseley did with his 2004 Rolls-Royce Phantom, who recorded how to change the luxury car’s oil.
Videobob does have a leg-up on many – he has access to a vehicle lift, which is a must to change the oil because you first have to remove the underbody panel to access the oil filter and drain plug. However, it appears reasonably lightweight, and once it’s removed, the oil change process is straightforward.
Time to change the oil in your supercar:
First, you remove the oil cap on the engine to relieve any vacuum pressure, and then you drain the oil, though be careful not to drain the transmission fluid by mistake. Then, you remove the oil filter, which, on the Rolls-Royce, is housed in a plastic enclosure just behind the drain plug. Be careful as it’s plastic and prone to cracking. The enclosure also features a drain plug designed to make removing the filter less messy.
The new filter, which also fits the 2004 BMW 760Li, has all the washers and seals needed, and, according to Videobob, cost about £4. To complete the oil change, reverse the process – reinstall the filter and enclosure, tighten the drain plug, and top-off the engine oil. Videobob uses just over eight quarts of Mobil 1 5W-30 synthetic motor oil, which you can get nearly everywhere. After that, reinstall the underbody panel, which appears much easier to do with two people, and reset the oil life computer, and you’re on your way.
Changing a Phantom’s oil appears easy compared to other high-end expensive supercars. There are no weird locations for things, nor numerous underbody panels that make accessing a car’s underside a chore. It’s a straightforward oil change that, with access to a lift, is a breeze. And could save owners a few hundred dollars, too.