My 2 cents I hate the topside drain devices my son loves it. I don’t use it he wont do it with the drain bolt. As for getting out all the oil both methods leave over a quart of oil. Once some one posted that if you really wanted all the oil out you had to jack up the rear of the car real high to get the last two thirds a quart he is right. Almost a quart of oil is trapped in the baffles of the upper oil pan you can yank the engine move it around let it sit for months then pull the upper oil pan and what a mess a few cups of oil. The topsider is great for when you need to pull a little tranny fluid out. If because of environmental reasons you will change your oil more often with the topsider then get one ASAP shop around though my son bought his for half the price he originally saw it advertised for.
Dave S

Anyone who has pulled a pan off shortly after running the engine and left it off for a few days is usually surprised by the amount of oil that continues to drip down from the internal workings. That oil will stay in the engine no matter what method you use to drain. Having said that, it probably doesn't matter which method is used. My preference is to drain from underneath because I like to check the condition of other areas of the car. If I were in a really cold climate and didn't have a shop to work in, I would definitely use the suction method. Far more important than how you change the oil is to remember to remove the oil filter before draining the oil (per the book).

just my $.02,
Wes

You didn't mention that you were also dealing with a VW that is lowered so far that you couldn't slide a pack of cigars under it
You also didn't mention that you were in Boston. Does it get all that cold there in the winter?

And it's true that we have no tundra here, but....... we have other distractions. The ever present pelicans are always hanging out waiting for their chance to pick up and steal away any wrench you leave unattended. Pelicans are an unruly lot.

Then there are all those girls in their skimpy swim wear walking around. How's a guy supposed to work?
I've heard about the girls on Lanai being able to suck start a Harley but they don't do diesels

Not to mention that you can't work downwind from Lahaina without getting a "contact high". Pineapples are NOT the number one cash crop in Maui, eh?

I guess we all have our problems to overcome.

__________________
You can get farther with a smile and a gun than you can with just a smile.

1984 300D
1985 300CD
1980 300SD
1993 SL500

. . . especially since I have no garage or dedicated work area.

For many years I drained the oil in the conventional way. Then, the last time but one that I changed the oil in my W126, the damn plastic pan BEGAN TO FRICKIN' LEAK.

Yep, a steady leak from the screw-on cap. Thank all the gods there be that it started leaking *before* I finished and put it in the trunk of my car to take it to the recycle facility!!! After I got the change done, I had to pour the old hot oil into the empty bottles. So the pan went in the dumpster and I ordered a Topsider the next day.

I've used it 3 times now (including on my W202, which has the belly pan I'd have to remove and reinstall), and so it's paid for itself in what I've saved over going to Quicky-Lube or to my regular mechanic. I get just about everything out, and then the oil is right there in the sealable metal can, ready (cleanly!) to be recycled.

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-- Paul W. (The Benzadmiral)
('03 Buick Park Avenue, charcoal/cream)
Formerly:
'97 C230, smoke silver/parchment; '86 420SEL, anthracite/light grey; '84 280CE (W123), dark blue/palomino