Changing engine oil and oil filter (Opel Vectra C)

Oil change

Note: When operating the vehicle under severe conditions, the intervals between engine oil/oil filter changes should be reduced.

1. Regular and frequent replacement of engine oil is one of the basic procedures of preventive maintenance of the car, lying within the qualifications of the average amateur mechanic. Over time, engine oil is subject to aging, which manifests itself in its gradual dilution and contamination, leading to premature wear of the internal components of the engine. The oil filter must be replaced every time the engine oil is changed.

2. Make sure you have all the materials and tools needed to perform the oil and oil filter change on hand (see accompanying illustration). Also prepare a sufficient amount of rags and old newspapers to collect traces of spilled oil. Before changing the oil, the engine should be warmed up to operating temperature - hot oil has greater fluidity and better washes out sludge and sediment.





1. Drainage container - should be shallow and wide enough to minimize the chance of oil spilling on the ground

2. Rubber gloves - will help protect your hands from burns when oil inevitably gets on them while unscrewing the oil pan drain plug

3. Gate - sometimes the drain plug is tightened so tightly that it requires considerable force to unscrew it

4. The socket head is used in combination with a wrench or ratchet drive when unscrewing the drain plug and must match the size of the latter

5. Strap wrench - allows you to unscrew a full-flow oil filter in conditions of limited access to it

6. A special open-end wrench is placed on the end of the filter and can then be rotated using a gate or ratchet drive; it must match the size of the filter housing

3. Oil can be removed from the engine in two ways: by pumping it out with a special syringe (devices) through the engine oil dipstick tube, or drained through the drain hole in the engine oil pan. Depending on the availability of the appropriate equipment, you can choose either of them - the first is more preferable for private garage conditions, since it does not require special lifting equipment or an inspection pit. Park the car on a flat horizontal surface, apply the parking brake lever and turn off the engine.

4. When changing the oil on Z20NET7Z22SE/Z22YH/Y20DTH/Y22DTR engines, it is necessary to first remove the engine cover (see Chapter 2).

5. Remove the oil filler cap.

6. On Z20NET/Z22SE/Z22YH/Z19DT/Y20DTH/Y22DTR engines, use a special open-end wrench to remove the cover (see accompanying illustration) oil filter. When you unscrew the filter cap, oil will start to flow into the engine oil pan, wait until all the oil has drained from the filter, and then remove the filter element.

Note: On the Y30DT engine, the filter cover is removed and the filter element is replaced after draining the oil from the engine (see below). At the service station, a special Opel device, KM-6374, is used to remove the cover.

7. Remove the dipstick from the tube (see section 4) and pump out the oil using a special device. If there is no special syringe/device, the engine oil can be drained from the crankcase by raising the car using a lift, driving it onto a ramp, or jacking it up and placing it on supports.

Warning! Never perform any work under a vehicle supported only by the bumper or held in a raised position only by a jack! Make sure that the vehicle is securely fixed in the raised position.

8. Get under the vehicle and familiarize yourself with the location of the oil pan drain plug (see accompanying illustration).

Note: On the Y30DT engine, the drain plug is located at the bottom of the oil filter housing.

Remember that the powertrain and exhaust system components will remain quite hot during the entire procedure - think of a safe hand manipulation scheme to avoid accidental contact with hot surfaces.





9. On diesel engines with a displacement of 1.9 l, it is necessary to first unscrew 17 fastening bolts and the engine crankcase protection. On diesel engines Y20DTH/Y22DTR/Y30DT, the crankcase protection is equipped with a service cover. To remove it, it is necessary to unscrew 4-5 bolts (depending on the model)

10. Install a drain container under the oil pan, so that at first the stream will flow out through the hole with a decent pressure. Trying not to touch the heated surfaces of the power unit and exhaust system components, unscrew the drain plug from the bottom of the oil pan. When performing this operation, it is recommended to wear protective rubber gloves. Allow the oil to flow freely into the container, adjusting the position of the latter as the pressure of the stream weakens.

11. After the oil stops flowing out of the engine crankcase, carefully wipe the drain plug with a clean rag - small metal filings may stick to it, which will immediately lead to contamination of the fresh oil. Check the drained oil for the presence of metal filings. If the engine oil contains a large amount of metal shavings or wear products, this creates a risk of clogging the oil channels and damaging the crank mechanism parts, such as the main or connecting rod bearings of the crankshaft. To eliminate possible consequences, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the oil channels and hoses, if necessary, replace the oil cooler.



12. Wipe the surface of the pan around the drain hole, screw the plug back in place and tighten to the required torque. Do not forget to replace the copper/aluminum sealing gasket of the drain plug threaded connection.

Note: A gasket is sometimes included with a new replacement oil filter.

13. If equipped, reinstall the service cover/crankcase guard. Wipe up any spilled oil, remove the drain pan and tools from under the vehicle. Lower the vehicle to the ground. Reinstall the oil filter and tighten to the appropriate torque (see below). Remember to reinstall the engine cover.

Filter replacement

Note: When replacing the filter element/filter, the sealing gaskets must be replaced without fail. As a rule, they are included in the replacement element/filter kit - check their availability when purchasing. If they are not included in the kit, do not forget to purchase them additionally.

14. The models discussed in this Manual use oil filters with replaceable paper filter elements and replaceable oil filters. Instead of a one-piece replaceable oil filter, a special filter can be used (see accompanying illustration), which allows replacing only the filter element. The oil filter/filter element is usually changed when the oil is changed.

Note: Regardless of the filter version, the replaceable paper elements are interchangeable.

15. The procedure for removing the filter cover with a replaceable paper element is given above (see paragraphs 4-6)After removing the cover, replace the replaceable element and sealing gaskets (see accompanying illustrations).

Note: On Z22SE and Z19DT(H) engines, the sealing ring is installed in a special groove in the filter cover. Install the cover in place, tightening it to the required force (see Specifications).

16. Z16XEP/Z18XE(R) engines are equipped with a non-separable, fully replaceable filter. They are dismantled at a service station using a special Hazet-2172 device (see accompanying illustration) or you can simply pierce the side of the filter housing with the sharp edge of a screwdriver and use the screwdriver as a lever when unscrewing the filter. After unscrewing the filter, to avoid spilling the oil, let it drain into a container prepared in advance.



17. Before installing the one-piece filter, wipe the filter seat on the engine block with a clean rag, remove any remaining old sealing gasket if necessary, and lubricate the sealing gasket of the new filter with clean engine oil.

18. Screw the new oil filter in by hand until you feel slight resistance (the gasket is pressed against the engine flange), then tighten the filter another half turn.

Note: Additional installation information may be provided on the filter housing.

19. After replacing the filter element/filter, reinstall all removed components.

Tightening force of threaded connections, Nm

Engine oil pan drain plug:

• Engines Z16XEP/Z18XE - 14
• Engine Z20NET/Z22SE/Z22YH — 25
• Engine Z32SE — 10
• Engine Z19DT(H) — 20
• Engine Y20DTH/Y22DTR — 10
• Engine Y30DTH — 42

Oil Filter/Oil Filter Cap:

• Engine Z19DT(H) — 30
• Engines Z20NET/Z22SE/Z22YH/Z32SE - 25
• Engines Z18XE, Z16XEP - 15

Filling with fresh engine oil

Note: The oil filling capacity indicated in the Specifications or the vehicle registration document is approximate. Each time after changing the oil, it is necessary to check its level using the dipstick - if necessary, make the appropriate adjustment.

20. Pour fresh oil into the engine intake pipe - use a funnel to minimize losses. Pour about 12 liters less oil than required (see Specifications at the beginning of the Chapter), wait a few minutes to allow the oil to drain into the pan, then check its level on the dipstick (see Section 4). If the level is above the lower mark, start the engine, ensuring circulation of fresh oil (the oil pressure warning light may go out with a certain delay during the first start-up, due to the need to fill the filter element volume).

Note: To raise the oil level from the lower (MIN) mark on the dipstick to the upper (MAX) mark, slightly less than one liter of oil is required.

21. After letting the engine run for about one minute, turn it off again and immediately look underneath the vehicle to check for leaks through the drain plug and full-flow filter. If necessary, tighten the leaking component slightly.

22. During the circulation of oil through the engine (within 1 minute), the new oil filter is filled. Now it is necessary to check the oil level again and, if necessary, add some more of it, bringing the level to the upper mark on the dipstick blade (check approximately 5 minutes after turning off the engine - the oil should have time to completely drain into the oil pan). If the oil level is too high, it must be pumped out, otherwise the increased pressure may cause the gaskets and seals of the lubrication system to be squeezed out, or an excess amount of oil may enter the catalytic converter of the exhaust gases and put it out of order. After a test run, check the tightness of the drain plug and the oil filter connections again, tighten them tighter if necessary (observing the tightening forces).-

23. During the first few trips after changing the engine oil, try to check its level as often as possible.

24. Used oil drained from the engine cannot be reused and must be handed over to a special collection point. Never pour used oil onto the ground or into the sewer - pour it into a hermetically sealed container and hand it over at the first opportunity.

Measuring engine oil temperature

25. When performing various adjustments, it may be necessary to know the exact temperature of the engine oil.

26. The oil temperature must be measured in the engine crankcase at approximately 1 cm from the bottom of the crankcase. The measurement is made with a special device (see accompanying illustration), for which it is necessary to insert the measuring probe of the device into the guide tube of the dipstick for measuring the engine oil level and push it until it touches the bottom of the crankcase, and then pull it out approximately 1 cm.



27. To prevent air from being sucked in through the guide tube, the hole must be closed with a rubber stopper.

28. Oil temperature depends on engine load. Value 80°C corresponds to the normal operating temperature of the engine. Under extreme load, the oil temperature can reach 150°C.

Measuring engine oil pressure

29. To diagnose the condition of the oil pump and the degree of wear of the crankshaft bearings, the exact value of the oil pressure in the engine lubrication system can be measured. The procedure is described in Chapter 2.