Bonneville America Forums Forums Technical Forums General Tech Used Oil

I changed my oil yesterday and was wondering what you all who do this yourself do with the used oil. I know this is not environmentally sound, but I put the oil in an old liquid detergent carton and threw it in the trash.
What do most of you do with the used oil and how often do you change it? I went almost 7,000 miles this time. Hey it's synthetic.. right? I should be able to go 10 or 15K. I know I will get blasted for this.

You can take it to many autoparts stores and they will allow you to dump it. Many places like Kragen for example have huge tanks in thier storeroom just for this purpose. By theway, back in the early 70's before all the enviormental stuff i used to dump it down a storm drain ! You could do that with people walking by watching and they wouldn't think twice about it. Try that today and you'd be chased down by an angry mob then arrested and executed.

I take mine to work where it either gets burnt in a waste oil furnace or gets hauled away by an outfit that pays our company for the stuff. If you have any small shops nearby that used waste oil furnaces, they would probably be happy to have it......

I dump mine in a small stream behind the house. It used to make a mess but small kids and ducks play in the stream now and it keeps it mixed up enough that the only thing that shows is some film. Yeah, when it rains there's a bit of sludge but that gets into the tires I dump there too and keeps the mesquitoes down a bit - Kind of my way of controlling pests since I can't use DDT anymore. Well I got to get out back, seems the wind has changed a bit and its blowing the weed killer my sons are spraying. I've got to tell them to put their hands over their noses. The last time this happened I had to cut funny warts off their backs. Anyway, the wife and the siamese twins are due back from shopping any minute and I promised to dump some of that used oil on the street to keep the dust down before they got back - Gotta go...

Ahh, auto parts store.

The stream might work for motor oil, but never dump transmission oil or brake fluid or antifreeze in the stream. It is so light it just floats away and someone else gets all the benefits.
Instead, dump the lighter stuff in your garden, It keeps the aphids off your roses and vegetables and the dead household pets provide biomass and nutrients while keeping the weeds down......

Some gets poured back into the plastic tins and capped up, then I set it back in the case out in the back of my truck. Within a day or two, somebody steals it. When I need to, I let some set for a while so most of the crud settles out, then I filter it through some cloth and put in a squirt can to lubricate door hinges, locks, etc.

Most quick lube places will take waste oil.
Please guys... don't dump it in the environment. If you can't find a quick lube place, take just a little time and ask around. Someone will take waste oil. The recycle value is pretty good.

If you have access, any military base will have a recycle center that will take waste petroleum products and just about anything else.

My recycling center(new term for "the dump") takes it. My mechanic wants it now since he bought a waste oil furnace.

I usually use mine to kill weeds or dump it in a sink hole..... I also have a farmer that will take it to put in his chain lube system on his hay roller.

Our local firestation takes it when I don't use it in my secret pasta sauce!

Ryan

Almost forgot...I also like to put a drop or 2 behind each ear when I'm going out on a hot date.

The local sanitation company picks up recyclables every other week. Used oil must be in a twist top one gallon container, no more then two gallons per pick up. Back in my younger days I just gave it to one of my friends who had an oil burner (car that is) or leaker. They didn't care what went in it as long as it was free .

Advance Auto and Autozone both take used oil. I put mine in 5 gallon containers and usually take over 1 bucket at a time.
I think 15k is pushing your oil life, even for synthetic.

I like to use it to start old tires and shingles on fire....Mmmmm toasty!
J/K - our local recycling place takes waste oil, or strain it and run it in an old lawn mower or something.

If it came out of the ground, why can't I dump it back on the ground? Just wondering. I've been taking it to auto parts store, but that wastes gas. Also, does it make a difference that I'm pouring synthetic into the reg oil tank? Kid at the counter just shrugged and said "pour it in there".

Get a 5 gal. plastic pail w/lid (Home Depot, Lowe's, ect.)

Poke a small hole in the bottom of the pail.

Put rag, coffee filter, or some such, over the hole (on the inside).

Fill the pail about two thirds full with DE* (diatomaceous earth), or kids' sand box (dustless) sand**, or just plain river sand that's been washed of its dust.

Put a collecting pan underneath the pail.

Pour in your used oil. Eventually it will filter down through and come out clean.

Use it in your lawnmower, old oil burning pick-up truck, or work shop oil can.

* DE can be bought in a rather small box wherever swimming pool supplies are sold.

** Dustless play box sand can be bought at Toys 'R' Us.