I want to change my oil in my Fiat ducatto 2.8 2003.  Has anyone any advise 
?   Can you get to the drain plug without lifting etc.  I will use fully 
synthetic 5-40 diesel oil.   Thanks D................

"Dutchman"  wrote in message 
news:28OQi.92$qv1.22@newsfe2-gui.ntli.net...
>I want to change my oil in my Fiat ducatto 2.8 2003.  Has anyone any advise 
>?   Can you get to the drain plug without lifting etc.  I will use fully 
>synthetic 5-40 diesel oil.   Thanks D................

1)  Make sure you can get a replacement sump bung washer before you undo the 
old one (they're bigger than most cars)
2) Lifting the front up a few inches makes life much easier, I use the same 
yellow plastic ramps I use for levelling it on site
3) Don't waste your money on fully synthetic oil, this generation of engine 
wasn't designed for it.  Whatever you use it'll still need changing at the 
recommended intervals because of contamination by the products of 
combustion, not because of degradation by extreme pressures/temperatures.
4) Use manufacturer's replacement oil filters, not pattern parts.

Rgds

Andy R

"Andy R"  wrote in message 
news:5nj8q5Fik5d7U1@mid.individual.net...
>
<snip>
> 3) Don't waste your money on fully synthetic oil, this generation of 
> engine wasn't designed for it.  Whatever you use it'll still need 
> changing at the recommended intervals because of contamination by 
> the products of combustion, not because of degradation by extreme 
> pressures/temperatures.

It's also wasted if such oil hasn't been used from the outset, cross 
contamination of oil types will reduce any advantage of using fully 
synthetic oil.

> 4) Use manufacturer's replacement oil filters, not pattern parts.
>

Not 100 percent true, as long as one uses a reorganised brand (Fram or 
Crossland) there will be no difference in performance as many OE 
filters are made by the same companies. If in any doubt about what is 
being offered though, use manufacturer's replacement oil filters, an 
OE filter might be more expencive but a replacement engine is even 
more so...