I don't like to count miles when it comes to maintenance, so rather than watching my odometer for oil changes I just mark the calendar for every 4 months, whether it needs changing or not.
Since I was due to change my oil at the end of this month I decided to do it today.
But I thought I would share a little tip for those of you who also change your oil yourselves.
I never liked those round oil pans they sell at the auto parts stores.
A couple of years ago my cat died from old age. She was 18 so she had a long life.
But after she passed away I still had the litter pan.
Except for the color, I noticed that the litter pan was made of the same plastic that those oil pans are made of.
And another thing I liked about it was that it was triangular, which made it easier to pick up and keep level.
So rather than give the cat litter pan away I decided to use it as my new oil drain pan.
As you can see in the first two photos its shape and size was perfect for fitting under my Xterra, and the dip in the front of it allowed me to reach in to remove the oil pan bolt with ease.
The 3rd photo shows it had plenty room for the 3.5 quarts of oil that I drained from my Xterra.
Based on the space available it could probably hold over 5 quarts, which means it could be used for other vehicles if it will fit under the vehicle.
The 4th photo shows how the triangular shape made it very simple to pour the oil into another container.
So if any of you have a similar cat litter pan and no longer have a cat, don't throw the pan away. Repurpose it for changing oil.
I found it much easier to use than those round pans and I had no spillage.
Since I was due to change my oil at the end of this month I decided to do it today.
But I thought I would share a little tip for those of you who also change your oil yourselves.
I never liked those round oil pans they sell at the auto parts stores.
A couple of years ago my cat died from old age. She was 18 so she had a long life.
But after she passed away I still had the litter pan.
Except for the color, I noticed that the litter pan was made of the same plastic that those oil pans are made of.
And another thing I liked about it was that it was triangular, which made it easier to pick up and keep level.
So rather than give the cat litter pan away I decided to use it as my new oil drain pan.
As you can see in the first two photos its shape and size was perfect for fitting under my Xterra, and the dip in the front of it allowed me to reach in to remove the oil pan bolt with ease.
The 3rd photo shows it had plenty room for the 3.5 quarts of oil that I drained from my Xterra.
Based on the space available it could probably hold over 5 quarts, which means it could be used for other vehicles if it will fit under the vehicle.
The 4th photo shows how the triangular shape made it very simple to pour the oil into another container.
So if any of you have a similar cat litter pan and no longer have a cat, don't throw the pan away. Repurpose it for changing oil.
I found it much easier to use than those round pans and I had no spillage.
