I was watching the people work at a quik oil change place and on cars with oil filters that install in a vertical position they dont prime the filter with oil first. I ask them about this and was told they never do because you dont have to. Is it really not necessary to prime them first or a I just paranoid.

No, you don't "have to" but its the preferred method. Those quick change places dont take the time to do it. They will take the time to check your air filter in hopes of selling you a replacement though. In theory you could save 95% of the wear on your engine by having the oil pressure up before starting it. This is one of the benefits of synthetic oil in my opinion.

I would never start a fresh engine without priming the entire system by filling the filter and spining the oil pump!

In fact I like to disable the ignition system and spin the engine a few turns with the starter after preoiling and before cranking for the fist time.

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Life aint easy when you're fat and greasy

[This message has been edited by bigjames4xl (edited 05-17-2001).]

i agree with bigjames i always prime the filter in my camaro,but my cavaleir is another story.

Oh, you mean the Ji$$y Lu&e place that left the radiator cap loose on my overheated Intrepid and left me stranded 15 miles outside of Kingman, AZ on a back road this past Saturday? Yeah, I love those guys.

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The Red Beast http://www.geocities.com/casanoc

what you really have to love is the paper you sign giving them the right to screw up without having to fix it.

While I agree that priming is the best, I have never done it in my life and never had a problem. On a new motor, absolutely.

Please be careful of these places. I have heard way to many horror stories to trust one of my vehicles to them. (My opinion only)

i used to have a bronco II and one day in hopes of saving a little time, i took it to one of those places on my lunch break. that evening on the freeway, my truck overheated and was smoking like mad. when i looked under the hood the oil filler cap was not there and i had no coolant in my system. i don't know why i didn't have coolant, but i'm sure it was something those bastards did. it ended up cracking my heads and block and i had coolant and oil loss problems continuously after that until i trashed the engine. that quick oil change ended up costing me a lot more than 24.99!

It's not necessary to pre-fill the oil filter but it's one of those extra steps you do if you want to make the engine last a little longer.
Although I normally do it, there were a few times I forgot until after I had started pouring the new quarts of oil in the engine. When starting the car after these oil changes, the time it took for the oil press gauge to read pressure was noticeably longer.

NEVER go to one of those cheap,quick,sort
all your problems out places. The only thing
they ever sort out is their bank balance!!
Do the work yourself or at least go some
where you know it,ll be done right.
I would not trust SOME of those people
with a childs tricycle let alone something I
have to trust with my life!
T.P.DONAGHY

If the filter is not primed and it takes a few more seconds to get good oil pressure but there is no noise from the engine indicating low pressure can there be wear on the motor even for a few seconds ?

Engine wear is greatest at initial start up. Lubrication has drained to the pan and the film of oil is reduced so more metal to metal contact occurs. This is an egineering fact, not speculation.

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Life aint easy when you're fat and greasy