[NeoGenesisMax]

DONT LIFT YOUR VOLT HOW THE OWNERS MANUAL SAYS. IT DENTED/GOUGED THE METAL. I DONT KNOW WHY GM WOULD HAVE YOU DAMAGE YOUR CAR TO LIFT IT BUT DONT DO IT. JUST LIFT ON THE DAMN PINCH WELD. ALSO DONT LIFT AT THE CLEARED AREA ON THE PINCH WELD OR YOU WONT BE ABLE TO PUT YOUR JACKSTAND IN BECAUSE THE LIFT WILL BE THERE. ALSO DONT USE A BOX ENDED WRENCH. IT WILL ROUND OFF THE DRAIN PLUG, USE A SOCKET WRENCH, THE PLUG IS OVER 20 AT A GM DEALER.

 

[2VoltFamily]

I will be the first to say that looking at the Gen1 Manual instructions for jacking the car is confusing. However, if you do jack the car as intended it will not dent the car.

Second, if you round the drain plug and had to buy a new one, you were using the wrong size or using it incorrectly or had a cheap wrench.

 

[llninja]

I lift my car all the time at the designated spot (behind the wheel well near the firewall). I use some wood and half height concrete blocks to get the car high enough off the ground to get the jack under it, then I have a chunk of wood in the jack circle to avoid mangling metal to metal.

I also only use 6 sided sockets as I learned my lesson as a child.

In fact, until the powertrain warranty expires (mine will be due to mileage) I bring my Volt to the dealership for oil changes. I figured if the ICE blew up due to a low oil condition, and the dealership is the only one to touch the oil, it's on them and not me. I had a coworker who blew his Chrysler Conquest engine years ago, and Mopar would not cover repair with the 10 year 100K warranty citing a low oil condition. He could not produce records of periodic oil changes since he did some himself, did some at a jiffy lube.

I plan to change my own oil once I'm beyond the warranty. I've heard it's really simple. I guess I won't find out for 20+K miles or so.

 

[somms]

Why jack up your Volt for oil changes when it is much easier to just ride up onto something like the above!?

 

[Upper5Percent]

For the cost of an oil change every 2 years...I'll continue to be "gouged" by the dealer...

 

[Steverino]

I jack up my Volt every 7500 miles. No issues over the past 95,000 miles. Of course, you do need to have the correct scissors jack (it has a slot or saddle in the lift head).

 

[Mister Dave]

For the cost of an oil change every 2 years...I'll continue to be "gouged" by the dealer...

+1
It's not that expensive.

 

[llninja]

I jack up my Volt every 7500 miles. No issues over the past 95,000 miles. Of course, you do need to have the correct scissors jack (it has a slot or saddle in the lift head).

I used to for tire rotations, but now I even stopped doing that. 44k miles since my last tire rotation, but I did have a tire swap (going from all weather to snow tires back to all weather) last winter

 

[bentbiker]

DONT LIFT YOUR VOLT HOW THE OWNERS MANUAL SAYS. IT DENTED/GOUGED THE METAL. I DONT KNOW WHY GM WOULD HAVE YOU DAMAGE YOUR CAR TO LIFT IT BUT DONT DO IT. JUST LIFT ON THE DAMN PINCH WELD. ALSO DONT LIFT AT THE CLEARED AREA ON THE PINCH WELD OR YOU WONT BE ABLE TO PUT YOUR JACKSTAND IN BECAUSE THE LIFT WILL BE THERE. ALSO DONT USE A BOX ENDED WRENCH. IT WILL ROUND OFF THE DRAIN PLUG, USE A SOCKET WRENCH, THE PLUG IS OVER 20 AT A GM DEALER.

Did you use your jack at the prescribed cradle piece prescribed as the jackpoint (shown below)? If not, you were in the wrong place. Since it is about 3/16" thick, you will not dent it.

Regardless of the number of people who have successfully avoided crushing their pinch welds using a scissor jack, this is not wise on a routine basis -- there is a reason why GM does not recommend it.

As for the drain plug, as 2VoltFamily said, a decent wrench of any type will not harm the plug -- in fact, it should only be torqued to 10 ft-lbs.

Finally, as to the problem of needing to put a jackstand in the same spot as your jackpoint, there are solutions. Search for:
JackPoint Jackstands http://www.jackpointjackstands.com/
and
RennStand by SafeJack https://safejacks.com/collections/compact-jack-stands/products/the-rennstand-by-safe-jack .

 

[Sean-a-Tron]

I recommend using wheel ramps. It's a lot more straight forward and you don't have to worry about damage the frame (Just make sure to set the parking brake). I'll change the oil in my wife's CR-V, though I'll keep taking my Volt to the GM dealership since it's still under warranty.

 

[Carl S]

I agree, the drawing in the owner's manual are poor.

The one in the service manual is better:

 

[bentbiker]

Why jack up your Volt for oil changes when it is much easier to just ride up onto something like the above!?

I recommend using wheel ramps. It's a lot more straight forward and you don't have to worry about damage the frame (Just make sure to set the parking brake). I'll change the oil in my wife's CR-V, though I'll keep taking my Volt to the GM dealership since it's still under warranty.

It is difficult to rotate the tires using ramps. And the price of decent shallow-angle ramps are obscene.

 

[Upper5Percent]

It is difficult to rotate the tires using ramps. And the price of decent shallow-angle ramps are obscene.

Tire rotations are best done on a lift by a tire technician...normally your dealership sends out a yearly discount card which makes the rotation about $10...

 

[Mister Dave]

Or over here, free with an oil change.

 

[Upper5Percent]

Tire rotations are best done on a lift by a tire technician...normally your dealership sends out a yearly discount card which makes the rotation about $10...

This is why I got in the habit of letting the tire techs deal with tires...

 

[bentbiker]

This is why I got in the habit of letting the tire techs deal with tires...

Yeah, that's the same 250 ft-lb impact wrench they luse at the dealers. I'd rather do it myself . . . the right way.

 

[Aus1]

Ramps are a no no on the volt (Too low a clearance)
I have a built in ground H type platform hoist, rubber blocks at the frame supports up front and flip them taller for the back to support the suspension mount.
No Damage, not even a scratch.

If you don't have the appropriate equipment & skill, pay someone who does.

Most modern cars are the same, harsh lesson to learn that these do not tolerate yesterday years home lifts and axle stands.
One has to update equipment and carefully access load bearing areas and surfaces with or without a "confusing manual"
Welcome to the modern age of modern cars.

 

[trm2]

... then I have a chunk of wood in the jack circle to avoid mangling metal to metal.

I use a hockey puck. It fits perfectly.

 

[llninja]

Yeah, that's the same 250 ft-lb impact wrench they luse at the dealers. I'd rather do it myself . . . the right way.

Completely agree. When they changed my wheel bearing last week, they horribly overtightened the bolts. I've done all the wheel bolt tightening on this car for 80k miles using a proper torque wrench. I'll be really pissed if my rotors get warped because of the dealership.

 

[somms]

Ramps are a no no on the volt (Too low a clearance)

FWIW: The low-profile ramps in the pic I posted back on pg1 this thread are a non-issue (plenty of clearance) on my Gen1 when I perform my oil changes!

It is difficult to rotate the tires using ramps. And the price of decent shallow-angle ramps are obscene.

I never mentioned tire rotations (get free rotations the life of the tires from discount tire) thought this thread was related to performing oil changes? You burn alot more calories jacking a vehicle up manually instead of just simply slowly rolling onto some low-profile ramps!