Chock the wheels. Once you get it in the air, grab a lifted wheel with both hands and try to shake the car hard. Don't be under it, and don't be timid. See if it will come off the stands. Fixing a floor is cheaper than fixing a lung, or being crushed to death.

 

^Thats what I do. Grab the car and shake like hell with my whole body. (When I'm doing major stuff...like pulling transmissions, changing exhaust since those require lots of power- snapped lots of exhaust bolts so far...)

 

I use the floor jack to lightly support any point on the /mid/rear after the front is on two stands. Probably ain't necessary but I do feel much better about it and you might as well put your jack to some use as a possible safty "net".
California residents need to be aware of a possible earth quake so maybe as much support as you can get. This is the only scenerio I can imagine that might shake the car off of stands.

 

^ooh. jeez never thought of that ever. Thats just straight bad luck. I do always have a jack under the car JIC unless its getting in the way + a tire under chassis if its off.

 

Always chock the wheels to help prevent the car from rolling off the stands. Stuff any wheels that come off the car back under the car as extra insurance.

Always remember to -un-chock the wheels when you are done or when you're backing out you might roll over one and send it flying into the wall of your garage...

 

2 is safe...chock for extra safety..better safe than sorry.

 

Sounds like the voice of experience.

I almost did the same when I flushed the CMC.

 

I'm too lazy to Jack up the whole front of the car. I just Jack up on side to drain the oil and drop it back down to drain.

 

you can just drive up on the pieces of flat wood on one side if you dont want to jack the car up. also put a tire under neith the car if your using jack stands just as a precautionary measure.

 

yeah that is an easy way to do, when I do it like that I don't even get under the car for the most part, I have my arm extended to the drain plug but my body isn't under the car, so it is safe enough. I do the oil filter from above the engine bay with an oil filter wrench.