matty

iTrader: (54)

OK about 2,500 miles on the oil and i figure might as well change it on such a nice day...i remember someone saying to take that plastic protector on the inside wall of the wheel well...i turn the tires all the way to right and i get under there. the two screws (one on the top middle and the one unerneath) came out but those two pain in the a** fasteners didnt want to come off that easy...so i got frustrated and said what the hell and got underneath and wedged my hands underneath like a complete idiot...i got oil all over the drivway and i didnt have any fun (took me almost an hour(im an idiot) well if someone can throw me a bone and decribe a little bit more into these fasteners and such id like it alot...im not looking forward to the next oil change but maybe i will once someone describes alittle

Eric L.

Actually I just changed my oil last Friday, and what I did was remove the passenger side front wheel to access the wheelwell cover. The cover was a snap to remove. It has two steel screws and two plastic fasteners. The screws are easy, both are 10mm hex bolts. The plastic screws...just use a dull philips and screw it out, then when the screw is out, pull the fastener out. I ended up breaking both plastic fasteners, so I replaced them with steel screws (now I have four steel screws holding on the wheelwell cover).

The oil change was very easy. The drain plug was pretty tight, and I did burn my pinky finger on the hot oil (had just driven 100 miles). But other than that, it was straightforward. Oil filter came off with minimal resistance (didn't even need a wrench). I torqued the drain plug with a new copper crush gasket to 25ft/lb, according to specs. I installed a Nissan oil filter (it's very tiny), and Mobil One 5w30 synthetic.

It might be my imagination, but my car seems to run smoother with synthetic oil now. As far as oil change intervals, the 3000 Jiffy Lube interval is overkill. The consensus among the veterans on this board is that normal oil can go 5000 miles between changes, and synthetic 7000+ miles without any significant wear. Even the most recent Cartalk.com question answer says the 5000-7500 mile interval for normal oil is just fine.

matty

iTrader: (54)

When i went after the plastic fasteners they were on the verge of breaking but i didnt want to break them (should i break them and put on screws??) ...I am thinking of useing synthetic oil and i did talk to a guy at the car show (NYC) about mobil 1 and he ranted and raved about how its smoother and reduces wear but im scared about do synthetic at 87 K...i like doin oil changes at 2500 and if i go to synthetic soon ill do it ever 4000 or so ...im just a freak..thanks guys

emax02

iTrader: (1)

I have to ask, what possesed you guys to remove the plastic fender cover? I have changed my oil and oil filter a million times and have not once removed that plastic piece. My point is there is no reason to remove the plastic thing. Just bend it back a little bit to gain access to the oil filter. About those little plastic clip things, they always break into pieces and if they don't they won't go back in right, I just use the 2 10mm bolts to hold the plastic piece up because the clips broke.

Maxima48177

I've changed my oil many times and I've never had to remove that plastic piece. I didn't even have to turn my steering wheel a certain way. All you have to do is bend the plastic piece out a little and start loosening it. It's not like you have to look at it or anything. The wrench that fits over the filter to loosen it is very useful. Make sure you tighten it with your hand and not a wrench.

Daniel B. Martin

I've done oil changes both ways: removing the splash shield and leaving it in place. I recommend you leave it in place. All you need to do is gently push it aside when you are removing or installing the oil filter. It's got plenty of "flex" and this will not harm it.

BRIGBOY

just take ur time and dont get frustrated, oh yah, and consult the .org (maxima bible) before trying anything that seems wack.

matty

iTrader: (54)

What size oil pan do you guys slide unerneath the car...i was using 15 qt pan and it was a pain in the a** to get your hand between the pan and the car...maybe if i get a 5 or 10 qt one ill be better off

:Redbounce

Daniel B. Martin

If you raise the front end of the car and support it on jackstands there will be no problem with your 15-quart pan.

Eric L.

Actually, the strange thing with my Maxima is that even with my floor jack fully extended (on the front crossmember jack up point), the car is still not high enough to remove the front wheels! So with my car, I must use the side access method for oil changes. For my last oil change I removed the front passenger side wheel so I can get a better view and clean up the area. To remove the wheel, I had to use the stock jack on the passenger side. Of course, the car was on jackstands the whole time I was working on it.

Daniel B. Martin

My floor jack is a garden-variety Sears unit with a maximum height of 19.5 inches. This puts the front end of my Maxima way up in the air. Perhaps you could put a chunk of 4x4 on your jack saddle and get some extra altitude.