Anyone have a DIY for the Oil and Filter change or a link to one? I've tried searching the forum, but could only come up with the oil change for the VE30DE engine. Any help would be appreciated.

Also, just wondering what brand/viscosity the majority of you are using.

Thanks.

it's pretty simple. get under the car use 14mm wrench to loosen the drain plug. loosen the oil filter. once loose, go back and take out the drain plug. then the oil filter.

a lot of folks here use MOBIL 1. I use 5W30 due to temperature here in indiana.

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=227996

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=229362

Everything you wanted to know about oil.

FAQ/How To

yes very easy. I use to change the oil on my 02 all the time, but haven't changed it on my 03 yet because the f*cking drain plug is screwed in to tight....and i don't wanna force it and damage the pan...What idoit put it on so tight.......

Thanks for the comments... anyone know the specific torque specs? I think i read 18 ft/lbs somewhere. Thanks

Page 8-10 of your owners manual.... if ya don't have it, go here:

http://www.courtesyparts.com/nissan-...san-Maxima.pdf

For the drain plug?

22 to 29 ft-lb
(29 to 39 Nm)

Torque the plug and filter... Oil changing has become a science all of a sudden... What is next, calibration of seat recliner?

Do you have a write up???

When we get it, make sure you include it in the Stickies...

lol... torque specs on the drain plugs and whatnot are more of a CYA thing... really, the lube tech dont follow it because pretty much every time i get a car with a oil and filter on the ticket, the plug AND filter were put on by godzilla.

A how to? In my opinion, if you need a how to for changing the oil, then you shouldn't be changing the oil. I just did mine today, couldn't have been easier. The hardest thing was the filter to loosen because it was so damn hot as I had just driven the car an it was 90something degrees out. The plug and filter were very hot, but the filter I couldn't keep my hand on for more than two seconds.

I was going to say the same thing but I held my fingers back :-)

everyone has their first time, and some cars require 'special procedures'

exactly...my first time changing the oil was on a '91 honda accord 4 banger and it was under another person's supervision...there's a first time for everything and it's better to make sure your doing it right before you mess something up...

+++++++++++++++1. even all the girls i know change the car oil themselves...

any suggestions to remove an extra tight oil filter. phucking nissan dealers...can't move the sucker with my hand at all.....

Agreed... I think you guys are being a little harsh here....

Maybe try one of those plastic oil filter wrenches that Sears sells? Might work....

get one of those rubber grip things....they work wonders...

^^^thanks guys....I always change my own oil but when i brought these car nissan dealer changed the oil and serviced the car so this is the first time iam changing the oil on this car. Had to put new oil in with the old filter because i already drained the oil and couldn't get the damn filter off......so i'll go guy some type of wrench to remove the filter and change the oil again in a couple of weeks.....

theres a few ways, one being a big pair of channellocks, there are several types of oil filter wrenches, and if you dont have those you can either

pound a screwdriver through the filter, and then torque it off. not recommended, but its a last ditch if the following doesnt work...


take a hammer and screwdriver, make a small indention towards the base of the filter, the angle of attack being perpendicular to the center of the filter, try not to tear up the filter or puncture it at first. after youve got a decent indention, take the screwdriver at an angle and tap it to spin the filter off. try light taps at first, because as soon as you puncture the filter, oil WILL start coming out. once it starts to spin, try again by hand.

Im suprised that you didnt have a link for us

Seat recliner "write-up"? Sure....

http://www.courtesyparts.com/nissan-...san-Maxima.pdf

Pages 1-2 onwards.

Im so sorry for doubting you.... it will never happen again

I have an old belt that I keep in the toolbox for tough oil filters. I just loop it around and through a slip-knot (I broke the latch end of the belt long ago) and place it so the pull causes the filter to loosen. Works great in tight areas where a filter wrench won't fit.

Also, the belt is one of those silly braided leather ones (from somewhere around 1985, I think). It is ugly, but really really grips the filter, and hasn't failed me yet.

Got a filter wrench from pep boys. came off with ease.....I had nothing but problems trying to give this car its first oil change (from me). The drain plug was on to tight but got that off and the filter was on to tight....Damn tech at nissan dealer....That's why i never let anyone change my oil....
Mobil 7500 and nissan filter and i am good to go.

Yea, I ended up using one of those rubber wrench clamp thingies, worked great. I was going to use an old pair of jumper cables and squeeze the filter, but found the rubber wrench thing at the last second.

cheapest and easiest way ever to remove overtight oil filter:
WRAP FILTER WITH PIECE OF SANDPAPER (ROUGH DOWN AGAINST FILTER).
works every time!!!

actually fold paper in half and rough will be down and up: for greasy hands this helps.

I use AMSOIL 10W/30 full synthetic. I know people that have used this oil for up to 25k miles which AMSOIL states is fine as long as you change your filter around every 6k. I checked my oil this morning after 10k miles and it still looks really good, no where near black yet. Gonna be changing the filter and maybe the oil at the end of this week...

Hey bro you're going to blow your transmition with 10W/30, I know a friend who used it for like 15K and then it just blew up. Maximas were made to use 5W/30. Well I use 5W/30 Royal Purple synthetic for my Max, and it's good I like it. The filter I use is the FRAM one. I buy all my oil at PEPBOYS.

hes going to blow his transmission?

Yea I was wondering the same thing, how is running 10W/30 in my car going to ruin my transmission? I understand the two are connected, but I would think if there would be ANY problems at all, which there should not be in a normal running engine, they would be in the engine. It is actually OK to run different viscosity oils in an engine depending on location and temperatures. Going from a 5W/30 to a 10W/30 is not going to hurt a thing. Now if I was running motor oil meant for a DIESEL engine in my car there might ne problems, but not anything to do with the transmission. I'm positive your friend had transmission problems well before he put the 10W/30 oil into his car.

id like to hear shurik's response... really.

Yea me too...

STILL waiting for an answer. ANYONE at all wanna take a stab at this??

stab at what? what shurik is saying?

i doubt it, i was just humoring him... i mean... he uses fram filters for crying out loud...

Back on topic...I'm using Nissan filters and 5W/30 Mobil 1. I change them both every 3k miles, although I have run both up to 6k (on another car).