I have a 97 Maxima. I need info on how to change my own oil. please help.

 

I love working on my own car. Especially the routine stuf. But...

Being you want to change your own oil, will you have a place to dispose of your used oil properly? This is the main reason I do not do my own any longer. Plus I dont want to haul the used stuff in my car to dispose of it. So I just have it done anymore.

But if you are doing your own oil changes soon, here are some pointers.

Do it at least every 3K miles or 3 mos, which ever comes 1st.

Before you begin, make yourself familiar with the drain plug placement, oil filter placement and your oil capacity. Prepare with proper tools and something to collect the drained oil in. I raise the car with drive up ramps. I never advise using a jack to raise a vehicle, being the risk of the car coming down on you is there. Ramps are very fail proof. Just be sure the car is in Park (if an Auto) and the emergency brake is on.

Be sure the engine has run to normal operating temp get the oil warm for easy/best drainage (be careful, the oil will be hot). This also helps get out any built up solids/sludge if any are present.

After oil is drained, loosen the filter and remove it.

Before placing on new filter, run a bit of oil around the new filters rubber gasket/seal. Tighten filter only by hand as tight as possible. If you feel this is not tight enough, use your filter wrench to tighten a tad more. Be carful and not over tighten. This will make removal next time a chore. Be careful and do not cross-thread the filter either. If you feel resistance puting on the new filter, do not force it on, you may be cross threading. New filter should screw on very easily.

Replace drain plug and again be careful of not cross-threading it. Do not over tighten either, you could strip the threads.

Now you are ready to replace with fresh oil. Again, know your capacities, and do not overfill.

When you have your new oil in, check dipstick to be sure it is full. If not add some more, If so, start engine and and be sure oil lamp goes out. Get out of car and check for leaks. Be sure the drain pug and filter areas remain clean (no leaks).

after engine runs a while, shut off and check your dipstick. It should show clean and level.

Put away all your tools and dispose of old oil properly. You are now done.


It is simple and easy. Mostly common sense. And enjoy!

PS : If you are not sure of the capacities, check your owners manual. It should tell you oil capacities w/ fresh filter replacement and without filter replacement. Simply, just always change filter with oil change. I think that is 4 5/8 quarts with the gen 4 VQ 3.0 Maxima engine.

 

Changing oil on the Max is pure delight. Just turn the steering wheel hard right after warming up the engine.
Take off the plastic cover hiding the filter and drain plug on the passenger side of the car behind the front wheel. There are two bolts and two plastic philips screwdriver thingies. Three of them are very visible but the fourth one is under the bumper, just look and you will see it. First time is a little harder, after that 5 min job for the whole thing.
After you remover the cover the filter and drain plug are right there, you can't miss them. It is not even necessary to jack up the car or anything. Just buy one of those flat oil draining gizmos with an attached funnel and you are away to the races.
I buy my Mobil 1 in a 4 litre jug which is exactly what the Max takes (I think they made the quantities like that to make it easier for us Cdn's) but in the US they probably come in 4 qts which is a mite less so you might need an extra quart. After I drain and install the filter as per the previous thread I just pour the used oil back into the 4 liter jug and take it to our local Canadian Tire Store which is sort of like a multi hardware, automotive store, they take it and recycle it so no problem getting rid of it and best of all no mess. I change mine in an underground concrete floor parking lot and can do it without spilling a drop.

Have Fun

PS All the other stuff was covered very well by JettmiesterMax, I just wanted to comment on the ease of doing it on the Max.

 

You can bring your used oil to Autozone and they will dispose of it for free. Wal-Mart also has bins you can dump the oil into.

Yet ANOTHER victim of the 3K myth, oh well.

Great post though, but personally I'm to lazy lazy to remove that plastic piece around the filter area. I just bend it and contort my hand around it.

 

Actually ... I would think the very first thing to do is to get a repair manual!

Read this for a comparison of the Haynes and Chilton's Maxima Repair manuals: http://vbxmaxima.8m.com/manualcompare.html

And second, every 3 months or 3K is not necessary. You driving habits dictate how often you should change your oil. Read this for more information: http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?threadid=100060

 

Is there anything you don't know???
Seems like you always have the right answers.

 

If everybody had a manual and read it we wouldn't need the forum anymore.
Clee you would be jobless.

 

Maybe Canada is different. It is 4.25 quarts here.

SuDZ

 

Not true ... if everyone had a FSM ... we might have less stupid questions ... and even then, we would have to have some place to ask about mods.

 

Come on now, you know the stupid quesations would not stop if everyone had a FSM. They would just involve more technical words.

SuDZ

 

True, true ... and of course ... you could use this method to change your oil:

Oil Change instructions for Men:
1) Go to auto parts store and write a check for $50.00 for oil, filter, kitty litter, hand cleaner and a scented tree.
2) Discover that the used oil container is full. Instead of taking it back to O'Reilly to recycle, dump in hole in back yard.
3) Open a beer and drink it.
4) Jack car up. Spend 30 minutes looking for jack stands.
5) Find jack stands under kid's pedal car.
6) In frustration, open another beer and drink it.
7) Place drain pan under engine.
8) Look for 9/16 box end wrench.
9) Give up and use crescent wrench.
10) Unscrew drain plug.
11) Drop drain plug in pan of hot oil: get hot oil on you in process.
12) Clean up mess.
13) Have another beer while watching oil drain.
14) Look for oil filter wrench.
15) Give up; poke oil filter with screwdriver and twist off.
16) Beer.
17) Buddy shows up; finish case of beer with him. Finish oil change tomorrow.
18) Next day, drag pan full of old oil out from underneath car.
19) Throw kitty litter on oil spilled during step 18.
20) Beer. No, drank it all yesterday.
21) Walk to 7-11; buy beer.
22) Install new oil filter making sure to apply a thin coat of oil to gasket surface.
23) Dump first quart of fresh oil into engine.
24) Remember drain plug from step 11.
25) Hurry to find drain plug in drain pan.
26) Discover that the used oil is buried in a hole in the back yard, along with drain plug.
27) Drink beer.
28) Uncover hole and sift for drain plug.
29) Discover that first quart of fresh oil is now on the floor.
30) Drink beer.
31) Slip with wrench tightening drain plug and bang knuckles on frame.
32) Bang head on floorboards in reaction to step 31.
33) Begin cussing fit.
34) Throw wrench.
35) Cuss for additional 10 minutes because wrench hit Miss December (1992) in the left boob.
36) Beer.
37) Clean up hands and forehead and bandage as required to stop blood flow.
38) Beer.
39) Beer.
40) Dump in five fresh quarts of oil.
41) Beer.
42) Lower car from jack stands.
43) Accidentally crush one of the jack stands.
44) Move car back to apply more kitty litter to fresh oil spilled during step 23.
45) Beer.
46) Test drive car.
47) Get pulled over: arrested for driving under the influence.
48) Car gets impounded.
49) Make bail.
50) Get car from impound yard.

Money spent:
Parts $50.00
DUI $2500.00
Impound fee $75.00
Bail $1500.00
Beer $25.00
Total-- $4150.00 -- But you know the job was done right!

 

Yep, refill capacity with filter is 4.25 quarts. Although I suppose if you pour in 4.5 quarts (or 4-5/8), there will be no problems. Alright, *maybe there will*...I don't want any nitpickers here telling me a 1/4 quart will cause engine problems (um, it won't!)

Also, the 3k oil change interval is very conservative. The owners manual says for SEVERE service, you change it every 3750. And that's under extreme conditions. If you use synthetic oil, you can safely go twice that mileage permitted you have a good filter (Nissan OEM is excellent).

For me, it's Mobil One 5w30 and Nissan OEM filters every 5000-6000 miles.

 

3.9 not including filter.........4.25 QUARTS!!!!

 

Oh man.....what about instructions for women? Pretty funny...

 

Oil Change instructions for Women:

1) Pull up to Jiffy Lube when the mileage reaches 3000 miles since the last oil change.
2) Drink a cup of coffee.
3) 15 minutes later write a check and leave with a properly maintained vehicle.

Money spent:
Oil Change $20.00
Coffee $ 1.00
Total $21.00

 

 

4. Discover the oil change was done wrong because Jiffy lube workers know nothing.
5. Engine breaks down because of improper treatment.
6. Tires explode because Jiffy lube inflated to wrong psi.

 

i'm thinking about doing a coolant flush...will autozone
dispose the anti-freeze as well??

 

7. Discover wiper blades broken after workers cleaned windshield.
8. Find grease stains all over hood of car, steering wheel, door handle, etc...
9. Discover oil has turned to sludge after 1 week due to workers using the wrong weight oil.
10. All this for the bargain rate of $34.95!

 

I never removed the plastic cover. It is flexable enough that I just pull it towards the wheel with one hard and remove the plug and filter with the other.

 

I jack the front driver's side up, which aids in draining out as much of the old stuff as possible. Then I unscrew the oil filter from the bottom; don't even mess with the side cover.

 

hahah so true..

i need to find a better damn place to change my oil at.. most quick stop oil changes are the same, they leave nasty oil smudges all over the interior of your car, and I don't even trust them that much anyway to put the right amount and weight of oil in my car. if i had a good way of disposing of the oil myself, i'd do the oil changes at my own house.

 

Why do that? Just put it in a bowl and leave it out. Your neighbor's pesky cat won't be coming around anymore.

 

hahahahhaha




that's kind of brutal though, even tho i don't like cats

 

Naw, cats kick ***. Futhermore, they are too smart to drink oil.

That's why I leave the anti-freeze out for the dogs. (j/k)

 

the point is that anti-freeze has a smell that attracts living things to it.. even small children... who will drink it if its left unattended

it was still funny though when Kanaka wanted to leave it out for the cat

 

take car to oil changers

 

why not change it urself?

 

I always pour new oil into the new filter & rotate the filter so that the oil gets absorbed into the filter. Then repeat that procedure until I have saturated the filter. Of course when adding the new oil up top it should drain right into the new filter. But I'm so paranoid that there could be a gap in the oil flow when I start the engine.
I think I started doing this when I had my 89Max. I recall that filter was located higher up, which made me worry about a gap in the oil flow. Maybe it's not necessary, but I feel safer anyway.

About Jiffy Lube..........About 10 years ago my stepfather had his oil changed there. Well shortly after, he was driving down a highway and heard a terrible sound. The engine light came on. He got the car over as soon as he could but it was too late. The engine was fried............Jiffy put the wrong filter on the car and it popped off. God I had when that happens. It just ruins your day.

 

I just changes my oil yesterday. I check the dipstick as instructed but when I wipe the thing and put it back in then out. the whole stick was cover with oil. ???? I know I only put 4.25 quarts in but I dunno why. It also seems like my mpg drop too, I'm thinking I probably put too much in I guess. Any other ideas???

 

give it some time to let the oil settle down

 

Bring it to the dealer.$ 21.00. No muss no fuss..

 

That is priceless!