Pathy and Rogue oil change for newbie

[Mr. Pickles]

I've decided to be industrious and learn how to do my own oil changes. I've got all the tools I need but have a few questions. I have a 2010 Rogue with 75k and 2013 Pathfinder with 25k. What brands of oil filter and types of oil are best for each vehicle? Any tips for me? How many quarts will I need for each?

I'll be putting the vehicles up on ramps and chocking the wheels for safety. I've got an oil filter wrench, drain pan and a container to take the waste oil to the transfer station. Did I miss anything?

Thanks in advance!

 

[wreckdiver1321]

I generally use Wix filters and Mobil 1 oil. The oil is a bit more expensive, but it's really good stuff. I've missed oil changes by a couple thousand miles before, and it held up just fine and it was still lubricating well. But everybody has their preference.

You've got the basics down, so here are a couple little tips:

- I always wear latex gloves whenever I'm working on a vehicle. Oil and grease stains take forever to get off your skin. I also lay a piece of cardboard under the car to catch wayward oil drops. If you spill some, it stains the cardboard instead of your garage/driveway.

- I usually let the engine be a little warm (not hot!) when I do the oil change. I'll idle for about 5 minutes, then shut the vehicle off and let it sit for about five minutes. The oil flows better when it's warm, which is why I let it warm up. I let it sit with the engine off for a bit to give the oil a chance to collect back in the oil pan again.

- Pull the drain plug first, then let the oil drain completely. Put the plug back in and do the filter. Be aware that there will be some oil in the filter area as well, so that will leak when you unscrew the filter. Make sure you've got you drain pan handy. Also make sure the oil filter gasket comes off with the filter. Sometimes they stick.

- When you go to install the new filter, make sure you dip your finger into the new oil and apply a coating of oil to the new filter gasket (the circular rubber gasket on the open end of the filter). This will ensure the gasket doesn't bind or tear, and it makes it less likely that the gasket will stick when you go to take the filter off next time.

- I will normally fill my filter about 2/3 full before I install it. This keeps the oil system "primed" so that there is some oil for the pump to pull through the engine right after the oil change.

- When I put the new filter on, I will spin it as tight as I possibly can with my hands, then give it a half turn with the filter wrench.

- Once the filter is back on and you make sure the drain plug is in place, take the car off the ramps and start filling up the oil. I generally do a Google search for the oil capacities of whatever I'm changing the oil on if I don't know it off the top of my head. I'll then fill the engine about two thirds of a quart shy of the full oil capacity to make sure I don't overfill it.

- Check your owner's manual for the proper way to check oil level. Some can be done cold, others require you to warm the engine up and let the oil drain back into the pan before you check it. Just follow what it says and check the oil with the dipstick. Remember to remove the dipstick, wipe it clean with a rag, and drop it all the way back into the oil before you look at the level on the dipstick.

- Then just add a little oil, let it drain back down to the pan for about a minute, check the dipstick, and add again if needed. Once the dipstick says you're full, you can close the oil cap and be done.

Hope that helps!

 

[DD196]

Believe it or not there's an oil geek website: http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/forum_summary

You were given good instructions here, over there you'll get lots of oil/filter options. Mobil 1/ Wix is a fine combo you can't go wrong with if you don't want to look at other options. Staying with the recommended grade and oil change interval is the safe bet unless you have some kind of issue you're trying to deal with. If the newer Pathy has an oil life monitor believe it. How much oil you need will be in the owner's manual.

 

[Camelfilter]

I'm thinking about putting one of those nifty Fumoto drain plug/valves on my truck the next oil chainge, worth it for you? Dunno...

For oil i've found decent prices at Costco for synthetic (probably costs the same over at Sams/BJ's). Sometimes Walmart has really good deals by the gallon, worth keeping an eye out for your next change.

 

[Mr. Pickles]

Thanks, gents. This is really helpful so far. Now, cue the warm weather!

 

[Maddmatt]

Only thing missing from the advice above (in my opinion) - not enough emphasis on making sure the gasket comes off when you remove the existing filter. Make sure the gasket comes off with the old filter!! - if not, you end up with 2 gaskets on the new filter, everything will feel fine, the oil change will go great, you'll go for a quick test drive to bask in the glory of your mechanical prowess, go back inside for a cup of coffee, come back outside and find the Exxon Valdez in your driveway. DAMHIK.... but I've been changing the oil in various vehicles since I was 12 years old, and I waited until my mid 30's to make this mistake.

 

[wreckdiver1321]

Only thing missing from the advice above (in my opinion) - not enough emphasis on making sure the gasket comes off when you remove the existing filter. Make sure the gasket comes off with the old filter!! - if not, you end up with 2 gaskets on the new filter, everything will feel fine, the oil change will go great, you'll go for a quick test drive to bask in the glory of your mechanical prowess, go back inside for a cup of coffee, come back outside and find the Exxon Valdez in your driveway. DAMHIK.... but I've been changing the oil in various vehicles since I was 12 years old, and I waited until my mid 30's to make this mistake.

This!

I had a friend who did this on his old Bronco. Started the truck up and oil sprayed everywhere, even covered some of the walls.

 

[oner0002]

Another thing everyone always forgets to tell you, if you unscrew your oil fill cap, the oil will drain faster.

I like the Mobil 1 extended life filters, especially with synthetic oil and a 10,000 mile life span!

 

[XPLORx4]

Here's another oil-change tip if you want to minimize mess. This may not apply to all vehicles, but on my Pathfinder with the VG33E engine, the oil filter is located immediately above the steering rack. When loosening and removing the filter, oil drips all over the parts beneath it and generally makes a big mess. To remedy this, I usually place a ziplock baggie around the filter as I unscrew it, and I place some shop rags over the parts below the filter. The oil drains into the ziplock baggie and makes almost no mess. This issue is something that's perhaps unique to the VG33E in the Pathfinder, but it could help others looking for tips and techniques to make oil changes less frustrating.

 

[Camelfilter]

Here's another oil-change tip if you want to minimize mess. This may not apply to all vehicles, but on my Pathfinder with the VG33E engine, the oil filter is located immediately above the steering rack. When loosening and removing the filter, oil drips all over the parts beneath it and generally makes a big mess. To remedy this, I usually place a ziplock baggie around the filter as I unscrew it, and I place some shop rags over the parts below the filter. The oil drains into the ziplock baggie and makes almost no mess. This issue is something that's perhaps unique to the VG33E in the Pathfinder, but it could help others looking for tips and techniques to make oil changes less frustrating.

Great tip! I used to do that & fashion up some cardboard to have the extra runnoff diverted into my collection pan.

Seems Nissan might have learned something, as my Titan has a nifty metal slide under the filter just for the above purpose.

 

[Mr. Pickles]

Thanks for all the tips. You guys are great!

 

[Mr. Pickles]

So I spent a few moments under the Pathy to explore what else I need to do the oil change. Looks like there is a skid plate that's covering the oil filter and drain plug. It's bolted onto the fender with several bolts. Does this whole thing need to come off? Seems like a pain. I definitely can't get a wrench up into the filter without removing the whole assembly. Also, I couldn't identify the drain plug - didn't look like what's in the manual. Any advice for me?

 

[Camelfilter]

For the pathfinder check the FSM (service manuals).

You can read them online, I also tend to download the ones I need as PDF's on my iPad/phone. Super handy.

The NICO club has a very nice library. Click here to get to your year Pathfinder FSM (?2013).

You should be able to find exploded diagrams that will show the drain plug in either section "EM" or "MA". I apologize that I don't have the time to look rite now, have to make coffee & off to work.

GL!

 

[Camelfilter]

OK, made my coffee, drank a whole bunch & works allrite at the moment...

Odd, looks like you have an upper and lower pan (see FSM-EM, page 36). I'm going to assume that the drain plug will be located near the edge or at a corner of what they are calling the "lower oil pan", noted as #9 on the diagram.

The oil & oil filter change procedures are located in FSM-LU. Diagrams in that as well, but my brief scan didn't note a drain plug.

 

[ripperj]

Not sure about your vehicle, but sometimes the engine oil drain and the tranny pan drain are close together and similar looking, make sure you get the right one

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