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I changed the oil on my 3SRT8 this weekend for the first time. I'm happy to report that this is one of the easier cars on which I've changed oil, & I've been doing it at home for nearly 40 years.
Due to the low ground clearance, my old ramps wouldn't work. I purchased a set of Rhino #11905 ramps (3000# capacity per ramp) at Walmart for $32/pair. They have a 17 degree angle, which is gentle enough to clear the front bumper. Total lift is about 6.5 inches, which gave me plenty of room to work (I'm a 3X). A rubber foot is mounted on the bottom front of the ramp, and did a good job of keeping it from sliding backwards on my concrete garage floor. Safety note- Don't forget to put chocks behind the rear wheels to prevent any rolling!
Once the car is on the ramps, you must remove a plastic shield (which hides the underside of the engine) using a 10mm socket on the four bolts (circled in pix). After that, the oil filter (located toward the front of the engine, on the passenger side) is easily accessed, and points straight down. The oil pan drain plug (circled in pix) takes a 13mm socket, and points to the rear of the car.
For this vehicle, the type of oil filter wrench that fits over the end of the filter & is used with a 3/8" ratchet & extension seems to work best.
Here is one from Sears which is nearly identical to the Snap-On brand, but at 1/2 the price:
Craftsman Universal Oil Filter Wrench, Auto-Adjustable - Model 51121SA706 at Sears.com
The "cup" type wrench, which is also used with a ratchet & extension will also work. You must get one that fits your filter (available at any parts store... match it up there).
Total cost of 7qts 5W-40 Mobil 1 & a Mobil 1 oil filter (#M204) was ~$40. I think I'll use the longer Mobil 1 (#M1-301) filter next time (eqiv to Fram PH8A--- BUT NOT FRAM) as there's plenty of room for it, and it will add another ~pint of oil & more filtering surface.
Is it worth the trouble to do it yourself? Yes, IMO, as I'm sure it's done right, at my convenience, and I can inspect other undercar items at the same time.
-Steve
EDIT: Forgot to mention in the original post, but since the filter screws straight up onto the engine, it is possible (and a good idea) to fill the filter with fresh oil before screwing it on. This gives the oil system a head start in pressurizing.
Due to the low ground clearance, my old ramps wouldn't work. I purchased a set of Rhino #11905 ramps (3000# capacity per ramp) at Walmart for $32/pair. They have a 17 degree angle, which is gentle enough to clear the front bumper. Total lift is about 6.5 inches, which gave me plenty of room to work (I'm a 3X). A rubber foot is mounted on the bottom front of the ramp, and did a good job of keeping it from sliding backwards on my concrete garage floor. Safety note- Don't forget to put chocks behind the rear wheels to prevent any rolling!
Once the car is on the ramps, you must remove a plastic shield (which hides the underside of the engine) using a 10mm socket on the four bolts (circled in pix). After that, the oil filter (located toward the front of the engine, on the passenger side) is easily accessed, and points straight down. The oil pan drain plug (circled in pix) takes a 13mm socket, and points to the rear of the car.
For this vehicle, the type of oil filter wrench that fits over the end of the filter & is used with a 3/8" ratchet & extension seems to work best.
Here is one from Sears which is nearly identical to the Snap-On brand, but at 1/2 the price:
Craftsman Universal Oil Filter Wrench, Auto-Adjustable - Model 51121SA706 at Sears.com
The "cup" type wrench, which is also used with a ratchet & extension will also work. You must get one that fits your filter (available at any parts store... match it up there).
Total cost of 7qts 5W-40 Mobil 1 & a Mobil 1 oil filter (#M204) was ~$40. I think I'll use the longer Mobil 1 (#M1-301) filter next time (eqiv to Fram PH8A--- BUT NOT FRAM) as there's plenty of room for it, and it will add another ~pint of oil & more filtering surface.
Is it worth the trouble to do it yourself? Yes, IMO, as I'm sure it's done right, at my convenience, and I can inspect other undercar items at the same time.
-Steve
EDIT: Forgot to mention in the original post, but since the filter screws straight up onto the engine, it is possible (and a good idea) to fill the filter with fresh oil before screwing it on. This gives the oil system a head start in pressurizing.
