The Perfect Oil Change

[ceningolmo]

Ok... for most of you this might seem idiotic... but, I think it would be very helpful. Not just for me, but many of the Newbs who witlessly wander in here for help.

As a guy who has done very little (which means none) of his own vehicle maintenance, some of the this stuff is relatively intimidating. The stuff that isn't intimidating seems at least time consuming. So, I am hoping to get some input from you guys. Most of you have done this stuff hundreds of times and can probably give some great information about the most effecient way to go about it.

At the moment, I am looking at the Ultimate Q Maintenance Schedule, and it looks like each "oil change" is about a 5 hour job. I am betting you guys have this down to about 2 1/2 minutes. So, I would greatly appreciate your input.

If you were going to design the perfect "oil change", what would it be. What would you get done, in what order would you do it, and what are the best methods to get things accomplished.

Ok... so, the Ultimate Q Maintenance schedule states the following should be completed at oil change.

Change Oil - I know how to do this... but,I have no idea if I know how to do this correctly. If there are time/money saving tips, I don't know about them. So, any help would be appreciated. Change Oil Filter - Again... any helpful hints? BG44K - Haven't found a place locally to buy this, and I don't want to buy it via mail order every 3000 miles. Any national chains carry it? How/where do you buy it? Plus, I have heard that I want to run the BG44K through the engine by taking a nice long drive after I pour it in. So, does this mean I need to take a 2-3 hour road trip every time I do an oil change? Clean Trottle Body - http://www.q45.org/tbclean.html - anything further that should be added to this process? Do you guys do this whole process every oil change? Clean Mass Air Flow Sensor - http://www.q45.org/maf.html - anything that would need to be added to this process? Is this really necessary at every oil change? Is this whole process feasible during the winter in Michigan? Inspect Belts and Hoses - What exactly am I inspecting? What would hoses and belts don't need to be inspected? How do I know if I found something noteworth? Rotate Tires - Again, I can probably figure this out. But, any time/money saving tips? Inspect Air Filter - What exactly am I looking for? I replaced mine about 4000 miles ago... so, I am assuming it is still going to be good for a while. So, what might I look for during this inspection? Check Window Washer Fluid Levels - Ok... I think I can handle this. Any thing you would like to add? Any brand preference among NICO members? How about that Rain-X additive...any luck with that? Inspect Brake pads, discs, drums, linings, lines, cables - Again, what am I looking for? A step by step check list for these types of things would be really handy. Inspect Steering and Suspension System - I am assuming this step will be different depending on whether you have a Q, Qt, Qa, G50, Y33... so, if anyone has some suggestions that would be great. Inspect Drive Shaft Boots and Shaft - I wouldn't have any idea where to even begin on this one. I am sure there is a thread on NICO somewhere explaining it. If someone has the link, I will create a summary of the information. Lubricate Properler Shaft Grease - Again, I have no clue. Can someone give me some help? Inspect Exhaust System - What am I looking for? Inspect Wiper Blades - Ok... now I will reach the height of my idiocy... how? What am I looking for? I can't figure out how to lift my wiper blades while the hood is shut? Is there a method for this? Lubricate Locks, Door Hinges and Latches - WD40 ok with everyone? Can I get a list of all relevant hinges? Inspect the Underbody - The what? Is this the frame, or the metal sheeting on the under side of the car? Or, more likely, both? What exactly am I looking for?

Ok... so, that is everything on the Ultimate guide. Is there anything we should add? How about for us new owners... this sounds like a great regular maintenance schedule. What if you just got your Q and you want to make sure you are getting everything running right? Any oil additives or additional processes you would suggest for that first oil change? MMO, Seefoam... I have heard that running an additive through with some cheaper oil, then following it up with a real oil change can help. Anyone have an opinion on this topic?

I would love to comile this information in to a nice handy Q users guide for NICO... but, I need some expert input first.

Thanks to anyone who can help.

[Fenvy]

you probably don't need to check all that

I personally believe that most cars' critical fluid that needs to be changed every now and then are oil, oil filter, transmission fluid, diff fluid, spark plugs, coolant and brake fluid, brake pads.

I mean these are the stuff you can do fairly easily, some range at 3k and some ranged at 10k interval. Other stuff are just kind of hard to do without the proper tools, at least for me.

[grosspolluter]

Jiffy lube with smarter techs.

[elwesso]

1. Change Oil - I know how to do this... but,I have no idea if I know how to do this correctly. If there are time/money saving tips, I don't know about them. So, any help would be appreciated. 2. Change Oil Filter - Again... any helpful hints? 3. BG44K - Haven't found a place locally to buy this, and I don't want to buy it via mail order every 3000 miles. Any national chains carry it? How/where do you buy it? Plus, I have heard that I want to run the BG44K through the engine by taking a nice long drive after I pour it in. So, does this mean I need to take a 2-3 hour road trip every time I do an oil change? 4. Clean Trottle Body - http://www.q45.org/tbclean.html - anything further that should be added to this process? Do you guys do this whole process every oil change? 5. Clean Mass Air Flow Sensor - http://www.q45.org/maf.html - anything that would need to be added to this process? Is this really necessary at every oil change? Is this whole process feasible during the winter in Michigan? 6. Inspect Belts and Hoses - What exactly am I inspecting? What would hoses and belts don't need to be inspected? How do I know if I found something noteworth? 7. Rotate Tires - Again, I can probably figure this out. But, any time/money saving tips? 8. Inspect Air Filter - What exactly am I looking for? I replaced mine about 4000 miles ago... so, I am assuming it is still going to be good for a while. So, what might I look for during this inspection? 9. Check Window Washer Fluid Levels - Ok... I think I can handle this. Any thing you would like to add? Any brand preference among NICO members? How about that Rain-X additive...any luck with that? 10. Inspect Brake pads, discs, drums, linings, lines, cables - Again, what am I looking for? A step by step check list for these types of things would be really handy. 11. Inspect Steering and Suspension System - I am assuming this step will be different depending on whether you have a Q, Qt, Qa, G50, Y33... so, if anyone has some suggestions that would be great. 12. Inspect Drive Shaft Boots and Shaft - I wouldn't have any idea where to even begin on this one. I am sure there is a thread on NICO somewhere explaining it. If someone has the link, I will create a summary of the information. 13. Lubricate Properler Shaft Grease - Again, I have no clue. Can someone give me some help? 14. Inspect Exhaust System - What am I looking for? 15. Inspect Wiper Blades - Ok... now I will reach the height of my idiocy... how? What am I looking for? I can't figure out how to lift my wiper blades while the hood is shut? Is there a method for this? 16. Lubricate Locks, Door Hinges and Latches - WD40 ok with everyone? Can I get a list of all relevant hinges? 17. Inspect the Underbody - The what? Is this the frame, or the metal sheeting on the under side of the car? Or, more likely, both? What exactly am I looking for?

First off let me say how I do things...

I have 4 schedules I go by... Every oil change, every OTHER oil change, annually, and whenever its time... Rossman did a good job compiling all the crap together so ill go through and tell when I do everything and people can expound from there..... I dont feel all this is necessary at every oil change..... I may add a couple things to this...

1. (every oil change obviously) just take your socket (14mm if memory serves) and drain into pan...

2. (every OC) i like the cap type oil filter wrenches and go from the bottom... I posted what size it takes, cant remember off hand... I sitll have to take it back, that POS one i bought from napa broke on Ross's car!

3. (every OC or so, every other is acceptable to me) What I do is buy a years supply at a time--- ebay. I found 2 cans for $30 shipped one time.. Stellar deal! Joe charges $20 a can..... NO one locally sells it, you gotta buy it thru a retailer.....

4. (Once yearly)- The TB wont get that dirty after 3000 miles, so I just do it once per year. It needs it then but not much sooner...

5. (once yearly)- technically speaking the MAF isnt supposed to be cleaned, so I wouldnt touch it more than 2x yearly.....

6. (every OC)- Just look at them. On my water pump belt, one of the edges was starting to fray... I change mine every 30k regardless of how they look, and mine still looked great after 30k. Check the tension on them and make sure they are nice and snug but not too tight...... Tighten the tensioners are necessary. Also a good idea to periodically listen to the tensioners and replace before they seize on you... I think I have an extra water pump tensioner that I keep in my Q45 survival kit in the trunk.

7. (every other OC)- I dont actually rotate my tires at home due to the staggered setup i have.

8. (yearly)- I replace mine every year regardless... Dont worry about it because it will hardly be dirty over that one year (the interval form the factory is 30,000 miles!!

9. I just top off as necessary... I find that I only use it in the winter, but i regularly use rain-X on the windsheidl, never tried the additive, might give that a whirl..

10. (every OC)- Look at the pads and make sure they have at least 2mm of meat left... youll know once they get low as you should hear them squeek... Check the brake lines and make sure they look smooth ... Youll know when the rotors are bad when they start feeling warped.....

11. (every OC)- Its actually all pretty much the same... Just look at your shocks, make sure the boots are not cracked or broken, make sure the PS steering rack boots are not cracked, and just look for anything that looks goofy. If you go in there and replace stuff yourself youll konw even before you look in there what needs to be changed.

11a (every OC)- Change PS fluid with ATF.. I do this every time.. as long as you maintain fresh ATF, youllnever have to do a "flush".

12. (every so often)- These dont usually cause any problems, just look at the drive shafts on the rear axle (things going from the diff to the wheels) and make sure that they look good...

12a. (every year)- Change differential fluid..... Redline 75w90 is the way to go...

13. the factory driveshaft does not have any grease points, so nothing to worry about there.

14. (every so often)- I guess youll more/less listen... Look under there and make surethe hangers (the body side ones and the ones by the transmission) are in good shape..... Change the transmission ones whenever you change your transmission mount!

15. (yearly)- I replace my wiper blades yearly..... Im using a 28in drivers side, and a 22in passenger side... Thats the biggest physically possible to fit. people living out of the salt belt can probably replace less often..... But i find wiper blades after going through a summer and winter are about useless the next year.

16. (every OC)- Door hinges, HOOD HINGES (important), trunk hinges, and all latches..... Anything on the body that moves.....

17. Just one of those things where you just look for fluids leaking, rust starting, and things like that.

[maxnix]

That's a great list for the start of an article, Wes.

[elwesso]

Alrighty!!!

edit: id like for some more people to ask questions (ross?) and then we can go from there.....

Id also like to cover some other things.....

1. Brake fluid- at least once every 2 years, preferably sooner, and use only good fluid (valvoline synpower)... Do a full flush everytime the brakes are being worked on, it takes less than an hour!!!!!

2. transmission fluid- This is debateable, but I chose to do mine every year (less than 15k miles) with cheap fluid (conventional vs synthetic)... Id say every other fluid change you take the pan down, clean it and inspect things...

3. TCS fluid- It is brake fluid and it should be changed, there is a bleeder on the front..... You can bleed the entire TCS circuit through the TCS pump located in the front fenderwell on the passenger side.

4. Active fluid- Every 60k miles at least.. Not sure on the specifics on how to change that stuff out..... In my brief looking at the FSM, there are a few bleed points that you can get the fluid from.

5. (sorry, I *had* to do this) Factory air freshner loses its freshness every 6 months......

6. This also includes the usual things like spark plugs every 60,000 with ONLY NGK PFR5G-11 or PFR6G-11.. THe 6g's are a colder heat range.....

7. Coolant change... I did a full flush thoroughly doing it so that its really clean.. now I only change the coolant every spring and fall... In spring, i fill the radiator with water... which gives me a 70-30 water/AF ratio.. In the fall, i fill it completely with coolant, which gives me a 50-50 ratio...

Other things that people forget about:1. Tire pressure... Should be checked as often as possible, i like to check them every few times I fill up with gas, or when climate changes occur... If you dont drive it often, check it once a fortnight (i just wanted to use that word, yes)2. Spare tire pressure: Just remember to check it every so often, a flat spare tire does no good at all!! I dont carry a spare because I have AAA3. Checking the oil!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Just pull the dipstick out everytime you fill up the gas tank!!! Takes 5 mins.. lets you see how the oil is looking and in case you may need to add oil!!4. Underbody wash... Important to do every so often if you live in the salt belt... most auto car washes have a thing that sprays the bottom..... 5. Remember to wash out your wheel wells whenever you wash the car...

Things that only Wes Stinson does (in addition to things listed above, and YES he actually does do these thins.):1. Ohm injectores every so often: I ohm my injectors anytime I have my multmeter out.. sometimes you can see which ones are starting to get flaky and if you catch them early, you can have the injector at the ready to replace when it does indeed go bad.

2. Adjust headlights so they are level.....

3. Adjust windshield washer nozzles for optimal spray pattern and position on the windshield.

Ill think of more stuff later.

[ceningolmo]

I like the idea of putting a nice full service list together. The "ultimate" guide will work, but it is probably a bit too frequent on some things and not frequent enough on others. Plus, it doesn't really address some of the shortcuts that the group has used (ie, the turkey baster PS flush).

So... maybe we need to make a "Less than Ultimate but Certainly Adequate based on our Recent Experience" maintenance schedule? We could probably trim the title down a bit.

I think though, we have created two different projects.

First, the service list according the practical experience rather than theoretical use.

Second, I would still like to create a "The Complete Idiots Guide to the Q Oil Change". My idea would include a sort of step by step... "Now that you have pulled the drain plug and the oil is draining, you have about 5-10 mintues to add your can of BG44K to the fuel tank."... or something to that effect. Hopefully we could create a how-to that was both thorough and useful to people who are Newbs like me.

Wes... if you would like to tackle an article for the first, I would gladly write something up for the second. Being an idiot, it only seems natural that I would write an idiots guide to the Q oil change.

Any input?

[elwesso]

Really how id like to divide this up is into 3 stages...

Stage 1- How any Q45 should be maintained (above factory requirements)Stage 2- How any NICO quality Q45 should be maintaintedStage 3- Wes Stinson or equivalent (which is kinda sketchy at best, because I tend to let certain things slide and am OCD about other things).....

Ill think about this more in the shower tomorrow..... That is where I do all my thinking for the day... amazing how much can be accomplished in 15 mins!!

Also, what is slightly ironic, i was thinking of posting a thread similar to this filled with DIY tips... I got distracted by something else (big surprise i guess!!!!! ) and never posted it... I had like 20 things, oh well... Ill see if it comes back to me...

[ceningolmo]

Not sure how this will fit with your design... but, here is a start of what I was looking for. Of course, it needs to be edited, embelished, trimmed and generally tightened up. But, this is a starting point.

Ok… so here is a first run extremely rough draught for my version

The “Hey I’m a Newb and need all the help I can get” Guide to the Q45 Oil Change

Stuff you will need.

Socket wrench with 14mm and 10mm socket.6 quarts of Mobil 1 oil (10w30 recommended by Infiniti) - $25 at Walmart1 Mobil 1 or OEM oil filter - $10 at Autozone1 short funnel1 long funnel1 oil filter wrench (size 25400?) - $4 at Autozone1 can of BG44K (this stuff is tough to find, but this might help. http://www.bgfindashop.com) - $15-20 depending on who you get it from.1 can of Carb/Choke cleaner for the Throttle Body - $3 at Walmart1 can of Electrical Parts cleaner - $4 at Autozone1 Gallon jug of Windshield washer fluid – Dirt cheap1 Quart of ATF - $51 Turkey Baster1 Can of WD40 or equivelant lubricant - $41 Oil drain panA few shop ragsWheel lug wrech

Start by getting the front end of your car up in the air. Either jacks, jack stands, or ramps will do the job. Ramps are probably safest and most convenient if you have the room.

Get the hood open and remove the oil cap. Now, grab the 10mm socket and get under the car to start removing the bolts that fasten the underside shroud/splash guard. Once you have removed the bolts set them and the shroud aside.

Place your oil drain pan under the drain plug. Take your 14mm socket and loosen the drain plug on the oil pan and allow the oil to drain completely. Keep in mind that if you engine is hot, so is your oil. So, don’t burn yourself!

While you are waiting for the oil to drain you have about 5-10 minutes to kill. So, grab your can of WD40 and start spraying hinges and latches. Anything on the body that moves needs to be lubricated. But, the hinges on the hood are most important as these tend to get sticky. If you get sticky hood hinges its possible you will bend the hood while opening/closing, so make sure you get these good.

You might want to grab that jug of Windshield washer fluid as well. The reservoir is at the very front of the engine compartment right next to the hood latch. Take the cap off and pour some in until it back up in the reservoir entrance.

Now would also be an excellent time to dump your can of BG44K in the fuel tank. You will need the long funnel to get the stuff in to your fuel tank. Ideally you would like to do your oil change when you have about ¼ tank of fuel. When you have completed your oil change you should head to the gas station for a fill up and wash.

By this time your oil should be pretty well drained. Get back under there with your 14mm socket and reinstall the drain plug. Use a shop rag to clean up the oil around the drain plug.

Ok, now its time to get that oil filter out of there. Using a cap style filter wrench, and approaching from under the car, you should be able to loosen the oil filter without too much trouble. The filter is located about ½ way up the engine on the drivers side. You will have to thread your arm up between the belts and the radiator. If you have trouble loosening the oil filter you might need to use the socket attachment on the filter wrench. Make sure you have the oil drain pan under the oil filter as it will probably leak about ¼ quart of oil when removed.

Now to put on the new filter. Remove the filter from the box and put some dab some of the old oil on your fingers. Now dampen the rubber gasket on the new oil filter with the old oil. Once the filter is prepped, you can simply thread it in to place. Hand tightening is usually good enough, but use the wrench to give it an extra 1/8th of a turn if necessary.

Now switch out your 14mm back to the 10mm and reattach the underside shroud. You should be all set under the engine.

Take your short funnel and your 6 quarts of oil and dump them in the engine.

Now its time to put in some fresh ATF for the Power Steering system. The power steering fluid reservoir is on the drivers side about 1/3 of the way back from the front of the engine compartment. Take the cap off the reservoir and remove the little filter underneath it. Now use your turkey baster to remove the fluid in the reservoir. Take the fluid down near the bottom but do not attempt to drain it dry. The idea is to partially replace the fluid with fresh fluid on a consistent basis. This will prevent the need for a full PS flush.

Next up is cleaning the throttle body and the MAF. Typically the TB and MAF only needs to be cleaned once or twice per year. If this oil change will include these procedures you may find detailed instruction here (http://www.q45.org/maf.html) and here (http://www.q45.org/tbclean.html).

Rotating your tires should be done every 1-2 oil changes depending on who you ask. If you are running stock wheels/tires or if you have the same size aftermarket wheels/tires on all four corners, you can do this now. If you have a staggered setup, you should probably have someone do this for you. Rotating involves taking the rear wheels and moving them to the front, while taking the fronts, switching sides of the car, and moving them to the rear.

While you have the wheels off during the rotation process you should inspect the brakes and suspension. Make sure the brake pads have some meat left on them and that the rotors don’t look all bent and warped. Also take a peak at the brake lines to be sure they are smooth and unbroken. Just look at your shocks, make sure the boots are not cracked or broken, and make sure the PS steering rack boots are not cracked, and just look for anything that looks goofy. If you go in there and replace stuff yourself you’ll know even before you look in there what need to be changed.

Ok…now its time to give the car a good “once over” to make sure there aren’t further problems to be dealt with. Take a look at the belts in the engine compartment. If any of them are starting to fray or are running a little loose, they might need attention. You can tighten a loose belt with the tensioners (see Wes on NICO if you don’t know how to do this), but a frayed belt needs to be replaced.

While the car is still lifted make sure to check the exhaust system. Look under there and make sure the hangers (the body side ones and the ones by the transmission) are in good shape..... Change the transmission ones whenever you change your transmission mount!

Lastly, make sure you give a look under the car for any general problems with the underbody. Rust, hanging parts, cats you may have run over… the usual stuff. If you identify something that looks funky, a search of the NICO forums will probably help you identify the problem and the solution.

[blind6]

Can this be broken down for further clarification?What /where is the TCS and Active fluid?On step 11a. Did you mean ATF in the P/S pump or change at the same time as the ATF?

I'm slow........

[ceningolmo]

Can this be broken down for further clarification?What /where is the TCS and Active fluid?On step 11a. Did you mean ATF in the P/S pump or change at the same time as the ATF?

I'm slow........

Not sure on TCS, but the Active Fluid is located along very edge of the engine compartment on the drivers side. You can fill it easily enough, though Active Fluid costs a fortune!

Doing an Active flush is not a fun job based on the description in the FSM. The dealership offers a flush, but they quoted me about $300 to do it.

He did mean ATF in the PS fluid... it is much easier to replace the PS fluid with ATF. Apparently ATF will do an equal job.

[elwesso]

Not bad Ross..... Not bad at all!!!!!

Hers a couple things id like to add into what you've said.....

1. You dont have to take the undersheild all the way off.. I just undo the front part and let it hang down, it gives you enough clearance..2. I like to dip the very front of the new oil filter into the old oil... That way you make sure you have enough... Just dip of it in the old pan of oil..... 3. be sure to take your old oil to a disposal place... Autozone will take it most of the time...4. Putting in the BG is best done with a funnel with a flexy hose... I got one at the zone for $2... its like a regular funnel except it has a bendable hose...5. If we're going to break this down, its best to run the 44k the tank BEFORE the oil change, however it doesnt make much difference... Also best to clean the TB before, too.6. TCS is locaed on the passenger side, by the battery. Looks like another brake master cylinder.

[qship96]

definitly do the bg44 on the tank of gas just before the oil change{wait to change oil until this doctored gas is almost gone} as my oil analysis shows spiked lead levels {engine bearing wear} if bg is used anytime except right before an oil change- we are talking about lead levels of 10-13 PPm as compared to 1-3ppm without bg additive attacking the bearings.

[blind6]

You know I thought that I knew alot about what I was doing under the hood. After finding this forum I'm finding out there's a helluva lot more to remember. It's funny reading all the posts that are put up and all the info you all can provide. I spend half the night trying to catch up on reading prior posts and then realize everything that I could say has already been said. This forum is more than any nissan/infiniti owner could ask for. In the mean time i'll keep reading and maybe catch up soon and have something to bring to the table. As soon as I get my car back from the body shop I'll post up some pics. It's really stock but a good starting point.

[ceningolmo]

Not bad Ross..... Not bad at all!!!!!

Hers a couple things id like to add into what you've said.....

1. You dont have to take the undersheild all the way off.. I just undo the front part and let it hang down, it gives you enough clearance..2. I like to dip the very front of the new oil filter into the old oil... That way you make sure you have enough... Just dip of it in the old pan of oil..... 3. be sure to take your old oil to a disposal place... Autozone will take it most of the time...4. Putting in the BG is best done with a funnel with a flexy hose... I got one at the zone for $2... its like a regular funnel except it has a bendable hose...5. If we're going to break this down, its best to run the 44k the tank BEFORE the oil change, however it doesnt make much difference... Also best to clean the TB before, too.6. TCS is locaed on the passenger side, by the battery. Looks like another brake master cylinder.

OK... here is another draught with Wes' changes included. If you see anything else that needs to be changed... please post!

Stuff you will need.

Socket wrench with 14mm and 10mm socket.6 quarts of Mobil 1 oil (10w30 recommended by Infiniti) - $25 at Walmart1 Mobil 1 or OEM oil filter - $10 at Autozone1 short funnel1 Flexi-funnel - $2 at Autozone1 oil filter wrench (size 25400?) - $4 at Autozone1 can of BG44K (this stuff is tough to find, but this might help. http://www.bgfindashop.com) - $15-20 depending on who you get it from.1 can of Carb/Choke cleaner for the Throttle Body - $3 at Walmart1 can of Electrical Parts cleaner - $4 at Autozone1 Gallon jug of Windshield washer fluid – Dirt cheap1 Quart of ATF - $51 Turkey Baster1 Can of WD40 or equivelant lubricant - $41 Oil drain pan1 Tire Air Pressure GaugeA few shop ragsWheel lug wrech

A little work needs to be done prior to completing your oil change. Ideally you should run a tank of fuel treated with BG44K through your engine just before the oil change.

A flexible funnel works best to get the stuff in to your fuel tank. Ideally you would like to treat your fuel when you have about ¼ tank of fuel. Once you have run that tank of fuel back down to about 1/4, it is time for your oil change. Once you complete the oild change, you will want to head to the gas station to replenish your fuel.

Cleaning the Throttle Body on your Q should be done about 1-2 times per year. If this oil change is going to include a TB cleaning, you should complete this about the same time that you do your BG44K treatment. You can find detailed instructions for the TB cleaning here (http://www.q45.org/tbclean.html).

Once you have your work done, and have run through your tank of fuel, it is time to start on the oil change.

Start by getting the front end of your car up in the air. Either jacks, jack stands, or ramps will do the job. Ramps are probably safest and most convenient if you have the room.

Get the hood open and remove the oil cap. Now, grab the 10mm socket and get under the car to start removing the bolts that fasten the front of teh underside shroud/splash guard. It is not necessary to remove the entire shroud. If you simply remove the front bolts, you can leave the shroud hanging... this will leave enough clearance to change the oil and the oil filter.

Place your oil drain pan under the drain plug. Take your 14mm socket and loosen the drain plug on the oil pan and allow the oil to drain completely. Keep in mind that if you engine is hot, so is your oil. So, don’t burn yourself!

While you are waiting for the oil to drain you have about 5-10 minutes to kill. So, grab your can of WD40 and start spraying hinges and latches. Anything on the body that moves needs to be lubricated. But, the hinges on the hood are most important as these tend to get sticky. If you get sticky hood hinges its possible you will bend the hood while opening/closing, so make sure you get these good.

You might want to grab that jug of Windshield washer fluid as well. The reservoir is at the very front of the engine compartment right next to the hood latch. Take the cap off and pour some in until it back up in the reservoir entrance.

By this time your oil should be pretty well drained. Get back under there with your 14mm socket and reinstall the drain plug. Use a shop rag to clean up the oil around the drain plug.

Ok, now its time to get that oil filter out of there. Using a cap style filter wrench, and approaching from under the car, you should be able to loosen the oil filter without too much trouble. The filter is located about ½ way up the engine on the drivers side. You will have to thread your arm up between the belts and the radiator. If you have trouble loosening the oil filter you might need to use the socket attachment on the filter wrench. Make sure you have the oil drain pan under the oil filter as it will probably leak about ¼ quart of oil when removed.

Now to put on the new filter. Remove the filter from the box and dip the front of it in the pan of oil that just drained. This will dampen the rubber gasket on the new oil filter and ensure a proper seal. Once the filter is prepped, you can simply thread it in to place. Hand tightening is usually good enough, but use the wrench to give it an extra 1/8th of a turn if necessary.

Now switch out your 14mm back to the 10mm and reattach the underside shroud. You should be all set under the engine.

Take your short funnel and your 6 quarts of oil and dump them in the engine.

Now its time to put in some fresh ATF for the Power Steering system. The power steering fluid reservoir is on the drivers side about 1/3 of the way back from the front of the engine compartment. Take the cap off the reservoir and remove the little filter underneath it. Now use your turkey baster to remove the fluid in the reservoir. Take the fluid down near the bottom but do not attempt to drain it dry. The idea is to partially replace the fluid with fresh fluid on a consistent basis. This will prevent the need for a full PS flush.

Next up is cleaning the MAF. Typically the MAF only needs to be cleaned once or twice per year. If this oil change will include these procedures you may find detailed instruction here (http://www.q45.org/maf.html).

Rotating your tires should be done every 1-2 oil changes depending on who you ask. If you are running stock wheels/tires or if you have the same size aftermarket wheels/tires on all four corners, you can do this now. If you have a staggered setup, you should probably have someone do this for you. Rotating involves taking the rear wheels and moving them to the front, while taking the fronts, switching sides of the car, and moving them to the rear. Don't forget to check your tire pressure, and fill if necessary.

While you have the wheels off during the rotation process you should inspect the brakes and suspension. Make sure the brake pads have some meat left on them and that the rotors don’t look all bent and warped. Also take a peak at the brake lines to be sure they are smooth and unbroken. Just look at your shocks, make sure the boots are not cracked or broken, and make sure the PS steering rack boots are not cracked, and just look for anything that looks goofy. If you go in there and replace stuff yourself you’ll know even before you look in there what need to be changed.

Ok…now its time to give the car a good “once over” to make sure there aren’t further problems to be dealt with. Take a look at the belts in the engine compartment. If any of them are starting to fray or are running a little loose, they might need attention. You can tighten a loose belt with the tensioners (see Wes on NICO if you don’t know how to do this), but a frayed belt needs to be replaced.

While the car is still lifted make sure to check the exhaust system. Look under there and make sure the hangers (the body side ones and the ones by the transmission) are in good shape..... Change the transmission ones whenever you change your transmission mount!

Lastly, make sure you give a look under the car for any general problems with the underbody. Rust, hanging parts, cats you may have run over… the usual stuff. If you identify something that looks funky, a search of the NICO forums will probably help you identify the problem and the solution.

Once you have completed all the above, it is time to get the car down off the jacks and run her up to the car wash and gas station. Bring your old oil with you so that it can be disposed of properly. Autozone will take your old oil most times.