Versa DIY oil change

[longo]

If ever there was an good excuse for takeing in a car to the Dealership for an oil change, the Versa is it. Altho it only holds about 3 quarts of oil and the filter isn't much bigger than a tea cup, when you try to get it out, you will see why you need True Grit to DIY. There is a rather large elaborate plastic splash shield with muliple bolts and plastic push in connectors holding it in place under the front of the car and covering the filter. The tiny filter looks pretty much impossible to get out from above, so car ramps, or jacks, 10 mm socket, screw driver, drain pan, creeper, filter wrench and a good leather glove is what it will take to get that little filter off...and a new one back on.

If you can handle all that grief and dirty dripping oil, the rest is easy.

[XterraVersa]

I am a big guy & have no problem removing the filter without removing the plastic from underneath. I spill very little oil when the filter comes off.

And if you only used 3 qts, check your oil level. 4 1/8qt is needed.

[longo]

You are right Big Guy,

in the U.S. 4 1/8 quarts is a normal oil change. I am in Canada and the refill is "a little over 3 quarts" or 3.9 liters I just had another look under the hood of my Versa SL and I can see where one might get at the filter from above. On mine I would need to take off the air induction system and then remove the radiator expansion tank.

If you have some other way of getting down through all that "stuff" in the way of the filter, please share it with the rest of us.

AS the oil filter mounts horizontally on the engine, once it is spun back off the seal, the dirty oil contents of the filter run out down the side of the block and then on the plastic shroud.

I am thinking of cutting into that plastic splash pan and installing a removable 'trap door' kind of access to get at the filter in the future, without taking off the whole piece.

Modified by longo at 9:11 PM 2/4/2007
Modified by longo at 9:13 PM 2/4/2007

[Bubs daddy]

I just changed my oil and removing that splash guard takes just a few minutes. Four plastic punch fasteners and four bolts. Piece of cake.

[proxim2020]

You are right Big Guy,

in the U.S. 4 1/8 quarts is a normal oil change. I am in Canada and the refill is "a little over 3 quarts" or 3.9 liters

3.9 liters translates into 4.12 quarts. That's 4 1/8 quarts right?

[justmerging]

proxim - you are correct (more or less, 4.125=4 1/8) . I always do it from underneath. But then again, I have the aid of a lift at work.