🔧 Q50 - Engine Oil & Oil Filter Change

You’ll drain the old engine oil, replace the oil filter, and refill with the correct full-synthetic oil. Fresh oil protects your turbo engine from wear and sludge, and the new filter keeps grit from circulating.

Difficulty Level: Beginner | Estimated Time: 1.0-1.5 hours

Assumption: your Q50 2.0t uses the cartridge-style oil filter housing.

---

⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Work on level ground and support the car with jack stands—never rely on a jack alone.
• ⚠️ Let the engine cool 10–20 minutes; hot oil can burn you.
• ⚠️ Keep oil off the serpentine belt and exhaust—wipe spills immediately.
• ⚠️ Wear nitrile gloves and safety glasses.

---

🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum)
• Wheel chocks
• Oil drain pan (at least 10-quart)
• Funnel
• Metric socket set
• 14mm socket
• 27mm socket
• Ratchet
• Torque wrench (10–80 Nm range)
• Trim clip removal tool
• Flat-blade screwdriver
• Oil filter cap wrench (27mm) (specialty)
• Nitrile gloves
• Safety glasses
• Shop rags

---

🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Engine oil (full synthetic, MB 229.5, typically 0W-40) - Qty: 7 quarts
• Oil filter cartridge - Qty: 1
• Oil filter housing O-ring set - Qty: 1
• Oil drain plug crush washer - Qty: 1

---

📋 Before You Begin

• Park your Q50 on level ground, set the parking brake, and place wheel chocks behind the rear tires.
• Warm the engine for 2–3 minutes, then shut it off. This helps the oil drain faster.
• Open the hood and remove the oil fill cap (this helps oil drain smoothly).
• Lift the front with a floor jack and support with jack stands at the proper lift points.

---

🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Remove the lower splash shield (undercover)

• Place your oil drain pan under the engine area.
• Use a trim clip removal tool and flat-blade screwdriver to remove the plastic clips/fasteners holding the front undercover.
• Use a metric socket set with a ratchet to remove any bolts, then lower the panel and set it aside.
• Tip: Keep clips in a cup.

Step 2: Drain the engine oil

• Locate the oil pan drain plug at the bottom of the oil pan.
• Use a 14mm socket with a ratchet to loosen the drain plug, then finish removing it by hand.
• Let the oil drain until it’s down to a slow drip (typically 10–15 minutes).
• Replace the drain plug washer with a new crush washer (it’s a soft ring that seals the plug).
• Reinstall the drain plug by hand first (prevents cross-threading), then tighten with a torque wrench: Torque to 30 Nm (22 ft-lbs).

Step 3: Replace the oil filter (cartridge style)

• Find the oil filter housing cap on top/front area of the engine.
• Place shop rags around the housing to catch drips.
• Use a 27mm socket (or oil filter cap wrench (27mm)) with a ratchet to loosen the housing cap.
• Lift the cap straight up—there will be oil on it.
• Pull the old filter cartridge off the cap (it snaps on).
• Remove the old O-ring(s) from the cap using a flat-blade screwdriver carefully (don’t scratch the plastic).
• Install the new O-ring(s) and lightly coat them with fresh engine oil (this prevents tearing and leaks).
• Snap the new filter cartridge onto the cap, then reinstall the cap by hand.
• Tighten with a torque wrench: Torque to 25 Nm (18 ft-lbs).
• Tip: Hand-start threads every time.

Step 4: Refill with new engine oil

• Insert a funnel into the oil fill opening.
• Pour in 6.5 quarts first (don’t dump all 7 at once).
• Reinstall the oil fill cap.

Step 5: Start, check for leaks, then set final oil level

• Start the engine and let it idle 30–60 seconds.
• Shut the engine off and wait 5 minutes for oil to settle.
• Inspect underneath with a flashlight and shop rags: check the drain plug and filter housing for leaks.
• Top off slowly as needed (usually ends up close to ~7.0 quarts total with filter), then recheck.

Step 6: Reinstall the undercover and lower the car

• Reinstall the splash shield using the metric socket set, ratchet, and the clips with the trim clip removal tool.
• Raise the car slightly with the floor jack, remove the jack stands, and lower the car.

---

✅ After Repair

• Recheck the oil level after a short 5–10 minute drive and top off if needed.
• Reset the oil maintenance reminder on the center display: Menu > Settings > Maintenance > Oil and Filter > Reset.
• Dispose of used oil and the old filter at a recycling center/parts store—never dump oil on the ground.

---

💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $120-$220 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $45-$90 (parts only)

You Save: $75-$130 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 1.0-1.5 hours.

---

🎯 Ready to get started?

HowToo makes it easy: same-day/2-day shipping on every part, plus all the tools and specialty tools you need! Check out the parts and tools sections below to add everything to your cart.