🔧 Crosstrek - Engine Oil & Oil Filter Change

This service drains the old engine oil, replaces the oil filter, and refills with fresh oil to protect your engine from wear and sludge. On your Crosstrek, the oil filter is located on the top/front of the engine, which makes it cleaner and easier than many cars.

Difficulty Level: Beginner | Estimated Time: 1.0-2.0 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Work on a level surface and support the car with jack stands—never rely on a floor jack alone.
• ⚠️ Engine oil can be hot. Let the engine cool 10–20 minutes if you just drove.
• ⚠️ Keep oil off the exhaust and rubber belts; wipe spills immediately.
• ⚠️ No battery disconnect is required for this service.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Nitrile gloves
• Safety glasses
• Wheel chocks
• Floor jack (rated 2-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 2-ton minimum)
• Drain pan (8-quart minimum)
• Funnel
• Shop rags
• Socket wrench ratchet (3/8" drive)
• 17mm socket
• 12mm socket
• Phillips screwdriver
• Trim clip removal tool
• Torque wrench (3/8" drive)
• Oil filter cap wrench (65mm, 14-flute) (specialty)

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Engine oil (0W-20 full synthetic) - Qty: 6 quarts
• Engine oil filter - Qty: 1
• Oil drain plug crush washer - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, shift to P, and set the parking brake.
• Place wheel chocks behind the rear tires.
• Gather tools and parts. The trim clip removal tool is a small pry tool that pops plastic clips out without breaking them.
• Warm the engine for 2–3 minutes, then shut it off. Warm oil drains faster.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Raise and support the front of the car

• Use wheel chocks to block the rear wheels.
• Use a floor jack (rated 2-ton minimum) to lift the front of the car.
• Place jack stands (rated 2-ton minimum) under the proper front support points and lower the car onto them.
• Give the car a gentle push to confirm it is stable before you go underneath.

Step 2: Remove the front under cover (splash shield)

• Put on safety glasses and nitrile gloves.
• Use a trim clip removal tool to pop out the plastic clips holding the under cover.
• Use a 12mm socket with a socket wrench ratchet (3/8" drive) to remove any 12mm bolts holding the under cover (some versions use clips + a few bolts).
• Use a Phillips screwdriver if your under cover uses Phillips screws.
• Set the under cover and hardware aside in a small pile so nothing gets lost.

Step 3: Drain the old engine oil

• Place the drain pan (8-quart minimum) under the oil pan drain plug.
• Use a 17mm socket with a socket wrench ratchet (3/8" drive) to loosen the drain plug, then finish removing it by hand.
• Let the oil drain until it slows to an occasional drip (usually 5–10 minutes).
• Remove the old oil drain plug crush washer from the drain plug and wipe the plug clean with shop rags.

Step 4: Reinstall the drain plug with a new crush washer

• Install the new oil drain plug crush washer onto the drain plug.
• Thread the drain plug in by hand first (this helps prevent cross-threading).
• Use a torque wrench (3/8" drive) with a 17mm socket to tighten the drain plug: Torque to 43 Nm (31 ft-lbs).
• Wipe any oil off the oil pan using shop rags.

Step 5: Replace the oil filter (top-mounted)

• Open the hood and locate the oil filter on the top/front area of the engine.
• Place shop rags around the base of the filter to catch drips.
• Remove the filter by hand; if it’s too tight, use an oil filter cap wrench (65mm, 14-flute) (specialty) to loosen it.
• Make sure the old rubber gasket came off with the old filter (sometimes it sticks to the engine).
• Lightly coat the new filter’s rubber gasket with fresh oil (use a small amount of new oil from your bottle).
• Install the new filter by hand until the gasket touches, then tighten an additional 3/4 turn by hand. Do not use a wrench to tighten.

Step 6: Reinstall the under cover

• Reposition the under cover.
• Reinstall bolts using a 12mm socket and socket wrench ratchet (3/8" drive).
• Reinstall clips using a trim clip removal tool (use it to align/push the clip center back in).

Step 7: Refill engine oil

• Remove the oil fill cap on top of the engine.
• Insert a funnel and add 0W-20 full synthetic oil.
• Refill amount (with filter change): about 5.1 US quarts (4.8 L).
• Reinstall the oil fill cap.

Step 8: Start the engine and check for leaks

• Start the engine and let it idle for 30–60 seconds.
• Look under the car for leaks at the drain plug area.
• Shut the engine off and wait 5 minutes for oil to settle.
• Check the dipstick level, wipe it with shop rags, reinsert, then read it again. Top off using the funnel if needed.

Step 9: Reset the maintenance reminder (if enabled)

• Using the dash display controls, go to Info > Maintenance > Engine Oil.
• Select Reset (or set the next due mileage/date).
• Some trims show this on the upper display.

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✅ After Repair

• Recheck the dipstick the next morning (cold engine) and top off if needed.
• Inspect your driveway for drips over the next 1–2 days.
• Pour used oil into a sealed container and take it (and the old filter) to a recycling drop-off or auto parts store that accepts used oil.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: ₹3,000-₹6,000 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: ₹1,800-₹3,800 (parts only)

You Save: ₹1,200-₹2,200 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run ₹1,000-₹2,000/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 0.7-1.0 hours.

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🎯 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.