🔧 Altima - Engine Oil & Oil Filter Change

This job drains the old oil, replaces the oil filter, and refills with fresh oil to protect your engine from wear and sludge. On your Altima, the drain plug is on the oil pan and the filter is accessible from underneath after removing the lower cover.

Difficulty Level: Beginner | Estimated Time: 0.5-1.0 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Work on a level surface and support the car with jack stands—never rely on a jack alone.
• ⚠️ Engine oil can be hot. Let the engine cool 15–30 minutes if it was just driven.
• ⚠️ Keep oil off the exhaust and belts to prevent smoke/odor.
• ⚠️ Wear gloves and safety glasses; used oil is harmful to skin.
• 🔋 Battery disconnect is not required for this service.

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🔧 Required Tools

You'll need the following tools for this repair:

• Floor jack (rated 2-ton minimum)
• Jack stands (rated 2-ton minimum)
• Wheel chocks
• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves
• Drain pan (6-quart minimum)
• 14mm socket
• 3/8" drive ratchet
• Torque wrench (10–80 ft-lbs range)
• Oil filter wrench (65mm 14-flute)
• 10mm socket
• Trim clip removal tool
• Funnel
• Shop rags

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Engine oil (0W-20 full synthetic) - Qty: 5 quarts
• 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.
• Chock the rear wheels with wheel chocks.
• Raise the front with a floor jack and set it securely on jack stands at the factory jack points.
• Warm oil drains faster, but don’t burn yourself.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Remove the lower engine cover (undertray)

• Position the drain pan (6-quart minimum) under the engine area.
• Use a 10mm socket with a 3/8" drive ratchet to remove the undertray bolts.
• Use a trim clip removal tool to pop out any plastic clips. (A trim clip tool is a fork-shaped pry tool that removes plastic fasteners without breaking them.)
• Set the undertray hardware aside so nothing gets lost.

Step 2: Drain the old engine oil

• Locate the oil pan drain plug at the bottom of the oil pan.
• Use a 14mm socket with a 3/8" drive ratchet to loosen the drain plug.
• Finish removing the plug by hand and let the oil drain fully into the drain pan (6-quart minimum).
• Remove the old crush washer from the drain plug and install the new oil drain plug crush washer.

Step 3: Reinstall and torque the drain plug

• Wipe the drain hole area clean using shop rags.
• Thread the drain plug in by hand first to avoid cross-threading.
• Use a torque wrench (10–80 ft-lbs range) with a 14mm socket to tighten the drain plug: Torque to 34 N·m (25 ft-lbs).

Step 4: Remove the old oil filter

• Move the drain pan (6-quart minimum) under the oil filter area (it will spill some oil).
• Use an oil filter wrench (65mm 14-flute) to loosen the oil filter, then spin it off by hand.
• Make sure the old rubber gasket ring came off with the old filter (a stuck gasket can cause a leak).
• Wipe the filter mounting surface clean with shop rags.

Step 5: Install the new oil filter

• Put a light film of fresh oil on the new filter’s rubber gasket using a gloved finger.
• Spin the new oil filter on by hand until the gasket touches, then tighten an additional 2/3 turn by hand.
• Hand-tight only—tools can over-tighten.

Step 6: Reinstall the lower engine cover (undertray)

• Reposition the undertray.
• Use the trim clip removal tool to align clips, then press clips back in.
• Use a 10mm socket with a 3/8" drive ratchet to reinstall the bolts snugly.

Step 7: Refill with fresh oil

• Lower the car off the jack stands using the floor jack.
• Open the hood and remove the oil filler cap.
• Use a funnel to add 0W-20 full synthetic. Add about 4.5 quarts first.
• Reinstall the oil cap.

Step 8: Start, check for leaks, and set the oil level

• Start the engine and let it idle for 30–60 seconds.
• Turn the engine off and wait 5 minutes for oil to drain back to the pan.
• Check underneath for leaks around the drain plug and oil filter.
• Check the dipstick, then add oil in small amounts using the funnel until it reaches the full mark (typical total with filter is about 4.9 quarts).

Step 9: Reset the oil maintenance reminder (if equipped)

• Use the steering wheel buttons to navigate the gauge display menus.
• Reset path commonly found as: Settings > Maintenance > Oil and Filter > Reset.

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✅ After Repair

• Recheck for leaks after your first short drive.
• Recheck the dipstick level the next morning on level ground and top off if needed.
• Dispose of used oil and the old filter at an oil recycling drop-off (most parts stores accept it).

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $90-$180 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $35-$70 (parts only)

You Save: $55-$110 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 0.5-1.0 hours.

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🎯 Ready to get started?

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