🔧 Altima - Engine Oil & Oil Filter Replacement

This service drains the old engine oil, replaces the oil filter, and refills with fresh oil to protect your engine from wear. On your Altima, doing this on schedule helps prevent sludge buildup and keeps oil pressure stable.

Difficulty Level: Beginner | Estimated Time: 0.8-1.5 hours

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Work on level ground and support the car with jack stands before going underneath.
• ⚠️ Let the engine cool 15–30 minutes; hot oil can burn you.
• ⚠️ Wear gloves and safety glasses; oil will splash when the drain plug comes out.
• ⚠️ Keep oil off the serpentine belt and exhaust parts; wipe spills immediately.
• ⚠️ 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 (at least 8-quart)
• 14mm socket
• 3/8" drive ratchet
• 3/8" drive torque wrench
• 10mm socket
• Trim clip removal tool
• Oil filter wrench (adjustable)
• Funnel
• Shop rags

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Engine oil (SAE 5W-30, API/SP or newer) - Qty: 5 quarts
• Engine oil filter - Qty: 1
• Oil drain plug crush washer - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• 🅿️ Park on level ground, set the parking brake, and chock the rear wheels.
• 📦 Gather everything first; once you start draining, you can’t move the car easily.
• 📖 “Crush washer” is the soft sealing washer on the drain plug; replace it to prevent leaks.
• 🧰 If your Altima has a lower splash shield, you’ll remove it for access.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Warm the engine slightly

• Start the engine and let it idle 2–3 minutes.
• Shut the engine off and wait 10–15 minutes so the oil is warm (flows well) but not scorching.
• Warm oil drains faster and more completely.

Step 2: Raise and support the front of the car

• Place wheel chocks behind the rear tires.
• Use a floor jack (rated 2-ton minimum) to lift the front jacking point.
• Set the car onto jack stands (rated 2-ton minimum) and gently shake the car to confirm it’s stable.

Step 3: Remove the lower splash shield (if equipped)

• Use a 10mm socket to remove the small bolts.
• Use a trim clip removal tool to pop out plastic clips (a trim clip tool is a forked pry tool that removes push-clips without breaking them).
• Set the shield and hardware aside in a small pile so nothing gets lost.

Step 4: Drain the engine oil

• Place the drain pan (at least 8-quart) under the oil pan drain plug.
• Use a 14mm socket with a 3/8" drive ratchet to loosen the drain plug.
• Finish removing the plug by hand and pull it away quickly so oil flows into the pan.
• Let the oil drain until it slows to an occasional drip (typically 5–10 minutes).

Step 5: Reinstall the drain plug with a new crush washer

• Remove the old washer from the drain plug and install the oil drain plug crush washer.
• Thread the drain plug in by hand first (prevents cross-threading).
• Use a 3/8" drive torque wrench with a 14mm socket: Torque to 34 Nm (25 ft-lbs).

Step 6: Remove the oil filter

• Move the drain pan under the oil filter area (some oil will spill).
• Use an oil filter wrench (adjustable) to loosen the filter, then spin it off by hand.
• Check that the old rubber gasket came off with the filter. If it’s stuck to the engine, peel it off and wipe the surface with shop rags.
• Double-gasket = big leak. Always check.

Step 7: Install the new oil filter

• Put a light film of fresh oil on the new filter’s rubber gasket (use a dab from the bottle).
• Spin the filter on by hand until the gasket contacts the engine surface.
• Tighten by hand an additional 2/3 turn. Do not use the filter wrench to tighten.

Step 8: Reinstall the splash shield (if removed)

• Reposition the shield and install clips with the trim clip removal tool (push them fully seated).
• Install bolts using the 10mm socket and 3/8" drive ratchet snugly (do not over-tighten plastic).

Step 9: Refill with new engine oil

• Lower the car off the stands using the floor jack (rated 2-ton minimum).
• Open the hood and remove the oil filler cap.
• Insert a funnel and add 4.5 quarts of SAE 5W-30 to start.
• Reinstall the oil cap.

Step 10: Start, check for leaks, and set the final oil level

• Start the engine and let it idle 30–60 seconds.
• Shut it off and look underneath for leaks at the drain plug and oil filter.
• Wait 5 minutes, then check the dipstick, wipe, reinsert, and read level.
• Add oil in small amounts until the level is at the “FULL” mark (most oil changes on this engine end up near about 5 quarts total, including the filter).

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✅ After Repair

• 🔍 Recheck for leaks after your first short drive (5–10 minutes).
• 🧪 Recheck the dipstick level the next morning on level ground; top off if needed.
• 🗑️ Take used oil and the old filter to a recycling center or parts store that accepts waste oil.
• 🧭 If your cluster shows an oil/maintenance reminder, reset it using the meter buttons (procedure varies by cluster).

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: ₹3,000-₹7,000 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: ₹1,800-₹4,500 (parts only)

You Save: ₹1,200-₹2,500 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/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.