🔧 Grand Cherokee - Engine Oil & Oil Filter Replacement

This service drains the old engine oil and replaces the oil filter so your engine stays lubricated and clean. On your Grand Cherokee’s 3.6L engine, the oil filter is a top-mounted cartridge (a filter element that fits inside a reusable cap), which makes filter changes cleaner than a spin-on style.

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

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Let the engine cool 15-30 minutes to avoid burns from hot oil and exhaust parts.
• ⚠️ Support your Grand Cherokee with jack stands; never rely on a floor jack alone.
• ⚠️ Keep oil off belts and electrical connectors; wipe spills immediately.
• ⚠️ Wear gloves and safety glasses; used oil can irritate skin.

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🔧 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
• Safety glasses
• Nitrile gloves
• Drain pan (8-quart minimum)
• Funnel
• Ratchet
• 13mm socket
• 24mm socket
• Torque wrench (10-50 ft-lb range)
• Trim clip tool
• Shop rags

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Engine oil (SAE 0W-20 full synthetic, MS-6395 compatible) - Qty: 6 quarts
• Engine oil filter cartridge kit (includes new O-rings) - Qty: 1
• Drain plug seal washer - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park 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. Warm oil drains faster, but you don’t want it scorching hot.
• Open the hood and remove the oil fill cap to help the crankcase vent while draining.
• If your Grand Cherokee has a front skid plate/belly pan blocking access, plan to remove it first.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Raise and secure the vehicle

• Place wheel chocks behind the rear tires.
• Use a floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum) to lift the front of your Grand Cherokee at the front jacking point.
• Set it down onto jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum) placed at the proper support points.
• Give the vehicle a gentle push to confirm it’s stable before sliding underneath.

Step 2: Remove the skid plate/belly pan (if equipped)

• If a skid plate blocks the oil drain plug, use a ratchet with a 13mm socket to remove the mounting bolts.
• If there are plastic push-clips, remove them with a trim clip tool.
• Set the hardware aside in a small pile so nothing gets lost.

Step 3: Drain the engine oil

• Position the drain pan (8-quart minimum) under the oil pan drain plug.
• Use a ratchet with a 13mm socket 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).
• Wipe the drain plug clean with shop rags and replace the drain plug seal washer if your replacement includes one.

Step 4: Reinstall and torque the drain plug

• Thread the drain plug in by hand first to avoid cross-threading.
• Use a torque wrench (10-50 ft-lb range) with a 13mm socket to tighten the drain plug: Torque to 34 Nm (25 ft-lb).
• Hand-thread first, then torque.

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

• Locate the oil filter housing cap on top of the engine. It has a hex molded into the cap.
• Place shop rags around the housing to catch drips.
• Use a ratchet with a 24mm socket to loosen and remove the housing cap.
• Pull the old filter cartridge off the cap.
• Replace the O-ring(s) on the cap using the new ones from the engine oil filter cartridge kit. (An O-ring is a rubber sealing ring.)
• Lightly coat the new O-ring(s) with fresh oil from your new bottle.
• Push the new filter cartridge onto the cap until it seats.
• Reinstall the cap by hand, then tighten with a torque wrench (10-50 ft-lb range) and 24mm socket: Torque to 25 Nm (18 ft-lb).

Step 6: Reinstall the skid plate/belly pan (if removed)

• Reposition the skid plate/belly pan.
• Install bolts by hand first, then tighten using a ratchet with a 13mm socket.
• Reinstall any push-clips using the trim clip tool.

Step 7: Add new engine oil

• Lower the vehicle off the jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum) using the floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum).
• Insert a funnel into the oil fill hole.
• Pour in about 5.5 quarts of SAE 0W-20 full synthetic first.
• Reinstall the oil fill cap.

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

• Start the engine and let it idle for 30-60 seconds.
• Shut the engine off and wait 3-5 minutes for oil to drain back to the pan.
• Check underneath for leaks at the drain plug and around the filter housing cap.
• Check the dipstick, then add oil as needed to reach the safe/full range (most end up close to ~6 quarts total with filter).

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✅ After Repair

• Recheck the dipstick after your first short drive and top off if needed.
• Reset the oil life on the instrument cluster using the steering wheel controls: Vehicle Info > Oil Life, then press and hold OK to reset to 100%.
• If that menu option isn’t present, tell me what you see on the cluster menu and I’ll give the exact reset path.
• Dispose of used oil and the old filter properly at a recycling center or parts store that accepts waste oil.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $110-$190 (parts + labor)

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

You Save: $75-$120 by doing it yourself!

Shop labor rates vary but typically run $100-$150/hour. This repair takes a shop approximately 0.8-1.2 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.