🔧 Maxima - Engine Oil & Oil Filter Change

You’ll drain the old engine oil, replace the oil filter, and refill with the correct oil. Fresh oil protects your engine from wear and helps it run cooler and cleaner.

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

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⚠️ Safety & Precautions

• ⚠️ Work on a level surface and use jack stands—never rely on a jack alone.
• ⚠️ Engine oil can be hot; let your Maxima cool 15-30 minutes to avoid burns.
• ⚠️ Keep oil off the serpentine belt and exhaust—wipe spills immediately.
• ⚠️ Dispose of used oil and the filter at a recycling center/auto parts store.

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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
• Shop rags
• 10mm socket
• Ratchet
• 14mm socket
• Torque wrench (10-80 ft-lb range)
• Oil filter wrench (65mm 14-flute)
• Flat trim clip tool

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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
• Oil filter - Qty: 1
• Drain plug crush washer - Qty: 1

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📋 Before You Begin

• Park on level ground, shift to Park, and set the parking brake.
• Chock the rear wheels with wheel chocks.
• If you’ll lift the front: raise using a floor jack and support with jack stands at the factory front jack points.
• Gather your oil drain pan and rags—oil will drip when the filter comes off.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Warm the oil slightly

• Run the engine for 2-3 minutes, then shut it off.
• Warm oil drains faster.

Step 2: Lift and secure the front (if needed)

• Use a floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum) to lift the front.
• Set the vehicle onto jack stands (rated 3-ton minimum) and gently shake to confirm it’s stable.

Step 3: Remove the lower engine under cover

• Use a 10mm socket with a ratchet to remove the under cover bolts.
• Use a flat trim clip tool to pop any plastic clips. (A trim clip tool is a small pry tool made to remove plastic fasteners without breaking them.)
• Set the under cover aside.

Step 4: Drain the engine oil

• Place the drain pan (8-quart minimum) under the oil pan drain plug.
• Use a 14mm socket with a ratchet to loosen the drain plug, then finish by hand.
• Let the oil fully drain (typically 5-10 minutes).

Step 5: Reinstall the drain plug with a new washer

• Remove the old crush washer from the drain plug and install the new drain plug crush washer.
• Thread the drain plug in by hand to avoid cross-threading.
• Use a 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 (it will spill).
• Use an oil filter wrench (65mm 14-flute) to loosen the filter, then spin it off by hand.
• Make sure the old rubber gasket ring isn’t stuck to the engine surface.

Step 7: Install the new oil filter

• Wipe the filter mounting surface with shop rags.
• Put a light film of new oil on the new filter’s gasket using a gloved finger.
• Spin the new filter on by hand until the gasket touches, then tighten an additional 2/3 turn by hand.
• If you prefer torque: the filter is typically Torque to 18 Nm (13 ft-lbs) using the oil filter wrench (65mm 14-flute) and a torque wrench.

Step 8: Reinstall the under cover

• Reinstall the under cover and start all fasteners by hand.
• Use a 10mm socket with a ratchet to snug the bolts and reinstall clips using the flat trim clip tool.

Step 9: Refill the engine with oil

• Lower the vehicle off the stands (if lifted) using the floor jack (rated 3-ton minimum).
• Remove the oil fill cap and insert a funnel.
• Add engine oil (0W-20 full synthetic)—start with about 5.0 quarts.
• Reinstall the oil fill cap.

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

• Start the engine and let it idle 30-60 seconds.
• Shut the engine off and look underneath for leaks at the drain plug and filter.
• Wait 5 minutes, then check the dipstick and top off as needed (usually ends up around 5.1 quarts total with filter).
• Don’t overfill—aim near the top mark.

Step 11: Reset the oil maintenance reminder

• Using the steering wheel buttons, open the vehicle settings on the dash display.
• Follow one of these common paths (your menu wording may vary):
• Settings > Maintenance > Oil and Filter > Reset
• Settings > Maintenance > Oil Control System > Reset

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✅ After Repair

• Recheck the dipstick the next morning (cold engine) and top off if needed.
• Confirm there are no drips under your Maxima after a short drive.
• Pour used oil into sealed containers and recycle the oil and filter.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $90-$160 (parts + labor)

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

You Save: $55-$90 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.