🔧 Versa - Engine Oil & Oil Filter Change

Changing the oil and filter keeps your engine lubricated and removes dirty oil that can cause wear. On your Versa, you’ll drain the old oil from the oil pan, replace the oil filter, then refill with the correct oil and verify the level.

Difficulty Level: Beginner | Estimated Time: 0.8-1.5 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.
• ⚠️ Hot oil can burn you; let the engine cool 15–30 minutes if it was fully warmed up.
• ⚠️ Keep oil off the CVT/drive belts and off the exhaust area; wipe spills immediately.
• ⚠️ No battery disconnect is required for this job.

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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
• 14mm socket
• 3/8" drive ratchet
• 3/8" drive extension (3"-6")
• Torque wrench (10-80 ft-lbs range)
• Oil drain pan (at least 6-quart)
• Funnel
• Oil filter wrench (cup-style or strap-style)
• 10mm socket
• Phillips screwdriver
• Trim clip tool
• Nitrile gloves
• Safety glasses
• Shop towels

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🔩 Required Parts

HowToo sells all the parts you need for this repair:

• Engine oil (0W-20 full synthetic) - Qty: 4 quarts
• Engine oil filter - Qty: 1
• Oil drain plug crush washer/gasket - 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.
• Raise the front of the car with a floor jack and set it securely on jack stands at the proper lift points.
• Warm oil drains faster, but don’t work on a scorching engine.

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🔨 Step-by-Step Instructions

Follow these steps in order:

Step 1: Access the underside

• Put on safety glasses and nitrile gloves.
• If your Versa has a small lower splash shield/access cover, remove it using a 10mm socket, Phillips screwdriver, and/or trim clip tool.

Step 2: Drain the old engine oil

• Place the oil drain pan under the oil pan drain plug.
• Use a 14mm socket, 3/8" drive ratchet, and 3/8" drive extension to loosen the drain plug counterclockwise.
• Finish unthreading the drain plug by hand and let the oil drain fully (usually 5–10 minutes).
• Remove the old crush washer from the drain plug and install the new oil drain plug crush washer/gasket.

Step 3: Reinstall and torque the drain plug

• Wipe the drain hole area with shop towels.
• Thread the drain plug in by hand first to avoid cross-threading.
• Use a torque wrench with a 14mm socket to tighten the drain plug: Torque to 34 Nm (25 ft-lbs).

Step 4: Remove the old oil filter

• Move the oil drain pan
• Use an oil filter wrench to loosen the filter, then spin it off by hand.
• Make sure the old rubber gasket came off with the old filter (don’t leave it stuck to the engine).

Step 5: Install the new oil filter

• Put a light film of new oil on the new filter’s rubber gasket (use a drop of oil on a gloved finger).
• Spin the new filter on by hand until the gasket contacts the engine mounting surface.
• Tighten the filter by hand an additional 2/3 turn after gasket contact.
• Hand-tight is correct—over-tight can cause leaks later.

Step 6: Reinstall the splash shield/access cover

• Reinstall the cover using the 10mm socket, Phillips screwdriver, and/or trim clip tool.

Step 7: Refill with new oil

• Lower the car safely off the jack stands using the floor jack.
• Open the hood and remove the oil filler cap.
• Place a funnel in the filler hole and add 0W-20 full synthetic.
• Add about 3.5 quarts first, then pause and check the dipstick level.
• Top off gradually until the level is near the top mark on the dipstick (do not overfill).

Step 8: Start, inspect, and re-check the level

• Start the engine and let it idle for 30–60 seconds.
• Turn the engine off and wait 2–3 minutes for oil to drain back into the pan.
• Check for leaks under the car at the drain plug and oil filter area.
• Re-check the dipstick and top off if needed using the funnel.

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✅ After Repair

• Dispose of used oil and the old filter properly (most parts stores accept used oil).
• Clean any spilled oil using shop towels.
• Reset the oil maintenance reminder (if equipped):
• If your Versa has a settings screen in the cluster: use the steering wheel buttons to navigate to Settings > Maintenance > Oil and Filter > Reset.
• If your Versa uses the trip/cluster button: use the trip button to scroll to Maintenance, then select Oil/Filter and hold to reset.

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💰 DIY vs Shop Cost

Shop Cost: $80-$150 (parts + labor)

DIY Cost: $35-$60 (parts only)

You Save: $45-$115 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?

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