Thanks for the clarifications!

Noobie001

What does everybody recommend for:
1) brand of oil filter
2) brand of oil?

And how often do you change it?

1) Nissan
2) I use Valvoline, but any major brand 5W-30 will do.

I change mine every 5,000 miles as my use doesn't fall under "severe use" as defined in the owners manual.

Nissan filters are $6, half the price of the mobil 1 filter. Just buy a few at a time along with the copper washers you need for the drain plug.

I agree.. I got tired of all the "this filter sucks and that filter is great"... "No - they're both made by the same company! This OTHER filter is better"....

so I just buy Nissan filters from Nissan. Maybe it is not the absolute best on the market... but it can't be a POS can it?

I use Valvoline SynPower 10W30 in my X (for no particular reason) and Mobil1 ('cause I hear it is the best) in my S2000 (along with Honda filters).

Oil Filter: Mobil 1 (M1-110)
Yes, the Nissan Filter is good too, but why not get the best that Champion Labs has to offer?

Oil: Pre 10k (full break-in) : Mobil Dino (Clean 5000)

Post 10k: Mobil 1 Synthetic

Yes, I am pro-Mobil

I've only had to do it once so far, but I am looking to do it every 3000 miles.

MJ

Please explain further what these are for and why you have to go ahead and buy a few

Noobie001

These are for sealing the drain plug. I buy a few at a time so I don't have to go to the dealer or order one for every oil change. They also fit the transmission oil drain plug.

They don't seem to be critical... so don't freak out if you didn't put one on (or didn't even notice the old one on there)... but it's a good idea to go ahead and use 'em in the future.

I haven't changed it myself yet, going to do that next time I need one. I just want to be sure I know of everything I'll need beforehand and have it all together.

Where do I get them and what would I ask for? Probably would go to auto parts store instead of dealership (further away) if possible.

Also, is there anything else I should go ahead and buy just to be safe like a spare gasket or anything?

Noobie001

You don't need a new copper washer -- especially if you follow the torque specification for the drain plug. I've had many vehicles with the copper washer and I just make sure it looks good and go from there. My 95 Altima has 110,000 miles and I've changed the oil myself every 3000 miles but I think I've only changed the washer once -- because the dealer said I needed one when I bought the filter.

I also use manufacturers oil filters -- I don't believe the marketing hype around Mobil 1 filters -- although I like their oil.

They're called "crush washers".

To change the oil you need:
1) Oil filter
2) Crush washer (if available)
3) 4 quarts of oil (3.5 to be exact)
4) 10mm wrench/socket to remove the 6 bolts on the stock "skidplate" (LOTS of people have snapped the heads off of those bolts - be careful)
5) Socket/wrench for the drain plug (14mm? I forget)
6) Something to catch the old oil in
7) A bunch of paper towels
8) A (clean) funnel is nice - but not required

My super-anal procedure (hey, I'm an engineer :p ):
1) Pop the hood, remove the oil fill cap, then get under the front end and start taking off any necessary skidplates etc. Position a catch pan under the oil pan (not to be confused with the transmission drain pan. The tranny pan is further back and is large and flat. The oil pan is smaller and further forward).
2) Remove the drain plug and watch the oil start dumping out (you will get a nice splash of it on your hands... have a couple of paper towels (or better yet, those blue shop towels... they rock!). It goes a bit better if the truck is warm (oil will flow out a little better - but not required... 'course you're more likely to burn yourself) and if it is not windy (oil will get everywhere as it drains).
3) After oil has stopped flowing from the pan (there is always a little stream still trickling out... at some point you have to call it "good enough"), wipe off the drain plug, put a new crush washer (if available) on it (remembering to remove the old one first and note which way it goes on), and put the plug back in place on the oil pan. Tighten it down until it is good and snug - but not too tight (I forget the torque spec... it's not very important anyway - it's not under any pressure or anything.... the idea is just to get it tight enough so it won't back out or leak but not so tight that you start stretching threads or damaging anything)

4) Move your catch pan forward so that it is underneath the oil filter.

5) Grab the oil filter and unscrew it by hand (just like any other screw). If someone else put it on, it may require an oil filter wrench - but I've always been able to remove mine by hand. As you remove it, oil will start to come out around it... try not to make a mess . Dump the contents into your catch pan, drop the whole filter in there... whatever.

6) Use a paper towel or two to clean off the mount where the filter goes... particularly the shiny ring where the rubber o-ring on the new filter will make contact.

7) Get your new filter and a quart of oil. Start filling the filter up with oil (this takes awhile - you fill it up and it starts being absorbed... and then you put in a little more... and then a little more etc etc etc) Overall a Nissan filter will take nearly a half quart of oil. Dip your (clean) finger into the new oil and rub it around the o-ring on the new filter to get a coat of oil on it.

8) Screw the new filter onto the filter mount (being careful not to dump the oil that you just put in it everywhere). It will screw on very easily and at some point you will be able to feel that the o-ring has made contact with the surface that it mates to. Once it has made contact, tighten the filter another 1/2 to 3/4 of a turn (Once it makes contact, I note where my thumb is on the filter - and then turn it until my thumb is 180 degrees (or a little more) from where it was)

9) Get up, and start pouring oil into the oil fill tube in the engine compartment (on the passenger side of the engine). The funnel comes in handy here. It takes *exactly* 3.5 quarts. I don't even bother with that pour-a-little and then check it and then pour a little more garbage anymore. I just dump in 3.5.
10) Check it with the dipstick to make sure there is *something* in there - i.e. you didn't forget to put the drain plug back in or something (don't bother adjusting the level right now.. you need to start and let the oil cycle through the engine and filter a couple of times before you can get a true level. The dip stick on these trucks is awful... you have to look at all four sides of the tip and try to guess the correct level (generally you go by the side that is the lowest). It is also difficult to see new oil because it is so clear. Put the oil fill cap back on.
11) Start the truck up and let it run for 30 seconds or a minute.. Get out and check under the truck to make sure the oil filter and drain plug aren't leaking
12) Stop the truck, wait a minute or two, and recheck the oil a few times to make sure it is at the right level (halfway on the dipstick). Add more oil if necessary (remember, though, that too much oil can be just as bad as too little.. but in general if you keep it within the limits of the dipstick you won't have any trouble).

13) Close the hood, put the skidplate back on, clean up, dump the used oil at Auto Zone, and you're done

And how often do you change it?[/qb][/QUOTE]Oil Filter: Mobil 1 (M1-110)
Yes, the Nissan Filter is good too, but why not get the best that Champion Labs has to offer?

Oil: Pre 10k (full break-in) : Mobil Dino (Clean 5000)

Post 10k: Mobil 1 Synthetic

Yes, I am pro-Mobil

I've only had to do it once so far, but I am looking to do it every 3000 miles.

MJ[/QB][/QUOTE]

Yes, you are an expert because you've changed your oil a total of one time. That's why there is this worthless thread in 3 different websites. Thanks for sharing your expertise, somebody kill this thread allready

You can avoid making a mess when you remove the old filter if you put a zip-lock baggie around it after you've loosened it a few turns but before the oil can escape. Then, when the oil splats out, it all goes into the baggie. Which you can then pour off into the drain pan or just zip-lock it right up with the filter and throw the whole thing out.

[Disclosure: I cannot take credit for this idea because another member suggested it first but I can't remember who.]

Another good reason to change oil yourself:

Just because I have changed it once doesn't mean I don't know d*ck about oil or filters. Do you know who has changed my oil for the past 5 years?

Stop being a hater and go read a book or drive your truck. BTW, this was reposted on one other site, not two.

MJ

I'd buy the filter wrench. Things seem to have a way of tightening up over time. Plus it's just quicker & easier.

A breaker bar can be a number of things such as a piece of pipe, screwdriver, etc. It's basically a bar that you use in combination with a wrench as leverage on stubborn bolts.

Lastly you always check your oil levels because you want to make sure you have the proper amount of oil in there. Sure, it says 3.5 quarts but on other vehicles I have seen it take a hair more or less to get it to the full line. Also, it's a little difficult to guage a 1/2 quart. Also, don't forget to check oil periodically besides at oil changes. While most the time you won't need to add any between oil changes, it is possible. Also, if your levels get low too fast it's a tell tale sign that you have a leak or the engine is burning too much oil.

FWIW I have never (actually once on a Honda) changed the copper washer on any vehicle I have ever owned and I have never experienced a oil leak from the drain plug.

Tom

OK, now that made me

I can't remember the last time I actually took my car in to have the oil changed. I've been doing it myself for so long now....

Same here. I'm going on about the 15th oil change I've done on my Xterra and it's never leaked a dribble. 25+changes on my Frontier and the same thing.

NAPA auto parts here in fl take all the used oil u can giv-autozone also

I'm surprised nobody has mentioned this yet, but check out:

www.cleanburn.com

These furnaces (there are other brands as well) burn used oil (crankcase, ATF, cooking oil from mcdonalds even, etc) and people will advertise to get free oil from people. Maybe thas why they took it...Free heat! When I finally get a house, Im considering getting one of these to heat the garage...

I enjoyed an engineers way of doing this BUT I am glad he checks the dipstick becaues my math says " if I put a half a quart in the filter then 3.5 qts. in the engine I now have overfilled it and have put 4 quarts in. Half a quart too much?? And he is right it will be hard to see with clean oil on that crappy dipstick.

just wanted to note that i performed my first ever oil change on my xterra over the weekend, thanks to this thread. it went well, the only pain being the removal of the skid plate.

by the way..in NY, it is state law that any place the sells new motor oil, must accept used motor oil..even grocery stores.

Keep in mind the center bolt on the back of the skid plate only has to be loosened. After the removal of the rest of the bolts you can slid the skid right out. Slick of Nissan to build it this way.