Scheduled Maintenance - Oil & Filter Change

No. The oil drain plug is 13mm. The belly pan screws are 10mm.

Here are the DIY instructions for changing your oil:

If the car has been sitting, start it up and let it run for a minute or two to make the oil flow easier. If the car has been running, let it cool enough to where you can put your hand on the top of the radiator without burning yourself. (If you don't want to get your floor or driveway oiled up, place a large piece of cardboard or plastic tarp under the car before beginning.

1. Open the hood, remove the dipstick (wipe it down and lay it over the engine cover). Remove the oil filler cap and lay it on top of the engine cover. This prevents any vacuum from forming that slows down the oil from draining completely out of the engine.

2. Use low profile car ramps (with rubber wheel chocks) or jack stands to gain access to the underneath of your car.

3. You'll need a drain tub/pan to hold 6-7 quarts of oil, depending on your engine's oil capacity.

4. Go underneath the car and use a 10mm socket on your ratchet to remove the four bolt-head screws holding the splash guard (belly pan) on- two on the front and two on the rear. Slide the splash guard toward the back and it will drop down.

5. Put your drain tub under the drain bolt on the oil pan. Use a 13mm box wrench to loosen the bolt so you can unscrew it with your fingers. The oil stream will be directed toward the back of the car a bit, tapering off as the level drops.

6. Once the oil stream tapers off a bit, move the drain tub to a position under both the oil pan and the oil filter. (The filter is about 10" forward toward the nose of the car and above/higher than the oil pan). You may need an oil filter wrench that fits on a ratchet extension to remove a very tight filter- especially the first time it is changed.

7. Loosen the filter and spin it off. Be careful since it will be full of oil. Turn it upside down in the drain tub to discard the oil. (You can place the empty filter in a plastic zip lock bag). Make sure the old oil filter gasket did not remain on the mounting surface. With a lint-free cloth, clean around the filter's mounting surface.

8. Dip your fingertip into a jug of new oil and smear a bead of oil on the rubber gasket of the new filter. This will make its removal easier the next time.

9. Spin the new oil filter onto the stem. It should spin on easily. If it doesn't STOP! You've cross-threaded the filter. Back it off and start threading it again, first with a half turn backward to seat it correctly. Then begin spinning it on again. When the filter has been completely screwed in, give it one quarter turn. This allows the filter to fit securely without being too tight and crushing the rubber gasket. (If you can safely unscrew the filter with your hand, requiring only minimal resistance from the tightened position, then it has the correct tightness). There is no need to fill the filter with oil before installing it. The pickup for the oil pump is in the oil pan, so there isn't a "dry start up" or unnecessary wear.

10. Reinstall the drain bolt. Do not overtighten it since the pan is aluminum, and you don't want to crack it.

11. Remove the drain tub from under the car. Put it to the side where it won't get kicked or knocked over.

14. Replace the splash guard's four 10mm bolt head screws.

15. Lower your car to the ground. Place the dip stick into the tube and, slowly, begin pouring the specified number of quarts into the filler hole using a funnel. (Save the jug for the waste oil and return it where you bought your oil).

16. Once you are within one quart of your car's specified capacity (e.g., 6 quarts for a Hemi engine), begin checking the oil level on the dip stick. Remember that the oil hasn't circulated through the engine yet and your filter needs filling up as well, so the level won't be 100% accurate on the dipstick. It will read about a half quart higher than the actual level. Slowly add the last quart a little at a time, being careful not to overfill.

17. Bring the fresh oil level to the top of the dip stick "FULL" indication. Once it's at the top "FULL" line, replace the dipstick in its tube. Then, reinstall and tighten the engine oil filler cap.

18. If everything looks good, start the car and let it idle for a minute to circulate the oil into the filter. Turn the car off, wait a minute for the oil to settle, and check the oil level again. Also. check underneath the car for leaks.


Here's the information from the LX service manual:




Also, see the following articles about oils and filters:

Synthetic vs. Conventional Oil | Dodge Challenger Forum

SRT Oil Filter | Dodge Challenger Forum