How can you do an oil change to a 1997 pathfinder?

Answer 1

I just did it today on my 97 Patfhinder SE 4x4. Open your hood, remove the oil cap. You will have to go under the car. The SUV is actually high enough where you don't need to jack it up, but I used ramps anyway for more clearance. Remove the skid plate on the front underside. There are multiple bolts holding this in place. Once it's removed, you can see the filter hanging straight down. Remove the bolt on the oil pan and drain it first. This is located a little further back and is the lowest bolt to the ground you'll find. Once the pan is drained, replace the bolt. Proceed to remove the oil filter counterclockwise. There is not a lot of room to twist and being that the filter sits high, it drips all over the place once removed. Use the new oil and lubricate the gasket of your new oil filter and put it in place, hand tighten only to save you some trouble of removing it during your next oil change. Clean up the oily mess on your undercarriage with rags. Most people say add just a little under 4 quarts (3.9 with a new filter). I poured all 4 quarts. Run the engine for a minute or two, shut of, check your dipstick, add as needed, make sure there are no leaks underneath. Replace skid plate. Recycle used oil...done.