Well, first oil change under my ownership. There were a few posts on various topics regarding oil changes, but I wanted to put up one that had a little more detail so the next first timer doesn't struggle on anything.

1. Get a decent oil pan and put card board under it to get the oil that misses. the oil didn't pour out in just one stream for me. Also, put some cardboard under the oil filter for the oil that drips out when removed

2. 13mm socket for the oil reservoir. The small ratchet didn't provide enough torque so i had to bump up to the medium size.

3. Getting the oil filter off was easier to remove when underneath the engine bay. I used a small oil filter wrench that was rubber. Seemed to work alright.

4. I used a Fram PH 3614 oil filter and Mobile 1 5w30

This was my first time ever changing the oil on my vehicle, so feel free to give me some advice too.

This here is a true story...I'm sure you can relate

How to Change the Oil in Your Jeep. . .

Women:

1. Pull in to Jiffy Lube when the mileage reaches 3,000 since the last oil change

2. Drink a cup of coffee

3. Fifteen minutes later, pay $25 and leave with a properly maintained Jeep



Men:

1. Go to NAPA Auto Parts and pay $30 for oil, filter, hand cleaner, scented tree air freshener, and numerous other items you realize you need

2. Discover that your used oil collection container is full; take it to the recycling center

3. Spend 20 minutes trying to locate your floor jack and jack stands; no luck

4. Have a beer; you don't really need to jack up the Jeep anyway

5. Place used oil collection container under the engine

6. Pull out socket wrench and socket; the 5th one you try is finally the correct size

7. Unscrew oil drain plug

8. Drop drain plug in oil; splashing hot oil all over you (and the garage floor) in the process

9. Wipe off face with dirty shop rag and sprinkle kitty litter on garage floor where oil splashed

10. Have another beer while oil is draining

11. Look 15 minutes for oil filter wrench; no luck

12. Poke oil filter with a Phillips screwdriver and twist it off

13. Wipe oil off of your arm with same dirty rag used in step 9; sprinkle more kitty litter on floor

14. Buddy shows up; finish off 6-pack with him. Screw the oil change; finish it tomorrow!

15. Next day, drag full oil collection container out from underneath the Jeep

16. Sprinkle more kitty litter on oil spilled during step 15

17. Have a . . . wait, no beer left, drank it all yesterday

18. Walk 2 miles to Corner Store; buy more beer

19. Apply a thin coat of clean oil to gasket and install new oil filter

20. Dump first quart of fresh oil into engine

21. Remember drain plug from step 8!

22. Scramble to find drain plug in oil collection container

23. Hurry to replace drain plug before entire quart of fresh oil drains all over floor

24. Slip with wrench and bang knuckles on frame; band head on floor board in reaction

25. Begin cussing fit and throw wrench across garage

26. Clean up and apply Band-Aid to knuckles

27. Sprinkle kitty litter on one entire quart of fresh oil now pooled under the Jeep

28. Have another beer

29. Dump in remainder of oil into engine

30. Realize that while you were under the Jeep, it would have been a good time to grease everything, bleed the brakes, replace those dry-rotted body spacers, and find out where that hideous clanking noise is coming from

31. Drive back to NAPA and buy another $150 worth of parts that either won't fit, will break when you try to install them, or will be saved for a later project (all of which will have long been misplaced by the time you are ready to start subject project)

32. Drive Jeep (1-quart low of oil) for 7,000 miles; then return to Step 1

This is a Jeep's oil change broke down TRULY step-by-step

This reminds me... I need an oil change. I'm hitting 9k soon. :\

I could do it myself... sadly, it is just cheaper to drive to a little oil changing station on my way home from work.

Seeing that you spent a bunch of coin on the Mobile 1 oil, why'd you cheap out and go with the Fram filter?

I have yet to look under my JK so I don't know where the drain plug is located but for those that do is there any benefit to driving up on ramps?

Most of my past vehicles pulling up on the ramps gives for a better angle to allow the oil to drain out.

I did notice where the oil filter was and that looks like it will be nearly impossible to change without making some amount of mess.

Sounds about right Constable...except step one for women...like they really monitor mileage....Jeep Girls not included in that comment...sadly, Audi girls are included.

When are most of you doing your first oil change, 1500 miles or so????

Ya the only reason they keep track of the mileage is because their service department makes sure to put that little sticker on their windsheild haha

I do mine about every 3 months or 3000 miles...i usually hit 3 months first though

I switched both my cars to synthetic and am going to try to get them on the same schedule so i only have to change oil once a year for each.

SCHMO- first time i have ever changed my own oil, feel free to let me know what oil filter is quality. I just went with something that i saw on another Jeep forum.

B11- No ramps used, but i can see if the front end is elevated it may drain quicker and maybe more completely.

Although it is synthetic oil, a year still seems to be a long time to go without a change...

You are probably right Constable, maybe get them on a schedule somewhere between 6-8 month intervals regardless of mileage.

6000 for me.
The crew in this thread didn't read the manual?

My dealer threw in the 1st oil change for free with the purchase. Then while I was there getting that oil change, the service advisor offered me coupons for 4 oil changes for $60. I jumped on that, I can't figure out any way to beat $15 per oil change.

Now I know that they will try to sell me more services at every visit, but my "no, thanks" is highly developed.

Just make sure they actually perform the service. My local dealership got a bit of an earful from me after I noticed that I still had a mud covered non-Mopar oil filter when I went to pick up my Jeep after they "performed the service" while I was having some other warranty work done.


As far as an oil filter, if I was spending the coin on Mobile 1 oil, I'd probably shell out a few more bucks and go with a Mobile 1, K&N, or Mopar oil filter vs. a Fram. I've always heard that Fram makes crap.

Fram used to make their filters in Canada and now it's 3rd world labor; they dropped their quality standards to meet price points.
I use Mopar, Wix, or Purolator.
The Mopar air filter is preferred over Purolator though.

The manual calls for 5W-20, btw, not 5W-30. For some reason people think that higher viscosity is better ---- same as people that think that higher octane is "better"...

HDweller- I went with the 5w-30 over the 5w-20 only beacause that is what sam's club had. I was under the impression that the only difference for me (in ohio) would be a little change in gas mileage.

I'll switch up the oil filters to the better quality next time, thanks for the pointers guys.

20 vs 30 weight might be a negligible difference. Or it might not.

Some years ago as a fleet manager I did some experiments with oil. Standard stuff, 3000 mile intervals vs 6000 miles vs 12000 miles. My boss ran straight 30 weight in a car and destroyed the engine's bearings...

I found that the Ford-recommended 10W-30 worked best with oil changes between 6&8K miles ---- no scoring of the cylinder heads, longest life for valve guide seals, etc.

One of my drivers took it upon himself to put in 10W-40 oil though. The clearances in the 4.6L Ford engine didn't flow that oil well and it backed-up ----- the weakest link in the system exploded, the oil filter. I mean it EXPLODED. Right in front of my house.

So, for this engine, I run synthetic 5w-20 in summer and 0w-20 in cooler weather.

Call me when you do your next oil change.

Thanks HillDweller, I always appreciate your input since you seem to have first hand experience on these topics rather than just something you heard from a buddy.

That damn squirrel makes me want to grab a Guinness after work!

My jeep came with "free" oil changes every 3000 miles for 72000 miles. (nothing is free...he got me somewhere I know) But I am sure I will find other ways to bust my knuckles!

On a similar "deal" mine got free sneakers for the life of the jeep for the original owner as long as I do my periodical maintenance at the dealer. So far that appears to be a good deal but eventually, I may want more uber sneakers. They probably count on people swearing off on the details though. I'm shooting for at least the first sneaker change on them. In the meantime, the stock mud tires are proving adequate for my purposes. I want to do a 3 1/2 inch lift and then I will see if the tires are still working out. So much stuff and so little scratch......save save save. The story of a jeep owner's life.