How to change oil on 2006 VUE?

[Rapid_VUE]

Morning all,
I have a 2006 V6 FWD that I will be changing the oil for in a couple of weeks. Does anybody have any pointers?

Do I need to jack the vechicle?

How can I confirm that the oil change sensor was reset?

Any special tools needed?


I haven't even looked under the hood yet, so I don't even know where the filter is :)
Thanks

[djb383]

I suppose you could change oil without a jack but it will be easier with it. Don't need to get the front wheels off the ground, just lift it a few inches. "Drain Plug" is written on the bottom of the pan and the oil filter is located by the passenger side front tire. Turn the wheels a little to the right for more room at the filter. Done it twice now on mine, not too bad. Next time the dealer does it for free at 3000 miles. Be careful and good luck.

[Dante]

I suppose you could change oil without a jack but it will be easier with it. Don't need to get the front wheels off the ground, just lift it a few inches. "Drain Plug" is written on the bottom of the pan and the oil filter is located by the passenger side front tire. Turn the wheels a little to the right for more room at the filter. Done it twice now on mine, not too bad. Next time the dealer does it for free at 3000 miles. Be careful and good luck.


Step 1) RTFM
Step 2) If that doesn't make sense, take it to the dealer.

:D

[emg77]

I change my oil on the Vue without jacking up the car. No special tools are required. The oil filter is easiest to get at from wheelwell (front passenger side). It's really easy if you take the tire off, but that's not necessary.

Just follow the instructions in your manual, and reseting the oil life monitor is easy.

[Rapid_VUE]

Step 1) RTFM
Step 2) If that doesn't make sense, take it to the dealer.

:D


Ok, what did he say was wrong?. I don't have the manual handy, does it show how to do an oil change?

If it does, I will be impressed.

[SoCalVue]

I don't jack mine up, but it IS a bit of a squeeze- mainly when trying to loosen the oil pan drain screw with a drain pan in place underneath.

here's my tip for you... break the filter loose, then take the bottom 6" off of a soda/juice/whatever plastic bottle (something flexible) & shove it up under the filter. As you start to loosen the filter, it will drip quite a bit of oil. I usually just keep loosening the filter til it drops into the designated receptacle... saves quite a messy cleanup. I had to buy a filter cap to get the filter off the first time, but after that, I only screw it on hand-tight (make sure you lube the o-ring with oil). When you drain the pan, make sure you don't forget to put the washer back onto the drain pan screw. Saturn recommends replacing the washer every oil change- which is a bit overkill in my opinion, but I suppose it can't hurt. I'm still on my original washer, but only have 12,000 miles on my '04 V6 FWD.

The filter is pretty easily accessible under the passenger side front wheel. You don't have to do a lot of twisting/turning/contorting to get it out. The drain pan screw can be tricky- to get your arm & a wrench under there with a drain pan beneath, but I've had far worse vehicles. If you splash any oil on the exhaust, make sure you wipe it off before you finish.

[Ritz]

I change my oil on the Vue without jacking up the car. No special tools are required. The oil filter is easiest to get at from wheelwell (front passenger side). It's really easy if you take the tire off, but that's not necessary.

Just follow the instructions in your manual, and reseting the oil life monitor is easy.

I noticed this as well. I've got a lift so I did everything from the bottom, but it appears to be pretty easy to grab the oil filter if you just pop off the passenger side front wheel. If you go this route, use jack stands. NEVER get under a car that's only supported by a jack.

Cheers,

[emg77]

here's my tip for you... break the filter loose, then take the bottom 6" off of a soda/juice/whatever plastic bottle (something flexible) & shove it up under the filter. As you start to loosen the filter, it will drip quite a bit of oil. I usually just keep loosening the filter til it drops into the designated receptacle... saves quite a messy cleanup.

That's a great tip! I will have to try that next time. Thanks

[Jldet5]

You don't need to jack. Just crank the wheels to the right and you will have plenty of room to get at the filter and drain plug.

[danwhitney]

Everyone's addressed the 3.5L V6, but if you've got a 2.2L the filter casing is actually on the top of the engine. You'll need a metric 32 socket and a drive extension and ratchet to get that loosened easily.

To reset the oil life monitor, turn the key to the "run" position (but still off). Stomp the accelerator three times, about one second apart. Wait a few seconds and the "Change Oil Soon" indicator begins to flash. Turn the key all the way off, and you're good to go!

[texan]

Step 1) RTFM


:D

Speaking of FMs, why are the instructions for changing the oil, the oil capacity, and the recommended viscosity all in different sections of the manual for my 2002 VUE? :hmpf: Oil changes are the number one reason that people dig the manual out of the glove compartment. This information should be on page one. I should not have to refer to the index 3 times to find out my VUE needs 5 quarts of 10w30.

[burnout]

Theirs is a V6.

On mine, I take off the right front wheel every time to change the oil filter. Its nearly impossible from underneath if you have large hands. The leverage isn't too good.

[SoCalVue]

That's a great tip! I will have to try that next time. Thanks

yea, I found out the hard way, the first time I changed the oil- seems like half a cup of oil shot out & got all over the suspension, not to mention the driveway. You'd think that since the filter drops straight down that it wouldn't spill that much oil, but there's quite a bit stored in the neck that goes into the filter.

I've had worse though... my '98 Lincoln Mark VIII LSC was a nightmare. Once you got it off, you had to twist & turn it every which way to get it out- which got VERY messy. My solution on that one was to put a ziploc bag over the filter & unscrew it- which caught most of the oil. Once off, I then sealed the bag & could then get it out with a minimal of spillage.

[montrealvue]

...I haven't looked at my drain plug yet on my '06 V6, what socket do I use?

[GearGuy]

Oil drain plug on the 3.5L V6 is a 17mm hex head IIRC.

[leogag1]

When you drain the pan, make sure you don't forget to put the washer back onto the drain pan screw. Saturn recommends replacing the washer every oil change- which is a bit overkill in my opinion, but I suppose it can't hurt. I'm still on my original washer, but only have 12,000 miles on my '04 V6 FWD.
It seems that there is also a special washer that fits between the oil filter and the engine. Am I right? I remember that I've been billed for a washer at my last oil change, and I saw the part, a fairly large washer. (but I didn't see where it was put by the technician...) At 2$/piece, I suppose that this part is made of platinum or gold, or... they caugh me!

[leogag1]

It seems that there is also a special washer that fits between the oil filter and the engine. Am I right? I remember that I've been billed for a washer at my last oil change, and I saw the part, a fairly large washer. (but I didn't see where it was put by the technician...) At 2$/piece, I suppose that this part is made of platinum or gold, or... they caugh me!
I said "washer", but I should have said "spacer"... I found a picture of the 3.5L V6 at SaturnParts.net where we can see the spacer (item #39), sold 3.69$ on this website.
http://www.saturnfans.com/photos/data/12536/thumbs/V2P045.gif (http://www.saturnfans.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=30696)
I suppose they replaced it because they lost it while removing the filter...

[fastdrvr23]

I said "washer", but I should have said "spacer"... I found a picture of the 3.5L V6 at SaturnParts.net where we can see the spacer (item #39), sold 3.69$ on this website.
http://www.saturnfans.com/photos/data/12536/thumbs/V2P045.gif (http://www.saturnfans.com/photos/showphoto.php?photo=30696)
I suppose they replaced it because they lost it while removing the filter...

Do you mean the drain plug gasket? It's basically a crush washer made of aluminum that mounts between the drain plug and the oil pan. There's nothing that mounts between the oil filter and the engine (other than the rubber gasket on the oil filter itself.) I figure it's cheap insurance for leaks at the plug, so I've always replaced them when changing the oil on any car I've owned that had one.

If you're going to do it yourself, do a search on ebay for Honda Drain plug washers... I bought 30 for .11 a piece, they were for a Honda Pilot or Honda Odyssey (same 3.5L V6 as in the Vue). Honda uses the same ones for almost everything, easy to find. Same exact part as I bought at Saturn, but I have enough for the life of the vehicle for the same cost as 1 was from my stealer... I mean dealer.

Nevermind about searching on ebay, here's the link to the seller:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=38657&item=8061709684

Good luck!

[kodak_jack]

I don't remember ever having a drain plug where the washer wasn't captured so it wouldn't come off. I guess it wouldn't hurt to change them.:whoa: