DIY oil change notes

[cliff]

I changed my oil last night since I didn't want to wait until Service I, and I didn't want to kill a morning at the dealer. A few notes:

My drain pan plug takes a 13mm socket. Others have reported 17mm, so maybe they've changed sizes.

Even though I have a 5er jack, I used my hydralic floor jack. It's a cheap one, but I trusted it more than a scissors jack. I have some jack stands, too, and I looked really hard, but with the jack in the left-front jacking-spot, I didn't see a good spot to sit one without scratching up the underbody. I reached under to the drain pan with some trepidation! Any suggestions?

The oil filter not only comes with a new o-ring, it includes a new copper washer for the drain pan plug.

It was tight, but I was able to open the cap to the oil filter cannister without tools. What a great location, too.

Pulling out the firmly-attached old filter from the cap was a messy business.

Others have said 7.5 to 8 qt. The manual said 6.9. I put in 7, gently warmed it up, and measured the level. It was just a touch over the top mark. I guess the manual was right. Next time I'll add just a touch less from the last bottle.

The dealer changed my oil at the post-break-in service. I think they overtightened the drain pan plug. It took a helluva pull to break it free. I don't have a torque wrench, so I tightened it very firmly, but not as tight as they did.

Those combination drain-pan/storage bottles are great, although I'm intrigued by the vaccuum-from-the-top method.