Uh oh!

I'd change my own. I don't have mine yet, so I can't give you specifics, but it's pretty simple. Dunno if it has a regular oil pan or a dual chamber (for cross-member or frame clearance?) with two drain plugs, plus I've heard there is another drain plug somewhere, maybe the oil cooler?

1. Warm it up so the oil is nice and thin (although 0w-40 is pretty thin to begin with).
2. Pull the drain plugs
3. Pull the oil filter
4. Dip your index finger in oil and run it around the rubber seal on the new oil filter
5. Screw it on hand tight (HAND tight, no filter wrenches or other nonsense), it doesn't have to be super tight
6. When the oil quits dripping out of the drain holes, put the drain plugs/bolts back in
7. Wipe off any excess oil from them, so you can spot any leaks
8. Then put the new oil in.

I usually pour oil in until I get within one quart of what it's supposed to hold, then check it, and add 1/4 quart at a time until it starts getting close.

X-Men Fiend said:

Sounds good, to me; I did hear that the plug on the auxiliary engine oil cooler must be removed so that the oil can be drained from that too otherwise the new oil will get contaminated with some old oil lingering in it. I think, even if it's not stated in the manual, on an expensive car like this with such a hi-po motor, it is probably a good idea to change it at 500 miles or so; And then, driver can apply the full power at will!

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You can never get ALL of the old oil out, there will always be a little left over in the oiling system. No biggie.

I think on the break in of any engine, especially a high hp engine, that changing the oil every 500 miles until 1500 miles is a good idea. I think last time I did oil changes after the dyno, then at 100, 500 and 1500 miles, then to normal oil change intervals.

I'm sure they did change the oil after the 45 mins of dyno tme. Surely, they did.

Rick Ruder said:

Only problem with changing your own oil is that it doesn't show in the maintenance records. Everything is recorded and available to anybody in the future if you want to sell it.

Having complete maintenance records goes a long way in that scenario.

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Keep a maintenance journal. Keep track of the date, mileage and what was done (oil used, filters changed, tires rotated, plugs changed, etc.).

You can carry a small spiral notebook in the glove box or do it on the computer.

I do the same thing for my guns, keep track of dates, ammo used (brand, grain, type of bullet or recipe if custom load), how many rounds fired. This helps to know when it's time for a new barrel or other maintenance items, just like mileage on a car.

CarFax doesn't hold water with me. I have purchased a vehicle that had a clean carfax, only later to discover it had been wrecked, hard, but not reported to the insurance. They did a crappy job fixing it but you wouldn't notice until you really started looking under the surface. Always wondered why it kept cracking windshields...

Zixxer said:

I keep a log on all my vehicles and boat...most receipts and all parts I pull and replace. Buyers can tell what kind of owner the vehicle had v. the drop at the dealership. I've never had a buyer say anything but "thanks, you really know how to take care of a X" Good maintenance, both mechanical and appearance, sells itself.

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I agree completely. If you take care of your own stuff, a prospective buyer can tell the difference between someone who has built lots of cars or owned a nice selection and knows their stuff about them vs someone who only drives them and the dealer does all the work. We've all heard dealership horror stories. Just because the dealer did all the maintenance doesn't mean it was all done right or well.