03 Viper DIY oil change?

[*fill-up*]

Can anyone help me find a thread for a DIY oil change for my car? I searched "oil" and "change" in advanced search and it keep showing me "sorry, no results" or something like that.

I've made over 3k on my car, and I need an oil chance asap. Thanks!

 

[AbsolutHank]

If you've changed the oil on ANY other car, this car will be even simplier as everything is right out in the open. Pull the drainplug out, let it run, change the filter, reinstall drainplug and refill with oil.

 

[*fill-up*]

So no special tools needed? Also where do I jack the front end up?

 

[Kevan]

Here ya go:
http://www.srtconnection.com/forums/showthread.php?t=4505

Jacking points are shown in your owners manual.
There are (4) little 'triangles' on the underside of the vehicle, between the front and rear wheels. Those are your jacking/lifting points.

 

[fireball]

If you're not able to determine where a good jacking point is, maybe you should consider getting your oil changed by a professional.

But I'll help. There're jacking points under the dor sills. They're re-inforced with a little metal bar. Lay on the ground and you can see them. Jack your car up at these points. I'm pretty sure the owners manual will tell you this.

Now, you'll want to place jackstands under the car (NEVER, EVER WORK UNDER A CAR ONLY SUPPORTED BY A JACK!). A good place is on the frame where the car is supported anyway - where the suspension meets the frame. Take care placing the jack stands so nothing is damaged. Also take care when one side is on the jackstand and you're jacking the other side. Check the existing stand often when jacking on the other side of the car.

Good luck with your oil change, it's a pretty easy task. Easy access to the filter and drain.

Greg

 

[2easy]

Just behind the front wheels under the sills there is a small piece of triangular steel fastened to the frame. Jack there. I believe its indicated in your owners manual. For sure in the service manual. I suggest a thicker oil than stock 10w30. Some use 15w50 or Mobil 1, 0w40. 0w40 is the best IMO and it runs with better oil pressure and no head noise.

 

[fireball]

2Easy,
No disrespect intended, just for discussion.

Anytime someone suggests a different oil than the manufacturer recommended oil type or viscosity - I always ask them what the piston ring end gap is and why it's that number. If they don't know, I suggest that the person that does know, recommended a particular oil viscisity and that they wrote it down for me in the owners manual. It's my way of saying that, in my opinion, the folks that really, really know your engine made an oil recommendation and that you should make sure the person telling you to do something different understands at least as much about your engine as the manufacturer does. FWIW, I really don't know who that would be.

Having said that, I've been running 0w40 based on a web discussion (on this forum) with the SRT engineers. They recommended 0w40.

Greg

 

[TowDawg]

It's extremely easy to do. Just make sure you get the car completely up on 4 jack-stands so that it is level when doing the oil change, so you make sure you get all the oil that you can out.

I would also recommend getting in touch with Blackstone Labs to get a sample kit. You collect some of your oil from the change and send it to them for analysis. It's only about $20 per time and you get a full report to try to catch any potential problems early. I'm also sure it doesn't hurt to have the analysis records when/if you ever sell the car.

 

[2easy]

Greg, that sounds like a political answer if I have ever heard one...lol I think we are both getting at the same thing....just my answer is, lets say, direct. The general concensus is that the recommended oil from the manufacturer was the wrong oil type for the car. The general concensus that 15w50 or 0w40 is the proper oil for the car regardless of his current piston ring end gap. Case in point is that both of us use this oil instead of what the car maufacturer recommends for proven reasons.

Just trying save the guy some headache is all.

No disrespect intended, and just for discussion.

 

[Kevan]

Now, you'll want to place jackstands under the car (NEVER, EVER WORK UNDER A CAR ONLY SUPPORTED BY A JACK!). A good place is on the frame where the car is supported anyway - where the suspension meets the frame. Take care placing the jack stands so nothing is damaged. Also take care when one side is on the jackstand and you're jacking the other side. Check the existing stand often when jacking on the other side of the car.

Quoted and bold'd for truth.

 

[Sonoman]

Oil viscosity recommendations have a lot to do with the intended ambient operating temperature. If the mfgr. is trying to recommend one oil viscosity range for all seasons for all of the US it will have to cover starting the car in sub-zero weather. Personally, I have no use for cold weather oils. So I could give a rat's ass what some engineer in Michigan recommends as far as viscosity range. Mobil 1: OK. 0W-xx: not what I would use for warm climates.
A proper owner's manual would show viscosity range recommendations for various min/max ambient temps. No matter how much they try to viscosity stabilize these "fuel-saving" lightweight base stock oils, the amount of valvetrain noise that occurs while using them is unacceptable to me. Aaack, not another oil thread, sorry all...

To the original poster, be sure to buy enough oil (about 10.5 quarts!). Also, the OEM filter is a bit of a special case for the Viper. They will sell you one that fits down at the local chain auto parts store, but it may not be the optimal filter for this motor. There can be significant differences internally among filters that look and fit the same, such as flow and overpressure specs, pressure drop though the filter, bypass valve considerations, etc. I bought a bunch of the Mopar Viper filters just to have them on hand at oil change time (MOPAR #05037836AA). They're $11 each at Viper Parts of America.

 

[Kevan]

So I could give a rat's ass what some engineer in Michigan recommends as far as viscosity range.

No offense Sonoman, but: Dick Winkles > rat's ass.

 

[01sapphirebob]

No offense Sonoman, but: Dick Winkles > rat's ass.

Quoted for truth.

 

[fireball]

Oil viscosity recommendations have a lot to do with the intended ambient operating temperature. If the mfgr. is trying to recommend one oil viscosity range for all seasons for all of the US it will have to cover starting the car in sub-zero weather. Personally, I have no use for cold weather oils. So I could give a rat's ass what some engineer in Michigan recommends as far as viscosity range. Mobil 1: OK. 0W-xx: not what I would use for warm climates.
A proper owner's manual would show viscosity range recommendations for various min/max ambient temps. No matter how much they try to viscosity stabilize these "fuel-saving" lightweight base stock oils, the amount of valvetrain noise that occurs while using them is unacceptable to me. Aaack, not another oil thread, sorry all...

That's cool. I have no idea about acceptable sulphur content, NOACK volitility or total acidity number of any particular oil so I won't make an oil recommendation. I do know that the viscosity index does measure the viscosity change in motor oil as temperature changes - but I don't know what the index numbers are for any particular oil. Obviously some people do. Some of them write what they know in the owner's manual while others write it here.

Clearly I got some learn'n to do!

Greg

 

[CEJ]

Before you do your oil change, do you have the following equipment & tools?
1. 4 jackstands
2. A floor lift capable of lifting your Viper (two is even better)
3. A torque wrench
4. A container that can hold 10+ quarts of oil

If not, then you might want to follow fireball's earlier suggestion of having a shop do the work. If you need jackstands, I really like the ESCO flat top stands. Good luck.

 

[Sonoman]

Before you do your oil change, do you have the following equipment & tools?
1. 4 jackstands
2. A floor lift capable of lifting your Viper (two is even better)
3. A torque wrench
4. A container that can hold 10+ quarts of oil

If not, then you might want to follow fireball's earlier suggestion of having a shop do the work. If you need jackstands, I really like the ESCO flat top stands. Good luck.

Add to that list the correct size oil filter wrench/tool. Ever drain the oil on a new vehicle and then find out that none of your existing filter wrenches fit the cannister?

 

[fireball]

Add to that list the correct size oil filter wrench/tool. Ever drain the oil on a new vehicle and then find out that none of your existing filter wrenches fit the cannister?

TRUE!

I have more than 10 'fitted'end cap oil filter wrenches (thanks to motorcycles....) but I find a Lisle oil filter 'removal' tool works really well. One size fits almost all. It works really well on a large variety of filters and gets a real good hold of the filter. Better even than an end cap filter wrench. Most importantly it doesn't need a ton of room to work.

I bought one after I asked a guy at a fast lube place what he uses and he recommended this one.

http://www.lislecorp.com/divisions/products/?product=377

It's available at your local auto parts store.

Greg

 

[Mopar488]

I took mine in yesterday to a dealer. A kid came out to drive it in and made me real nervous. I watched him get in and then started walking to the other side to meet him in the bay. When he did not show up I went back and he was looking under the dash. I asked him what was wrong and he said he could not get it started. I showed him the starter button and asked him if he wanted me to drive it in. He said insurance regs would not allow it. Once he got it in I kept a close eye on it. I either need to get some race ramps or break down and buy a lift and do my own oil changes. Made me a nervous wreck.

 

[speedracervr4]

I only use one jackstand, a low profile oil can, and a low profile jack. Jack the car up, install the jack stand, remove filter and the plug from oil pan and drain the oil into the can. Remove the jack stand and lower the car so it's level so it'll drain the rest of the oil in the oil pan. Jack the car back up, install the jackstand and install the prefilled filter and plug. Ramps and two jack stands would make it easier, but it's not really required.

 

[*fill-up*]

Thanks for all the replies, I don't feel to confident placing my viper on jack stands so I am just going to go into a friends Penzoil after hours and do the oil change myself there.